Learning to Listen

Last night our church held a communal penance service. These are normally held before Easter and Christmas each year to give people the opportunity to make a good Confession before these holydays. Usually the service consists of music, a few bible readings, a meditation, an examination of conscience, and finally the opportunity for individual Confessions. There was a large turnout last night and it was a beautiful service. Standing in line for Confession I could just feel the Holy Spirit’s presence in the gathering.

Confession, like Lent is not really a fun thing, but also like Lent, it can really be wonderful opportunity to grow in grace. No one likes to admit to their shortcomings, but to hear those words of forgiveness from Jesus acting through the priest can be an amazing feeling. Unfortunately I often find myself confessing the same sins over and over again as I definitely have my weaknesses.

Last night during my Confession the priest said something that hit me. He expressed to me how important daily prayer was in keeping priorities straight. He told me, “A lot of times we think that prayer is something we say and do for God, but in reality it’s not so much about what we say, but allowing God to speak to us.”

That’s pretty profound stuff and really spoke to me. I know that I too often turn prayer into another daily routine that I do and thus often miss out on that important aspect of just listening to God. It sounds so simple, but just like my human relationships, I know that it will take a fair amount of work and effort. I know I’ll fail again but that is the beauty of the Sacrament of Confession. No matter how terrible a sin we commit or how many times we struggle with it, if we are truly sorry Jesus is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back with open arms. His love is amazing.