Here’s Tom’s response to my blog-alogue posting on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. [I swear I didn't set him up to do a plug for the DVD...]
Paul,
Your reminiscence about the stern confessor who felt it was his duty to alert you to your imminent damnation reminds me of that lovely Gospel passage where Jesus walked through Galilee informing men, women, and especially little children that they were going to hell. Oh…. no, I guess I don’t recall seeing that passage at all. So I wonder why so many Christians feel it’s their duty to be on damnation patrol.
What piques my interest when I hear your enthusiasm for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is how eager you are to help people find their way out of their messes and into the light of Christ. Of course we’re all sinners–what’s the news there? The real news–the Good News–is that there’s a way out of sin and into a new and more abundant life, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be a source of that freedom. I heard this message from you especially in the Jesuits on…Reconciliation video from Loyola Productions which I recommend to anyone who wants to better understand how confession can truly be good for their soul.
Believe it or not, I DO enjoy going to confession, though I am careful about who I confess to, trusting only those who convey a sense that they’ve recognized their own need for the great grace of God’s mercy and received it in abundance.
Tom
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Eric 05.29.09 at 4:32 pm
Tom’s first paragraph is one of the best I have ever read.
Paul 06.01.09 at 3:19 pm
Eric,
I agree with you 100%. When I realized what he was up to, I started grinning from ear to ear. The man must have passionately embraced the Blarney Stone!
Paul