‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance has always been a cherished part of priestly ministry for me. I still vividly remember my very first confession, almost 46 years ago. It was an elderly man who was nearing the end of his earthly journey. After that relatively brief encounter, I will never forget the unbelievable peace and serenity that came over his face following that confession.
An important element of every confession is the ‘act of contrition’ or the act of sorrow that expresses one’s sorrow in missing the ‘moral mark’ in life and forgetting, if only momentarily, the goodness and love of God for us. While as children we carefully learned by heart the ‘Act of Contrition,’ a prayer that for many is seared into our memories especially when a plane takes off, the simple phrase in today’s gospel is certainly one of the most beautiful and simple Acts of Contrition: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Implied in that simple prayer is the humble recognition that we have sinned – that we have failed to live in everyday practice what it is we believe. With that recognition of ‘missing the moral mark’ we ask the Lord’s mercy for healing and a new beginning to walk with integrity with him and all our sisters and brothers. Contrition necessitates reconciliation with the Body of Christ – our sisters and brothers who companion us on our journey to the Father.