Who, Me?

I just finished reading an article in TIME which reported on American Roman Catholics’ dwindling participation in the church’s sacrament of confession. A variety of reasons for this phenomenon were given, but bottom-line is that an overwhelming majority of parishioners just don’t see the need. I find this interesting in the context of where this blog has been headed for the past few weeks. Subject to acceptance of the definition of sin as being anything that interferes with or detracts from communion with God, I can’t find much argument with the notion that most of humankind is sinful (myself most certainly included). If one wants to move away from sinfulness into a fuller, richer relationship with the Creator, how is this accomplished? My simple mind tells me that it starts with acknowledging the sin and its cause. What is keeping me from being at one with God? If I can successfully take the first step of asking the question, then I’m on my way toward trying to develop an answer. Such is the process of repentance, of turning around or away from the source of the sin in order to restore, refresh, renew the communion with One. It has been observed that the most difficult words in the English language are I’m sorry. These are especially hard words to say to Yahweh when there is skeptical doubt about the very existence of a Higher Power, not to mention incredulity over One’s ability to hear or be interested in our confession. I am a Protestant by choice, and part of the reason behind that decision is to question the intermediary role of the priesthood. Nonetheless, I think that it is telling that from our President on down, no one seems eager anymore to admit to having made immoral mistakes that have diminished the sanctity and holiness of our relationship with God. If the only way that I can bring myself to that state of mind is by participating in the sacrament, then I had better make an appointment for next Saturday’s confessional.