Todays’ Gospel is pretty challenging. It tells us that just showing up to the wedding doesn’t mean we are ready for it. We have to be ready. Prepared. Dressed. During the Order of Baptism, we say the following words as we place a white garment on the person:
You have become a new creation and have clothed yourselves in Christ. May this white garment be a sign to you of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring it unstained into eternal life.
We are the bride of Christ, the Church. This is the garment we are supposed to be wearing. At our baptism, we are clothed in Christ, but sometimes we fail to remain that way. We let things get in the way, or we fall into sin, into bad habits, and fail to be dressed for the wedding. How do we fix it? Jesus left us with the Sacrament of Confession.
Jesus said to St. Faustina: ”Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.”
The saints recommend frequent confession, and many went weekly to confession. Sometimes we feel we don’t need it or that it’s only for when we’ve fallen into serious sin. But it’s more than that. It’s an encounter with Jesus. It’s a touch-up, a cleaning of the garment, making sure we are dressed for the wedding. Because here at this altar, we aren’t just getting a foretaste or a shadow of what’s to come. We are at the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Eucharistic feast! Heaven is touching the earth, and Christ, our bridegroom, is made present in the Sacrament. Let’s be ready! Even if we aren’t aware of anything serious, we can take the advice of St. Padre Pio, who said: “Even if a room is closed, it is necessary to dust it after a week.”
I know I talk about Confession… a lot. So I’m going to leave you today with this quote to meditate on, one of my favorite statements about Confession. It puts into words why I think it’s so important, why I go so frequently, and why I think each person should want to as well.
“If each of us sat beneath a crucifix and meditated intently on the greatest act of mercy and love the world has ever known, we would, perhaps, run straight to confession. Not out of fear of hell, but out of such great love for Jesus, who washed away our sins in His own blood.” (goodcatholic.com)
A reflection on the readings for Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time: August 19th, 2021