Pope Francis presides over the confessional liturgy in the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Rome, starting the Lent event “24 Hours for the Lord”. The encounter with God through the sacrament of confession, the Pope noted, “heals the heart and brings peace”.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis invites the faithful to meet the Lord and his mercy in the sacrament of confession, begging for the Lord’s mercy like the tax collector who calls himself a sinner in the parable of the Gospel, and not to hiding his sins like the Pharisee in the same parable, defenseless, complacent (cf. Luke 18:9-14). Pope Francis made this encouragement in his homily on Friday afternoon, March 17, when he presided over the confessional liturgy at the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Rome.
The Church of Our Lady of Grace is next to the Vatican City-State, and the Pope chose to preside over the confession ceremony in this parish this year, starting the “24-hour devotion to the Lord” activity.
The Pope told the faithful that God is always waiting for us to touch our wounds and accept our failures. In the Sacrament of Confession, “the wounds of the heart are healed, and the heart is at peace”, so the Sacrament of Confession includes a “joyful meeting”. This sacrament is not “a court of terror, but the comforting embrace of God”.
The first reading of the liturgy for the day is from St. Paul the Apostle to Philip. Saint Paul writes: “Whatever was profit to me before, I now count as loss to Christ… -8) The Pope connects Paul’s words to the Pharisee in a parable the Gospel, explaining that this conscientious and disciplined Pharisee considers himself superior in religion, “pretending that The righteous think they are better than others”, but this is actually a “block” for him. uses his “self” to occupy God’s righteous place, “although he says prayers and performs holy deeds, but he does not really speak to God”.
“For this reason, the Bible reminds that only “the prayer of the humble rises through the clouds” (De 35:21), because only the poor in spirit, only those who needing salvation and begging for grace, which are both. worthy before God, no praise, no excuse, no self-righteousness; he had nothing, so he got everything, because he found God.”
Saint Luke describes the “physical posture” of the two main characters of this Gospel parable: the Pharisee stands praying, while “the innkeeper stands at a distance, not even daring to raise his eyes to heaven”. The Pope explained that the Pharisee was confident in himself and stood upright, as if his excellence was widely admired. Although the holy history says that he “prayed like this”, he was actually complacent: I entered the temple, I kept the commandments, and I gave alms to the poor.
“His prayers sound perfect, and he appears to be a pious man on the surface. Yet, instead of opening himself to God and allowing God access to what is really in his heart, he hypocritically hides his vulnerability. He does not wait for the Lord. Salvation is offered, but it is almost required, as a reward for your own merit.”
The Pharisee in the parable did not hesitate to “go up to God’s altar and take the first row, but in the end he went too far and placed himself before God!” On the contrary, he was the publican stands far away, and it is precisely this distance that reveals his identity as a sinner and God’s holiness, so that he can feel the embrace of the Father. The reason why the Father can hold him is precisely because he stands far, because he leaves room for God.
“This is also true in our family, society, and even church relations! When we know how to protect the space between us and others, we can have a real dialogue. A healthy space allows everyone to breathe without feeling suffocated or out of breath. So, that conversation, that encounter, brings a closer, closer intimacy.”
In order to be close to God, the Pope invites all believers to say to the Lord: “I am the first of all sinners. If I do not fall into the most unclean situation, because of your mercy the you reached out to me.”
God is waiting for us in the depth, because he wants to “enter the depth” in Jesus, to occupy “the last place, to serve everyone”; because “he is not afraid to descend into the abyss where we are, to touch our wounds, to accept our lack of life, the frustration of life.” God is waiting for us, “especially in the sacrament of confession”. For that reason, the Pope invites everyone to examine their conscience, because the Pharisee and the tax collector in the parable live in our hearts.
“Let’s not hide behind a false face, but with trust, entrust our faults, our misfortunes to the mercy of the Lord”. At that moment, “the Lord comes close to us, draws us closer and lifts us back to our feet”. When we confess our nakedness, the Lord dresses us in festive clothes, because the sacrament of confession is “an encounter of joy and rejoicing.”
The Pope called the sacrament an expression of the “embracing tenderness” of the Lord. In the parable of the prodigal son, the young civilized son returns home and is about to speak when his father immediately embraces him and keeps him from speaking (cf. Luke 15:20-22). This is “embracing compassion”.
For this reason, the Pope encouraged the priests and brothers who listened to the confession, saying: “Forgive everything, always forgive, and don’t get too involved in people’s consciences. You have to let people speak for themselves, and you must accept as Jesus did. , with comforting eyes, expressing your understanding in silence. Please, the sacrament of confession is not for torture, but for peace.”
At the end of the sermon, the pope led all the believers present to imitate the tax collector in the parable, saying: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
“When I forget You or ignore You, when I place my own words and the words of the world before Your Holy Word, when I justify myself and despise others, when I gossip about others, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! When I fail to care for those around me, when I am indifferent to the poor, suffering, weak or forbidden, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! of the Mother Church, for those sins that harm the creation, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! For my iniquity, sincerity, and law of obedience, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! , for the harm I did to others without even realizing it, for the good I could do but failed to do, God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
After reciting this blessed prayer, the pope concluded: “Let us open ourselves to the joy of great grace, namely: God’s mercy”.
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