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We hear confessions each morning before our 8:00 AM daily Mass. We begin at 7:30 AM and try to finish by 7:50 AM. Of course since we didn't have Mass in the morning of Holy Thursday, we did not plan on having confessions. Word didn't get to everyone though!
Since I didn't have the 8:00 AM Mass, I went to the gym for my morning exercise a bit later than usual. I usually get there at 5:45 AM and get back by 6:50 or so in order to shower and get ready for Mass. On Holy Thursday I got back to the church at 7:30 AM and I noticed a man sitting outside the locked church. I told him we didn't have a morning Mass on Holy Thursday. He said, I needed to go to confession and I said, well if you don't mind I can hear it here in the parking lot.
No sooner had I begun to hear his confession, the little boy in the pictures who had missed his First Confession a couple of weeks ago was brought by his mom for his First Holy Confession prior to the family departing for an Easter vacation.
So I had my first, hearing a First Confession outside in the parking lot without clerical garb or stole and the child's mom captured the spectacle on digital "film" catching me in the act of breaking a rubric of proper attire for a sacrament.
Just a disclaimer, I don't hear confessions like this except in extreme situations. After this First Confession I did open the Church and go to the confessional and put on a stole and heard about 8 more confessions of people wanting to go!
5 comments:
I remember some of the most profound confessions of my life took place walking with my priest on the streets of Aiken. Sometimes it just happens that way.
Praying for you, father....RJV
Well, with the new Pope leading the way, I wouldn't worry too much about what you wear to hear confessions or how you hear them...in fact, I may hop on the treadmill next to you one day to confess. This would be a great testimony to the public and other Catholics that form does not matter only "substance."
This is a very moving post. It means the Holy Spirit is moving in St Joseph Parish.
Gene, in your case confessing in the gym will sound like bragging to some folks!
The most interesting place I have been to confession is in the janitor's closet of the church with a bucket of dirty mop water on the floor between the priest and I. I remember looking down at the dirty water and viewing it as a metaphor for my sin.
Father McDonald, thank you for doing what you did!
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