Outside the Confessional...a memo to our Priests

Last Sunday (Divine Mercy Sunday- rock-n-roll fingers)   my first grade son just couldn't wait one more day to sit down with our priest and confess his sins.  He still has one year to go before his official first confession but Father Matt was gracious and agreed to let him spill his guts.  My son was thrilled as he skipped away from the confessional assuring me that he told the truth and didn't make anything up.  Good to know he didn't lie in confession. LOL.

My protestant friends can sit this one out because I know you prefer to confess your sins privately in the dark of night before you fall asleep (although I will say--ya'll are missing out.  Confession is such a rush.). 

But to my Catholic friends and our amazing priests can we have a private chit-chat?

You teach me and I teach my children about the dangers of dying in a state of mortal sin. ONE mortal sin can send me and my good intentions straight to hell.  Okay, I am on board with ya.  But if this is truly what we believe, then why is confession presented as such an after thought?  What crazy tradition decided that it was sufficiant that it be held only on Saturdays from 4-5pm and 30 minutes before mass?  Am I the only one who understands the urgency of making confession available 24/7 or at least on a weeknight?  If it is 3am and my soul is compromised, I want to know that I can find a priest

You are in that tiny room, so you may not be aware of the long line waiting to speak to you.  We jockey for position with such demand that we probably should add it to our list of sins.  You probably don't see the anxiety and the tears of those waiting and you definitely don't see the disappointment when that little light turns out and we realize we have to wait another week and hope we don't get plowed down by a bus. 

There has to be a way to make reconciliation more accessible and not so competitive.  I know you are busy, but honestly, we, your congregation;  followers of Christ and the Catholic church...we need this.  Please make the time.

Next, I know that you may feel overwhelmed by the pain and suffering you hear, but stay strong.  Don't loose heart and begin to provide counsel based on empathy.  We have best friends and therapists and Oprah to agree with us and give us bad advice.  We need you to tell us the will of God.

I have been married for almost 17 years and over the years I have had several different priests advise me to leave my husband.  Mind you, my husband is not an addict or abusive.  He is not unfaithful.  But, like all marriages, we have had rocky times and I have cried  as I confessed how unhappy I was.  These priests were obviously nice guys who felt bad for the sobbing woman in front of them, but leaving my husband was not the will of God. I am grateful for those priests who reminded me to stay holy, to pray and to offer my tears to Christ but not to leave.  We need consistency not opinions.

Finally,   I want to thank you.  Thank you for your time when I mistakenly use confession as therapy.  Thank you for making confession such a wonderful experience to my children.  All of them regularly ask to go, so thank you for whatever sweet words you give to them.  It is difficult to keep our children from being wooed away to churches with lights and sound systems and ski trips,  but the truth of Christ and His sacraments is enough.  We love our priests.  We pray for you and bake you cookies.  We crave your attention but try to be mindful to give you your space.  We look to you, not just to hear your words, but to get a sense of your own buy-in to our faith.  May God greatly bless you.