Meeting Christ in the Confessional
The chief end of man is to live in union with Christ for eternity. Indeed, the entire Gospel teaches us about, and directs us toward, that God-given purpose for which we were all created. Our hearts yearn for divine communion; nothing less can satisfy our deepest longings. In this short essay, we will explore how the Sacrament of Confession in particular serves as a tangible guide and catalyst for our union with Christ.
As we await the life to come, we are caught in an in-between state, recognizing and placing hope in that which we cannot yet fully see. Enter the sacraments, which give us the ability to “discern the features of Christ,” as O’Neill describes it in Meeting Christ in the Sacraments (294). The sacraments represent a mystical bridge that spans the chasm between here and there, now and then. For the purposes of this paper, we will pay special attention to the Sacrament of Confession, also known as the Sacrament of Forgiveness or Reconciliation, as a means of restoring the proper relationship with God as well as rehearsing the eternal fellowship found in heaven. By embracing the sacraments in this light, we can cultivate a richer understanding of our union with Christ — both in this life and the next.
The enfleshed visibility of Christ both motivates and grounds Catholic sacramental theology. This incarnational principle applies to the past, present, and future. Historically, the Incarnation inaugurated a new dawn for humanity, redeeming the past and illuminating the future of mankind. Currently, the Holy Sacraments remind us of that past reality as well as our future hope by tangibly displaying the heavenly. The parallel between Christ’s life and our participation in the sacramental life extends beyond a helpful analogy: indeed, the two paths merge together, offering us a taste of eternity to fuel our journey home. Sacramental reconciliation represents as well as actualizes a profound occurrence. When the priest pronounces the words of absolution, he operates in persona Christi, sanctifying and elevating his earthly offering by connecting it to the heavenly reality that supports it. To be sure, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a symbol, but it is never merely symbolic. When the priest forgives us, Christ himself forgives us. Two planes of reality unite in the confessional, just as they do more broadly speaking in the sacraments.
The Holy Sacraments, which make visible the invisible, were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church as a living mechanism for restoring and preserving right relationship with him. With respect to the incarnational reality that supports this discussion, the Eucharist is the pinnacle of examples; but when it comes to deeper union with Christ, I find Reconciliation to be the best visual depiction of both the divine order that was lost and the divine sacrifice offered to restore it. I have had the pleasure of confessing in both the Latin and Byzantine traditions, but I want to focus on the latter because, in the Byzantine tradition, the hidden realities are made visible in more pronounced and dramatic ways. That said, it’s important to note that the theological principles alluded to are certainly shared by all Catholics.
To start, in the Holy Mystery of Forgiveness, it’s customary to begin by kissing the feet of a life-sized icon of Christ before kneeling before him, as a reminder that we are confessing our sins primarily to God. We continue our confession by saying, “I confess to Almighty God, one in the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God, to all the angels and saints, especially St. Jude (in my case), my faithful intercessor, and to you, Father, all my sins.” This refrain serves as a beautiful reminder of the communal aspect of forgiveness, as well as a way to visualize the holy synthesis of earthly and heavenly realities present. After hearing a confession, the priest traditionally spends substantial time with the penitent offering spiritual direction. The experience is personal, relational, intimate. At the end, when the priest lays his hand on my head, it’s as if Christ himself is embracing me.
The entire sacramental affair is a sacred reenactment of what O’Neill teaches about the centrality of Christ in human history: “In the person of Christ the yearning of the sons of Adam for the restoration of the gift of divine sonship, lost by sin, is fulfilled in a fashion surpassing anything that might have been hoped for from the mercy of God” (11). The powerful physical reminders present in the sacrament both replay and rehearse a deeper reality, connecting me to that which has already come to pass and to that which will one day be present. God works through the Church to draw people to Christ. For many, the point of entry first requires personal repentance, so our exploration of sacramental reconciliation can aid in our broader understanding of the faith. Through the events that take place in the confessional, Christ actively works through the priest, actively works in our lives — converting us into divine instruments as he conforms us ever more to his will. By restoring the divine order and reconciling us to him, he reincorporates us into his plan for the salvation of the world. We are reminded of our own priestly role while communing with the Great High Priest. All this occurs in and as a result of the sacrament.
We can see that, in a very real sense, the Mystery of Forgiveness not only enables us to live in union with Christ but empowers us to invite others to join him. The sacrament is a microcosm of the Gospel message, not to mention a powerful means of instilling the grace needed to spread it to the ends of the earth. In the sacrament, we see Christ’s offer of forgiveness visibly personified; we hear Christ’s comforting message of salvation audibly voiced; we feel Christ’s lovingkindness physically conveyed by the priest’s hand on our head, as he speaks the words of absolution. The sacrament is a visible expression of an invisible change: our reintegration into the family of God.