The Light is On

Photo courtesy: St. Louis Review | Archdiocese of St. Louis.

 

 

 

The light is on again.

This Lent, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Diocese of Des Moines, especially those who have been away from the Church or the sacrament, are invited to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation.

Archbishop George Lucas and Bishop Richard Pates said they hope that through “The Light is On” initiative more people will participate in the sacrament during Lent. 

To make it more convenient, most churches have additional confession times during the Lenten season.

At nearly every Catholic church in the archdiocese, priests will be available for confessions on five Thursdays during Lent – March 13, 20, 27, April 3 and 10 – from 5:30 to 7 p.m., in addition to regular reconciliation schedules.

Parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines will publicize days and times when a priest will be available for the sacrament.

Priests in both dioceses have been asked to talk about the sacrament during homilies at Sunday Masses. In the archdiocese last weekend, priests led a communal “examination of conscience” to help people reflect on their sins and the promise of forgiveness found through confession.

Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Omaha, said the archdiocese is offering the initiative again because feedback from priests last year was positive. They reported a number of people returned to the sacrament after being away for many years, Deacon McNeil said, and many commented on the healing that took place during last year’s effort.

Father Joseph Brodou, pastor of Mary Our Queen Parish in Omaha, said “The Light is On” initiative brings awareness to the sacrament of reconciliation and gives people a great opportunity every Thursday to receive and experience the love and mercy of God.

“The sacrament of reconciliation teaches us humility,” Father Brodou said. “We come to appreciate that we have faults and we need God in our lives.”

In his recent column in The Catholic Mirror, the newspaper of the Diocese of Des Moines, Bishop Pates said that by reconciling with God through the sacrament of confession, we place our temptations, troubles and sins before God, who relieves us of the pain and guilt caused by sin, and he extends forgiveness and initiates the process of healing.

“The more we sin and the more we sin seriously, the colder our relationship with God becomes until it is deeply frozen,” he said. “Thaw begins when we have some perception of the havoc which is created in our lives when we are ever more devoid of God’s presence.”

Inevitably, he said, the outcome of the sacrament is uplifting, liberating, and it initiates a new beginning.

Archbishop Lucas encourages Catholics to visualize themselves making a good confession and hearing the words of absolution.

“Set a time and place to celebrate the sacrament and put a mark on your calendar,” he said. “Jesus, who died and rose for us, wants you to experience his love in a more profound way, in the part of your life wounded by sin. Try him and find out the depth of his care for you.”

Resources on the sacrament of reconciliation, such as ways to prepare for the sacrament, and how to grow in understanding and appreciation of the sacrament, can be found at dmdiocese.org/alightforyou and thelightisonomaha.org.

 
Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter