Lent. For Christians, a time of quiet reflection and penance. A time to work towards bettering yourself as we await the Celebration of Easter. For Catholics, we have the added dimension of Catholic Guilt and that wonderful sacrament called Confession. Yes, Confession, the Lenten equivalent of a full auto detail for the soul. Get in line, punch that ticket on the Reconciliation Roller Coaster and buckle up.
And lest you think you can escape with an excuse like “Im soooo busy and never have time” beware- because you run the risk of crossing paths with those running in the Marathon of Sins, aka the 18 hour continuous confessional.
Isn’t it interesting that as Catholics we are able to take something as heavy as confessing your deepest and most shameful actions into something that results in the equivalent of a spiritual balloon and trip to the treasure chest for your free toy?
Now, before all you uber Catholics start sending me hate mail take a breath. First and foremost understand that I love my faith. I love the ritual and the ceremony and the fact that Mass anywhere in the world is still Mass. And that it doesn’t matter if you speak the language you know the response. That said it doesn’t mean that you can’t laugh about it. Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
And I also understand, that the idea of confessing to another person is not about needing an intermediary but about “owning it” because if you have to say what you did out loud you can’t hide it anymore. Its really just a 2000 year old therapy program. I just wish they explained it that way when I was 8 and maybe it wouldn’t have taken me so long to try again.
Chapstick in the Dryer 