Confession is Good for the Soul

A man borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. However, the letters YBH stood for "Yes, but how?" In our gospel of today, we hear Jesus' parable of the fig tree, telling us to repent and bear good fruit. We know what the Catholic Christian life requires of us. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we also know how far short we fall. So the question that confronts us this morning is: "Yes, but how?" Jesus says. "If you do not repent, you will all perish.” That's the first step in beginning to live the Catholic Christian life. None of us is without fault. And yet how difficult it is for us to admit that. We struggle to openly admit our wrongs. If we want to get ahead in this world and be accepted by others, it's generally better to conceal our shortcomings and put on a good front for others. But that is not the way it is to be with our God. Jesus tells us to repent. We are not to cover up our wrongdoings. Jesus tells us to disclose the evil within us, to admit that we have failed. Confession is good for the soul. Yes, but it requires a sense of remorse for what we have done or failed to do. Most of us are willing to confess our sins. The struggle is an open heart and a willingness to change. Remember the Prophet Joel’s comment on Ash Wednesday, “Rend your heart, not your garment.” This requires more than some kind of cosmetic cover up. It might require reconstructive surgery! Confession is good for the soul. We must also recognize that without God we are incomplete. Sin can be seen as poison for our lives. The antidote for this kind of poison is repentance. We need to repent of our sinfulness, receive God's forgiveness, and produce the fruit that God desires. We need the spiritual strength and renewal the confession can give us.

Msgr. Mike