Saint John Vianney spent 16 hours a day hearing confessions and through him Christ the Risen Lord healed hundreds of thousands. It is shocking because the Warlord, General Butt Naked, recruited young men with his powerful and charismatic personality, convinced them that entering into battle naked protected them from bullets and was resposnbile by his own testimony for at least 20,000 civilians deaths.
One day, a visitor came to his barracks to tell him that he could be saved and forgiven. His guards claimed that they did not see the visitor come in or go out of the General's office. He began the long process of conversion, changing his heart by God's grace, leaving the civil war and renouncing violence, going before the truth and reconciliation tribuanl and confessing his crimes, going personally to as many victims and survivors as he could and asking forgiveness, and making satisfaction wherever he was able to.
As a priest who is blessed to celebrate the sacrament of mercy and forgiveness with many members of the Body of Christ weekly I am always honored and moved by the way in which God himself brings people to sorrow and contrition for their sins, to forgiveness and confession, to taking up a penance and make satisfaction for sins, to healing and reconcilation with a firm commitment not to enter into these sins again. The whole anatomy of forgiveness which we encounter in the Prodigal Son of Luke 15 seems to be present in the lives of the penitents who have the humility to come before a priest who acts in teh person of Christ and allows the Risen Lord to forgive, heal and strengthen the person. What a gift.
Some people questioned the sincerity of General Butt Naked's Redemption while we were at Sundance. I may be gullible but I believe that God's mercy extends even to such a man. Praise God!
Fr. Willy
1 comment:
Father Willy, just began to read your blog and because of it read some of the quotes of Flannery O'Connor.
At any rate with regards to the Redemption Butt Naked, and I am afraid that after my confession, which occurred after two months or so of chastity; I reverted back to lust and acting it out.
I am aware that it was self-medication due to frustration detonated by family politics. But, I felt on the first day disappointed because I could not go to communion and on the second, back to old behavior, since it a sin to think it, why then not do it!
My dissapointment was a childish reaction to the fact that couldn't find a confessor (checked) several parishes and the all do confessions on Saturdays) to absolve me and I take the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion.
Any comments? Can one be absolved via internet?
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