I am in far more danger than I could ever have imagined…
Saint John Bosco had a vision about confession. I have recently read about that vision and it has stayed in my mind…
And the vision went like this… Saint John Bosco saw a church full of young people – boys and girls. In the vision each of the children had a devil behind them tying them with rope. In the vision, there was an angel, and the angel in the vision explained what was happening to the Saint as he watched. The rope created a limit that prevented each of the boys and girls from reaching confession. In other words, the devil was keeping the children on a rope and close to him so that they would not confess their sins. And the rope was manifested through the various excuses the children made for not confessing their sins. Excuses included things like their pride, in claiming that it was not worth confessing their sins to a priest who was also sinful. But the rope was manifested in other ways too. For example, children who sinned without shame were suddenly struck by a shame so severe that they were unable to confess their sins. Or perhaps their shame became so great during the confession, that they were completely unable to confess their mortal sins and so excluded those from the sacrament of confession, thereby voiding the Graces that could be obtained from that sacrament.
And I have been reflecting on that temptation to avoid confession. You see, my sons do not like to confess their sins unless their face is hidden. And I have been thinking about that. You see, it is not that I am complaining that my children prefer to remain anonymous during confession, because I am grateful that they receive this sacrament, but I have been thinking about shame and how this can be used against us.
In the light of day when everything is clear and plain and open and honest, that is when it is so easy to sin. There, in the daylight, sin is easy and comfortable and not so bad at all. But there – inside that confessional, facing God through the soul of the priest, there is somehow so much shame that it can literally create a barrier between salvation and the sinner.
And I have been thinking about that today, because it seems completely ridiculous to allow anything to stand in the way of my salvation, and yet I do this every day of the week. And I guess that the rope that the Evil One ties around my waist is actually a lot shorter than I ever thought it was.
And when I think about that I am quite overcome because it appears that I am in far more danger than I could ever have imagined, and though I stand in such danger as this, I am completely unaware of exactly what it is that is hold me back from my Beloved… I am completely unaware…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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