Forgive Me, For I Have Sinned...

"It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution." ~ Oscar Wilde


Growing up Catholic, confession was one of the dreaded tasks I had no way out of and never looked forward to, but unfortunately it was one of the necessary evils one had to undergo at least once a month. According to Don Battaglini, confession was as essential before receiving communion as scrubbing behind one’s ears is before going to the doctor, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

For many years I didn’t really understand the meaning of confession. What could anyone – a kid, especially – have done that they couldn’t express directly to God? There were times I couldn’t even think of anything worth the three Hail Marys and the three Lord’s Prayers the good priest habitually sentenced us with, after we spilled our dirty little secrets of not listening to our parents and stealing chalk from the teacher to play hop-scotch after school. Confession really seemed a waste of time back then.

Then I grew up, and for the most part I walked away from the religion to explore other paths. No other system of belief I became acquainted with included anything similar to confession, but I was fairly impressed by something I read while exploring the customs of one Native American tribe.

In the case mentioned in the story, a woman had unintentionally killed someone and had gotten away with her crime. When she confided her woes to an old shaman and told him of the guilt she felt, the shaman suggested she should spend thirty days alone inside a cave, eating unsalted foods and following other practices to purify her body and mind. This way, the shaman explained, she would avoid future repercussions of her act.

At the time the story made little sense to me, but as years went by – and as I had the opportunity to witness other pertinent situations – I understood the wisdom behind the old shaman’s suggestion: A crime with no confession and punishment takes root in the deeper part of ourselves, and triggers self-sabotage and repetitive patterns later on.

Yesterday, I accidentally stumbled into an online discussion which confirmed this concept once again. A young woman explained she had a terrible time the week before, because of something that weighed on her soul. Initially, she was unable to open up to anybody about it, and gloom wrapped around her like a blanket pulled too tight, making her feel overwhelmed and alone. Then, she finally decided to open up to her family and friends, told them what was bothering her, and was pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of love and understanding she received. Suddenly the sun broke through the clouds that had darkened her world, and everything was well again. Once she saw that others were able to forgive her, she also came to forgive herself.

We often keep harmful thoughts guarded inside of us, afraid they will bring us shame, or leave us vulnerable in a big, unforgiving world, but in reality, the world is usually ready to forgive us before we are able to forgive ourselves. The moment we open up and allow ourselves to see that external judges are not nearly as hard as our own inner one, and the sun still rises and sets after we have let the cat out of the bag, the process of healing begins.

Guarding a secret requires tremendous emotional energy, and leaves us feeling incomplete and unable to bring conflicts to a resolution. Once the "confession" has taken place, payment of dues is the next step toward healing. It is not uncommon to discover that others have been down the same path and experienced similar feelings; suddenly we are no longer alone against an unforgiving world.

Of course, "confession" of one’s perceived transgressions is not an exclusive Catholic benefit. One can open up to a friend, to a co-worker, or even to someone they have just met, and unload the weight before thinking of ways to make amends. They won’t qualify to receive communion, but their soul will, in due time, soar to greater heights.

In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and it occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, and it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the clergyman who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. As he does so, he recites the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Not all Christian churches observe Ash Wednesday or Lent. The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.

Ash Wednesday follows Fat Tuesday, the last day of the carnival season, so called because believers used all the fat left over in their kitchens to prepare rich foods before the traditional fasting of Lent.

Since the earliest times of the Church, there is evidence of some kind of Lenten preparation for Easter. Lent becomes more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. The Council of Nicea (325), in its disciplinary canons, noted that two provincial synods should be held each year, "one before the 40 days of Lent." St. Athanasius (d. 373) in this "Festal Letters" implored his congregation to make a 40-day fast prior to the more intense fasting of Holy Week. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) in his Catechectical Lectures, which are the paradigm for our current RCIA programs, had 18 pre-baptismal instructions given to the catechumens during Lent. St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) in his series of "Festal Letters" also noted the practices and duration of Lent, emphasizing the 40-day period of fasting. Finally, Pope St. Leo (d. 461) preached that the faithful must "fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of the 40 days," again noting the apostolic origins of Lent. One can safely conclude that by the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, and that prayer and fasting constituted its primary spiritual exercises.

Once the 40 days of Lent were established, the next development concerned how much fasting was to be done. In Jerusalem, for instance, people fasted for 40 days, Monday through Friday, but not on Saturday or Sunday, thereby making Lent last for eight weeks. In Rome and in the West, people fasted for six weeks, Monday through Saturday, thereby making Lent last for six weeks. Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: "We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs." Second, the general rule was for a person to have one meal a day, in the evening or at 3 p.m.

These Lenten fasting rules also evolved. Eventually, a smaller repast was allowed during the day to keep up one's strength from manual labor. Eating fish was allowed, and later eating meat was also allowed through the week except on Ash Wednesday and Friday. Dispensations were given for eating dairy products if a pious work was performed, and eventually this rule was relaxed totally. (However, the abstinence from even dairy products led to the practice of blessing Easter eggs and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.)

Over the years, modifications have been made to the Lenten observances, making our practices not only simple but also easy. Ash Wednesday still marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays. The present fasting and abstinence laws are very simple: On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the faithful fast (having only one full meal a day and smaller snacks to keep up one's strength) and abstain from meat; on the other Fridays of Lent, the faithful abstain from meat. People are still encouraged "to give up something" for Lent as a sacrifice. (An interesting note is that technically on Sundays and solemnities like St. Joseph's Day (March 19) and the Annunciation (March 25), one is exempt and can partake of whatever has been offered up for Lent.


Information about Ash Wednesday used in this post was found at:

http://www.holidays.net/easter/eadates-aw.htm

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0527.html

The Unknown Face of Voodoo

In the aftermath of Pat Robertson’s self-righteous accusation that Haiti is victim of a powerful quake as a result of a pact its inhabitants made with the devil, there is only one thing I would like to say: “Pat Robertson, you know not of which you speak.”

Many have already had the opportunity to assess Pat Robertson’s failing mental state after New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, and the good ole faith healer, who claims to be able to stop hurricanes with his prayers, had the nerve to say that New Orleans was destroyed because of widespread sin in America. Where was Pat Robertson on August 29, 2005, I ask, and why didn’t he give us all an example of his power against the elements instead than passing judgment?

And now he is at it again. If his opinion about the destruction of the twin towers being caused by homosexuality and promiscuity wasn’t enough, he has now topped his act with the assumption that Haiti was destroyed because of its historical ties to the Voodoo religion. Although Voodoo – or Vodou, as the religion is known in Haiti – is still practiced behind closed doors, the country is almost entirely Catholic, thanks to the French influence in the area.

At this point I would like to throw in my two cents – not about Pat Robertson’s obvious faux pas and lack of sensitivity, but about the fact that he associated Voodoo with devil worship. Although Hollywood has done an amazing job demonizing the religion, most of what is routinely shown in films is just screen fiction selling to thrillseekers.

First of all, there is a difference between Voodoo and what is commonly referred to as Hoodoo. While Hoodoo is the practical wealth of “recipes” used to fix different problems humans are afflicted by, Voodoo is a monotheistic religion not too different from Catholicism. Not too far from Pentecostal faith either, if one cares to compare the two.

Voodoo was born when Yoruba and Catholic beliefs merged together after African slaves were transported to the Americas. Voodooists – or Vodouisants – believe in one Creator, God, also known in some traditions as Olodumare. The Orishas personify the Catholic Saints and they are considered God’s helpers. The highest of all Orishas is Obatala, also known as Oxala or Ochala in some traditions, and he embodies the figure of the Christ.

Even if the image of a doll being jabbed by pins is what jumps to the mind the moment the word Voodoo is uttered, many Voodoo practitioners focus their work on doing good and wouldn’t harm a hair on anyone. Most petitions (prayers) are made to request healing and peace, abundance and love, balance and justice - earthly and divine.

I grew up in a family circle strongly influenced by the Voodoo religion, yet I have never harmed a soul. My upbringing taught me to respect all religions, especially those I don’t understand or know much about, and to appreciate the beauty found in all systems of belief. If anything, Voodoo taught me about the duality of humans and the existence of a side of good even in those who come through as completely rotten.

Pat Robertson, I hope you are taking notes.