"Open your soul in Confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light"

"Today the Lord has been teaching me, once again, how I am to approach the Sacrament of Penance: My daughter, just as you prepare in My presence, so also you make your confession before Me.  The person of the priest is, for me only a screen....open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light"(Diary of St. Faustina, 1725).

This photo was taken just before we began one of Our Children's Rosary meetings.  The picture was taken by a child of a child in Confession.  Never before have I seen such a beautiful representation of Confession.  Indeed the light filling the soul is so beautifully represented streaming in through the stained glass windows upon the child.  The screen completely obscures the identity of the priest which is also beautiful as one can more easily envision Our Lord listening with a bent ear to each detail.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we are told that when the priest "celebrates the sacrament of Penance, the priest is fulfilling the ministry of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, of the Good Samaritan who binds up wounds, of the Father who awaits the prodigal son and welcomes him on his return, and of the just and impartial judge whose judgement is both just and merciful.  The priest is the sign and the instrument of God's merciful love for the sinner." (Catechism #1466)

We are very grateful to the priests who give of their time to make this sacrament available to so many.  In the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut USA,  each Monday evening every Church in the Archdiocese is open for Confession between 6-7PM ET.  We are very grateful for this precious gift.