Saint Frances Cabrini Parish

Father Kleppner - February 20^th 2005

Lent is again upon us. Traditionally, the season urges us to add to our good works, to sacrifice some pleasures and to confess our sins. I share with you the following article from this week’s Our Sunday Visitor written by Milwaukee’s Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan issuing a Lenten call to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

CONVERT AND REPENT,
AND MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION
Repent and believe in the Good News! On Ash Wednesday, Catholics all over the world heard that exhortation from Jesus as they were marked with blessed ashes to begin the 40 days of prayer, self-denial and acts of charity we call Lent.
And any Catholic worth his or her salt is now asking that annual question “What will I do this year for Lent?
Can I offer a suggestion? Make a good confession.
My invitation is simple, sincere and direct: Some time before Easter, return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Inner conversion
On almost every page of the Gospel, we find Jesus calling us to conversion of heart and repentance for sins. For us as Catholics, conversion and repentance are not some generic, esoteric event. They are precise, practical and personal. We experience conversion of heart, we repent of our sins, we receive the mercy of Christ, powerfully and uniquely in the Sacrament of Penance.
We rightly lament a lengthy litany of woes in today’s world, from war, terrorism and economic injustice to sexual abuse, violence on our streets and abortion. The temptation is to look at all problems and wrongs in society as “out there”, while Jesus reminds us first to look inward and convert our own heart. That’s where we start – inside.
And a powerful moment when that inner healing takes place is a good confession.
Let’s talk turkey here: In the last 35 years, many people have stopped going to confession. Yes, there are faithful souls who still approach the sacrament regularly, but I’m afraid they are rare. Even some of our exemplary Catholics admit they haven’t been for years.
This is nothing short of a spiritual disaster. I am convinced that the exciting “springtime of evangelization” that is so promising in the Church will only break upon us once the Sacrament of Reconciliation is revived.
A real sign of hope these days is the hunger our people have for the life of the spirit. People long for closeness to God, for a renewed heart, for a deeper sense of prayer, for an understanding of God’s word, for a deepened commitment to serve others. Yet people also often express a frustration at what they describe as lethargy, sluggishness in their souls.
One antidote for that is a humble, sincere, worthy confession. It is no coincidence that the first gift Jesus gave His Church on the evening of His resurrection was the forgiveness of sins, made personal and powerful for us in the Sacrament of Penance.
Spiritual spring training
Lent is the time of “spiritual spring training”, when we take stock of our life and return to the Lord. A most effective way to do that is through a good confession. How often should we go? The “letter of the law” is that we should confess at least once a year when aware of serious sin. The “spirit of the law” would suggest more often, especially before Christmas and before Easter.
Those serious about progress of the soul go more often. Mother Teresa went once a week, as does Pope John Paul II.
Do I want you to return to the sacrament because I’m hung up on sin and guilt? No! I want you back because I’m hung up on mercy and compassion!
Are you nervous that you have forgotten how to celebrate the sacrament? Don’t worry. Simply approach a priest and tell him you need help examining your conscience and celebrating the sacrament. The priest will be thrilled. As one of our priests recently told a group of young men interested in the priesthood, “I never feel more like Christ than when I hear confessions.”
The weekend before Palm Sunday during Lent 1977, my dad made a retreat with the other men of my home parish. When he came home Sunday evening, he told Mom, “Honey, the highlight of the whole retreat was a good confession.” The next Friday he died, at 51 of a heart attack.
In those sad days, was I ever consoled knowing Dad had died reconciled to God, his soul radiant with the Lord’s life, thanks to the Sacrament of Penance.
Return to the Sacrament of Penance this Lent.

Lenten Meditation - Second Sunday in Lent

Living the Good Life
Following a Star
Lent invites us to some reorientation. This begins by checking our “Global Positioning System” to see where we are right now. Once we have done this, we can decide where we want to go from here. On a road trip, technology enables us to get this orientation from a satellite. In our life journey, we need to find a star, the bright star of God’s guidance.
God wants us to live a “good” life, one of qualitative goodness, reflecting God’s own nature. We may wonder, though, if such goodness is still possible or even relevant in today’s world. With evil, dishonesty and self-seeking all around us, can we do anything more than try to cope with it all?
Yet, if we let ourselves be overcome by the reality of evil, we soon lose sight of the goodness of life. Lent reminds us that we have a choice, an option suggested in words written by Frederick Langbridge over a hundred years ago. He wrote,

Two men look out though the same bars.
One sees the mud, the one the stars.
What would it mean, if we were to try to gain this upward vision and understand what is of true worth in life? When spacemen look at earth, they see its full shape and beauty. Perhaps God can give us a higher, clearer perspective. A star-like view can enable us to see that evil ultimately is counterproductive and that the best of life is found in seeking good for everyone. With clear understanding, we can see the difference between transient pleasures and things of lasting value. The season of Lent gives us time to sort out what is truly creative for the fullest of “good” living.

FATHER KLEPPNER ARCHIVES

115 Trinity Drive
Aliquippa, PA 15001 (724) 775-6363 Phone
(724) 775-3848 Fax

Father Kleppner - February 20th 2005

CONVERT AND REPENT, AND MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION

FATHER KLEPPNER ARCHIVES

St. Frances Cabrini Parish

Father Kleppner - February 20^th 2005

CONVERT AND REPENT,
AND MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION