Editor’s note: This is part three of a series. Read part 1 here or part 2 here.
There are ways to become more aware of our sins and imperfections, so that we can benefit more from the Sacrament of Reconciliation and become who God created us to be, as he transforms us “from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18).
Meditate on the Passion of Jesus Christ.
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).
If we want to know who we really are before Almighty God, we should meditate on the sufferings of Christ. What he endured for love of us will help us understand the gulf sin has created between God and humanity—a gulf so wide that only God himself can bridge it. The sufferings of Christ and his obedience to the Father shed light on our disobedience. He helps us to see reality clearly, to desire “the good” and to strive for it. And, miraculously, he enables us to attain transformation. Without this grace we are blind to our sin, trapped in our pain, and incapable of goodness.
The saints are constantly exhorting us to meditate on the passion of Jesus. St. Paul of the Cross, for example, wrote:
The most holy passion of Jesus is a sea of sorrows but, at the same time, a sea of love. Pray to God that he teach you to fish in the sea; then dive into its depths. Allow yourself to be penetrated completely by sorrow and love.
One of the ways we can “dive deep” is to prayerfully and slowly read one of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ passion. I love the gospel of John, beginning with Jesus’ last discourse in chapter 14. It is so personal.
We can also use images to help us meditate on our Lord’s Passion.
Use a different approach to prepare for Confession.
After years of preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by using an examination of conscience based on the Ten Commandments, I was having trouble going a little deeper into my venial sins and imperfections. While taking a course from the Avila Institute on the seven deadly sins, I became more aware of the traps I was regularly falling into and my need to grow in virtue. When I came across an examination of conscience based on the seven deadly sins, I found it really helped me prepare for a good confession.
Ask Jesus to show you.
It is vital not to be afraid of Jesus. He is kind and merciful. He is firm but gentle. He loves you.
When we become truly interested in doing things our Heavenly Father’s way instead of our own, we must approach the Son and be open to the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised would “guide [us] to all truth” (John 16:13).
Jesus will show us where we need to repent and grow in virtue. He invites us to be healed. Jesus will take us on the journey of healing if we let him. Are you new to this way of thinking? Here is a simple method you can use to approach Jesus and ask him to help you identify the obstacles you have put between him and yourself:
First, find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.
Pray: Come, Holy Spirit.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath and rest in God for 30 seconds or so.
If you have trouble connecting to Jesus, try listening to a song—a hymn, a psalm, or a Jesus-focused melody. Listen to it with your eyes closed as you remain open to the Holy Spirit.
Engage your imagination and pray: Jesus, I am standing under the cross with your mother, Mary, and looking at you. I know that you see me. I am sorry for my sins. I know that I need healing from my disordered desires, the wounds of my past, and the effects of my sin. I thank you that “by [your] stripes [I am] healed” (Is 53: 5). Show me, Jesus, the greatest obstacle that stands in the way of your love for me today. Give me the courage and strength to hear and accept your direction. I believe that you have a better plan for me and whatever vice I give up and whatever virtue I embrace for your sake will bring me a happiness and a satisfaction that I have never known.
Then listen in the silence. If something comes to your mind, be curious about it for a moment and say to the Lord: Jesus, if this an idea that is coming from you, please help it grow and bear fruit in my life. Then pray a sincere Hail Mary.
Do this kind of thing until you become more aware of an obstacle between you and God’s love. Then sincerely try to overcome it in a specific way every day. Make an effort to practice the opposite virtue. It may take a long time to overcome certain patterns, but we can use Confession to aid in this process.
It’s all about relationship.
The Catechism says:
It is in discovering the greatness of God’s love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him. The human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced (1432).
In Scripture, Christ is referred to as the bridegroom; we are the bride. The Sacrament of Reconciliation allows us to gaze more fully into His loving eyes without shame, and it is this gaze that takes us deeper and deeper into the life of the Blessed Trinity.
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Image: Unsplash
