One
of the five sacramental rites in the Episcopal Church is The Reconciliation of a Penitent, more commonly known as
“Confession.” This is the rite in which
a parishioner meets privately with a priest to confess specific sins and
receive absolution. Our Episcopal understanding
of this rite can be summed up in the adage:
All may; some should; none
must. In other words, no one is
required to make a private confession, but for some folks the practice is
extremely healing and helpful. Naming
aloud the wrongs we’ve done is hard and scary; hearing the words of absolution
afterward is freeing and healing.
Reconciliation
of a Penitent is available at all times, but in Lent and particularly during
Holy Week, it is customary for clergy to encourage interested parishioners to
partake of the rite in preparation for Easter.
Making my personal confession has often been part of my Lenten practice,
and I have always found it helpful. If
you would like to include this rite in your Easter preparations, please let
Lorna or me know, and we will make arrangements to meet privately with
you. Rest assured that anything said
during the rite is completely confidential and is never a matter for subsequent
discussion unless you bring it up again.
Whether
or not you are planning to make a private confession this Lent, I encourage you
to take a look at the two forms of The Reconciliation of a Penitent found in
the Book of Common Prayer on pages
447 to 452. As you do so, I hope you’ll
be reminded of God’s deep and unending love for you and deep desire for reconciliation
with all of us.
Blessings,
Anne
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