How many times things happen and we respond by saying to God, "Lord, this makes no sense!" Then He reminds us that what we think and feel aren't always relevant to the equation because we don't always know the full extent of the math problem, nor do we always know what the solution is going to be.
Things don't always add up to us, but God always has the right "numbers" to make everything work out the way He determines is best.
As I ended up saying this morning to my confessor, "If only I would do what God tells me, things would go a lot smoother!" (smile)
GOD ALWAYS KNOWS BEST
Remember always that when the Lord tells us to do something, imperatively keeping in mind that God never asks us to anything that will cause harm to anyone, what we think and feel is of no consequence when it is precious, immortal souls we are serving. Why? Because we don't always understand everything, nor do we always know how things are going to work out in the end.
And so it happened that two days ago I went to confession, 3 1/2 weeks after my last one. In between those incredible encounters with Christ at the foot of His Cross so many things happened, including very personal moments of Divine union with the Lord, and also with the forces of evil, the challenges of daily living, and a two week spiritual honeymoon that took my family through beautiful Pennsylvania, the lower Finger Lakes Region of New York, and Boston. Once again, the suffering before going to confession Wednesday was tremendous. I had actually hoped to go on Saturday, five days prior, but once again the cat was out of the bag, the devil heard I was preparing to go, and going suddenly got very complicated.
Praise God my confessor Father Raymond, a visiting priest, was incredibly wonderful and together with our Triune God, Blessed Mother, the Holy Angels, Martyrs and Saints in heaven, the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and tens of millions of Holy Innocents, that sacramental confession was very beautiful. They all are, despite what we happen to perceive, think, or feel. Go, Team!! + + +
EVERY SINGLE SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION HAS GREAT PURPOSE
Father Raymond Saba distributing the Eucharist,
as a devout altar boy holds a paten
during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Early that afternoon, I felt physically and mentally terrible and had to lay down for about an hour. Late that evening I still felt rather terrible, and while doing some work before the Devotion to the Holy Face, the Lord summoned me quite powerfully to join Him in prayer. I made the mistake of elevating how I was feeling above the wishes of Jesus, and did not meet Him in prayer that night as He had asked.
That defiant choice displeased Jesus and I tried to make it up to Him the next night, but because of my disobedience He summoned me back to the confessional this morning.
At least the devil was given no advanced warning, and had very little time to tempt me to defy the Lord and not go.
WE MUST NEVER ASSUME WE WILL BE GRANTED ANOTHER DAY
When the Lord clearly asks us to do something we must do it. I was blessed to have another day to do what the Lord said, but we must never assume that we will be granted another day in this life.
So this morning the Lord told me to return to the confessional and in order to get there in time, my children and I had to get ready in a hurry, eat our first meal of the day, and get to church before the noon Holy Mass.
I quickly wrote out some things that had been inspired by the Lord and added my own examination of conscience. We ate brunch in the car while on our way to the church.
A BIG SURPRISE
After arriving at the church, my two altar boy sons went to put on their black cassocks and my daughter and I rushed through the doors of the chapel. Holy Mass was going to begin in twenty minutes.
"Please let this go well," I asked Jesus as we opened the doors.
We entered the chapel and found it was quite full. More people entered right after we did.
And so what did this faithless creature do? I said to Jesus, "Jesus, why would You have me rush here this morning knowing it was going to be so full?"
The devil immediately told me to forget it. "It's not meant to be," he said. "You can go next week. Let all these other people go instead." I was very tempted and almost gave up right away (head shaking as I write this, such a feeble soul). But there would be no confessions for the next two days because of the parish festival.
PROFOUNDLY CATHOLIC TRUST
I knew it would not be a good thing to go against the will of the Lord a second time, and so I very quickly assessed the situation. All this happened in a matter of seconds.
I looked to the right and saw that there were three priests hearing confessions. Praise the Lord! There are three priests! Then I quickly counted the number of people waiting. At least twelve people, three priests, four rotations and it would be my turn. There would be enough time to go before Holy Mass. The Lord summoned me here; I'm going!
WHO THE HECK IS NEXT??
Keep in mind it was a challenge to accomplish the will of God on such short notice. My daughter and I remained standing in the back of the chapel (where we had stopped in disbelief) because we saw that there was no way of determining the order of who was next.
"This makes no sense!" I said out loud.
We didn't know what to do.
Then I said it again: "This makes no sense!" I may have said it a third time, my disbelief was so great.
However, I was there because of my disobedience to the Lord, and accept full responsibility for the error of my ways including the consequence of not knowing who was to go next.
Alyssa suggested we kneel down somewhere in the crowd and so as we began moving forward, I surrendered and having done all I could to fulfill God's will, handed the entire situation over to Him.
Guess what happened next.
DIVINE INTERVENTION
I hadn't even taken a step forward when a fourth priest entered the chapel. He walked past us and into the confessional. As Alyssa and I knelt down somewhere in the middle of the chapel, the newest priest to arrive turned on the green light above his confessional door, and guess what happened next?Just guess.
Nobody moved.
It was surreal. I could see the incredible events unfolding before my eyes and, knowing what was going to happen, was absolutely delighted by Jesus once again. My soul was filled with such incredible joy.
I looked around and everyone remained kneeling, so I asked the people in every direction, "Are you going?"
No one moved. I almost laughed out loud and actually did laugh when I wrote this. What an incredible journey.
Almost as soon as I had knelt down in that crowd I got up and went into the confessional!
I thanked the Lord immediately for His tremendous goodness, knelt down beneath the Cross of my Crucified Lord, and reverently began.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Please bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was two days ago.
Your Majesty, I apologize to You for not coming to You two nights ago as You had requested. I know that this displeases You enough to warrant the necessity of kneeling here at the foot of Your Cross and apologizing to my Crucified Lord. Jesus, I love You and am sorry. Help me submit to You and all You have requested, Spouse of my soul.
Forgive me for my impatience and lack of fraternal charity, and for eating a few things I am not supposed to have (by doctor's orders), knowing that by doing this I will still suffer but by this choice suffer less, because I choose against self mastery and against your will, and that is not what You want.
Please continue helping me overcome my worldly, self-serving, pleasure seeking, defiant nature, and continue helping us part with everything we don't need.
Thank you for that magnificent experience of kissing a warm Crucifix this morning following Your inspiration to keep You close to my heart throughout the night. How much You love every one of us! I love You in return, give myself entirely to You as You have given Yourself to us, and promise to love and honor You all the days of my life.
Father's wise words about the importance of doing what God asks of us were followed by my saying an Act of Contrition, and then I was covered by the beautiful words of Absolution and the loving, merciful Precious Blood of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is so in love with us all!!
With immense gratitude, I also thanked Father Craig for coming to the parish to hear confessions that morning. + + +
This afternoon's concelebrant Father Craig Giera on the left
and newest associate pastor Father John Simoneau on the right,
surrounded by so many devout altar boys.
"DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU" (John 2:5)
Sometimes things do not make any sense to us, and we must recognize that this is also part of God's plan. It is not always necessary for things to make sense, and sometimes, it is important that they don't! We must rise above our perceptions, thoughts, and feelings and always do as the Lord tells us because He knows best. When we trust in the Lord, He makes things work out, even when it seems to us that such things are impossible. With God, all things are possible, and He is so in love with us!!
Perhaps my reward:
the Lord suggested I photograph at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today,
and my heart is still smiling! He is so in love with us all.
Concelebrants Father John Simoneau, left; Father Craig Giera, right;
and a devout altar boy during the Consecration.
Frequent Sacramental Confessions and frequent reception of the Eucharist
are inseparable.
SACRAMENTAL CONFESSION: FORGIVE YOURSELF AND OTHERS CONSTANTLY AND BE FREQUENTLY FORGIVEN BY THE LORD
Enjoy more PROFOUNDLY Catholic material focusing on the Sacrament of Christ's Peace, all created to help you make your sacramental confessions meaningful, deeply intimate, and incredibly powerful: The Sacrament of Divine Intimacy
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Joseph Karl Publishing/Michele Bondi Bottesi
Images taken at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Catholic Church,
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In imitation of the profound reverence for
all things pertaining to God our King
and of the profound love and care
shown to precious, immortal souls
at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Slovak
Catholic Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan, U.S.A.,
every petition is kissed as it is placed before the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
THE POWERFUL DEVOTION TO THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
To learn more about the Work of Reparation through the Devotion to the Holy Face,
which our Lord, Jesus Christ called "the most beautiful work under the sun,"
Please share the information with others.
God is at work in you!!
+ + +
"Trust all things to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, Help of Christians,
and you will see what miracles are."
~ Saint John Bosco
and you will see what miracles are."
~ Saint John Bosco
