7 reasons why you should go to confession during Lent

Here is some good advice from the Canterbury Tales blog, giving seven good reasons to go to confession during Lent. confessions are heard in the parish after morning Mass on Saturday, from 5-5.30pm on Saturday, after all services in Holy Week, and at other times on request.

1. Priestly absolution is an awesome gift that Jesus gave us.
Jesus gave us this Sacrament and wants us to enjoy His grace through it. He told His first priests, the Apostles:

Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins are forgiven (John 20:22).

Christ gave us this sacrament of grace and forgiveness because He loves us. It is a divine gift of mercy and love - not merely an obligation.

2. You are a sinner.
We are a sinners and we need to examine the sinful patterns of our hearts and have a priest give us absolution, counsel, and penance.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 Jn 1:8).

We are often not honest with our hearts and it takes an objective "physician of souls," to help diagnose us spiritually.

3. Confession is a means of grace. 
Confession shouldn't be terrifying. It is peaceful. We get excited over baptisms, weddings, and ordinations. Why not the remedy for our greatest Christian struggle? Why not be excited about Christ's forgiveness being declared by His appointed deputies - the priests of His Church.

4. You may have committed mortal sin. 
There is a such thing as mortal sin:

If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal. (1 Jn 5:16)

Mortal sin is deadly and it separates our souls from the pure eternal life that exists within the Blessed Trinity. Contrition and priestly absolution restores our hearts to a position of love toward God and our neighbors. It ratifies our repentance.

5. Guilt is unpleasant.
Often Satan weighs us down with guilt. Guilt can be a good thing if we transform it into repentance. Of course, Satan hates this and God and the angels love it. So free yourself from guilt and hear a tangible person with spiritual authority say, "I absolve thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

6. Confession unites you more fully to the Church.
When you make your confession to a priest, you acknowledge that you have sinned not only against God, but against every single other Christian because by your sin, you have weakened the universal witness of every single Christian. You have given the non-believer the excuse that "All Christians are hypocrites." When you go to Confession you acknowledge that you have caused every Christian to suffer by your sins.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Cor 12:26).

The priest, who represents both God and the Church by his ordination and office receives your repentance and you have the assurance of not only God's forgiveness, but also the implicit forgiveness of the entire Church.

7. Receiving the Eucharist becomes even more powerful.When you receive the Holy Eucharist you receive the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ our Redeemer. When you confess your sins in a sacramental way, you also have a stronger sacramental union with Christ in the Eucharist. Also, if you are living in mortal sin, you should NEVER receive the Eucharist because you blaspheme Christ and set yourself up for greater judgment and eternal damnation! Consequently, confession heals and deepens your devotion to Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Church Choir blog

A parishioner has set up a new blog to provide information on the music at the 10.30 Missa Cantata on Sundays in the parish. See: Our Lady of the Rosary Church Choir.

This is for the Choir, the congregation and anyone else interested in music for the Latin Mass in the older form. There are links to copies of music and there will be links to video clips showing examples of people singing the various musical texts.

Stations of the Cross in Lent

During Lent we have Stations of the Cross in the Church each Friday at 7.30pm. There Stations are also prayed every Monday in Lent after the 10am Mass. To make the sacrifice of attending the Stations each week is a very worthwhile penance for Lent.

A plenary (under the usual conditions) is attached to devout participation in the Stations of the Cross.

Congratulations to Erin

Congratulations to Erin Audrey Webb who was recently baptised. She is shown here, held by her Godmother, Suzanne Fahey with her proud father, Simon, looking on.

Michael Hobson latest

Michael Hobson has been busy in the run-up to the Olympics: and not only with his own training. As Head Athletics & Multi-Skills coach, he has been helping to prepare athletes for the Special Olympics Richmond.

He is also arranging an event in memory of his friend Joe Allen who died of a brain tumour last March. As Joe was such a talented 1500 metre runner, it was decided that a mile would be held in his memory. The event is to be held at Erith stadium on the 21st of March (time to be announced). Everyone is welcome to take part by running, jogging, or walking.

Funds raised will go to support paediatric brain tumour research at the Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton, where Joe had been treated during his illness.