Dear
friends,
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 Marc 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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