The late great Archbishop Fulton Sheen said in various times and places that society will always begin to do, in a bastard kind of way (my words), what the Church ignores. The Sacrament of Confession is a great example of this. When the Church neglected it, out of the ground grew the most odd looking bush of a piece of furniture--the psychologist's couch. And so we traded, in used car lot like fashion, repentance for affirmation, penance for self-realization, and honesty for openness.
During my journey to Catholicism, I had to consider the very foreign (to me) concept of Sacramental Confession. Now, what I will argue here is that Confession is something that is rational and that going to a priest for it is even more rational. Both will, I think, make it a kind of Christian-sensible-thing-to-do.
FOR STARTERS WE NEED TO CONFESS BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN
I'll never forget calling my friend on the phone. I had begged for forgiveness. Pleaded with God. Yet, no matter what I did I couldn't get to that place of consolation or peace. It felt like I was hiding, as if my prayer had been like projectile vomit heading toward the ceiling. I was sure the fan had thrown some of it back on me because I could still smell the stench...in my soul.
When I called my friend, I told him I needed to come clean. So, I confessed to him my sin and it made me feel better. At this point, I was on the road to Rome but probably over a year out from the end. I knew this was a short-term fix and that I was putting my hope in a momentary feeling--yet as a human being forgiveness without this feeling seemed pointless. I was tired of conjuring happy feelings, "texting myself" little proverbial smily emoticons that seemed as stupid as what I just said implies.
We need confession--confession to another person--because God made us humans. We are not angels. We are men and women with flesh and bone who with senses perceive. We can believe by faith but we cannot perceive anything by it. That is why Christ gave us the Sacraments. Because, at the end of the day, a ray of light beaming from the sky, some celestial get better from a cloud way off wouldn't cut it. E.T. as savior is grotesque. Not just because that isn't love but because that isn't salvation. Salvation is God becoming Man. Incarnation is all up in our business, and wouldn't we expect the God who did it that way would also stay in our business?
WE NEED A PRIEST BECAUSE...WELL...YOUR FRIEND AIN'T CUTTING IT
I know, I know I used that southern word (ain't) again. Sorry, I'm 2/4 Georgia and 1/4 North Carolina so you gonna have to take me like you get me.
Really though, all Christians believe that God can use someone to do his work. In fact, we almost always think it is the ordinary way that He works. Here's a good song that illustrates this meme in the Christian-kind-of-way-of-thinking-about-things:
So what's the big deal? I don't need a bee-line to Jesus for all kinds of stuff, and even more I don't think its God PLUS, or Jesus PLUS, or you get the picture PLUS about any other way that God uses us to be His "hands and feet". We just don't think that way. But, when its that pernicious, awful, hierarchy imposing Catholic doctrine of Sacramental Confession, well then blahh! "That ain't in my there Bible, meester, and if you's thinken you slippin that popery stuff in here, well you gotta nother thing comin!"
Really? We can talk about the Bible and Church history here in a bit, but let's get real. It is ad hoc and arbitrary to single out confession of sins when we believe that so many other important goods are given to us by God through others. When we look at the Gospels next, we will learn I think how Biblical the practice really is. Even without that evidence, it is rational that we confess and it is even more rational to go to a priest. Christianity is more than a freudian get better project. It isn't Oprah on steroids. As Christians, when we sin--especially gravely--we know we need to get right with God. That involves repentance which implies honesty. I can trick my own conscious but I can't trick someone else's as easily. God knew our tendency of diminishing our responsibility (see Adam and Eve) so I find great consolation in knowing that a priest is there to make sure when I say "I messed up" I don't have a date with that demon in my Blackberry for 2 hours later.Who else should do this but one consecrated by Christ to exercise this priestly ministry? For if one is to not just be listening to my sins but also conferring Absolution--the recognition of both my genuine repentance and the authority to release the objective work of Christ transforming my heart--I care A LOT whether or not Oprah, Joe Buck or Father Buck is behind the curtain. I'll take door #3 please.
So, get off the couch and get on your knees. Expel the demons. Free yourself by the means that Christ has preordained that you would ordinarily walk in. And, if you are hostile to the Church, leave it alone for confession is human and it is sensible in a very Christian kind of way.
