The Gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

These days before Palm Sunday and Holy Week always have me somber as I remember April 1, 1977, which that year was the Friday before Palm Sunday.

On that day, my Dad dropped dead at work at fifty-one years of age.

One of our many consolations those sad days was our knowledge that, just the weekend before, Dad had gone on a three day retreat with the men of the parish at the Passionist Fathers’ Center.

He had returned home aglow.  And, he was beaming to report, he had made a good confession for Easter during the retreat.

The very evening prior to his sudden death, he had attended Mass and received Holy Communion at the parish.  I know, because I offered the Mass.

That’s what we Catholics would call “a happy death.”  As much as we cried at his passing, we were rather confident that, thanks to the mercy of Jesus in the sacraments, Dad was ready to meet the Lord.

It’s a splendid custom:  a good confession before Easter.  Lent is about returning to God, conversion of heart, repentance of our sins – – all celebrated and brought about in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This coming Monday will be Reconciliation Monday in all the parishes of the New York area – – here in the archdiocese, and in the dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre.

Priests will be available as confessors from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The choice is yours.  Easter will find you much closer to Jesus in His triumph over sin and Satan if you accept this invitation.

Dad would agree with the wisdom of Saint Augustine:  “We can always count on the mercy of God; but, we can’t always count on tomorrow.”

Holy Week blessings!