Today is Passion Sunday when we begin to reflect upon the suffering and death of Christ and our Lenten pilgrimage becomes deeper. Preparing for Easter is what Lent is all about but by this stage it may well be that Ash Wednesday is a distant memory and our Lenten fast a thing of the past.
One way that some prepare for Easter is by going to confession. It is one of those practices which can seem very foreign to those who have not experienced it. Within the Church of England the advice is that ‘none must, all may and some should’ go to confession and I try to go two or three times a year.
The Book of Common Prayer suggests that Church members should make special confession to a priest, “if he feels his conscience troubled with any weighty matter” and “for the better discharging of his conscience.” It is not that the priest is taking God’s place in pronouncing God’s forgiveness but that sometimes it is easier for us to believe it when we hear it with our own ears.
Confession can be an informal conversation and prayers with a priest or a more formal set order. The penance that is offered is not an onerous punishment but is often a suggestion of a portion of scripture for further reflection.
Should members of the congregation wish to have their confession heard, they can contact Fr. Charles Richardson at St John’s Goose Green on 020 7639 3807 020 7639 3807, or visit All Saints Margaret Street (off Oxford Street) 12.30-13.00 weekdays and Saturday 5.30pm or feel free to contact me.
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