Confessing to your local priest

[Matthew Turner]

Ok, Something I’ve always wanted to ask, what’s it like on the other side, the priests side of the confessional? I like to confess in a different parish from the one I’m active in but I’ve often thought what if I was in a small town with one priest, what would it be like? Would I feel uncomfortable because the priest “knows” the worst of me? Terrible but, I think the priest has one over me because I’ve confessed to him but he’s never confessed to me!
I always remember the Gregory Peck movie “The Keys to the Kingdom”, where the Mother superior had to confess her sins to him and most of her sins were from her clashes with him!
So I try to think of it from the point of view as if I was the priest. No matter how much one of my flock fell I would be so happy that I have the privilege of reconciling them to God through Jesus using me (the priest).
But I still feel uncomfortable with the regular priests I confess to maybe it’s false pride, because they are always so good. I passed one on the street today and we passed a smile. I was thinking “I’m going ok father Thanks be to God”. What is your experience with this?

[viny]

Hello matthew,

Thank you very much for sharing your concerns. They are quite legitimate ones. If I may just add that the Sacrament is not about "having one on the other person". It is about the prodigal; son, it is about being hugged by Jesus, it is about being loved by Jesus, it is about Jesus' compassion and endless mercy, it is not about being judgment, it is about reconciliation with Jesus thorugh the Holy Mother Church....It is all about being humble before the foot of that Cross!!

I hope I have helped, do not hesitate to express your concerns. May God bless you and may you continue to experience God's embracing mercy and love during and after the Sacrament of Reconciliation; Confession.

Fr.Esprit FMI