We are called to confession, to give up our sin forever. Once I visited one of the largest Buddhist temples. There are twelve thousand Buddha statues in it. At the temple entrance there is a dragon. Its paw is so bright that the question poses itself: “Why?” A teacher of Buddhism explained to me that Buddhists leave their sins under the paws of the dragon for it to keep them while they are in the temple. And when they leave the temple their sins again follow them like a shadow. That dragon is some kind of a cloakroom for sins. But only for a short while the dragon keeps the sins lest they disturb one while he is in the temple. I wonder whether you are aware of how exalted is our faith and our God! How our God gives us grace and responds to our needs, how He redeems our sins. No man can take sins upon himself. Nobody can destroy them, to burn them like paper. Neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist can say to you: “Have no fear! You have confessed your sin and it is no more in your conscience, in your life.” A thing like that surpasses human power. Only God forgives sins. In Jesus and through Jesus, He forgives our sins. Jesus left this gift and this grace to the Church through His priests. Our sin has not been deposited in some darkness, in a space of oblivion. No! Our sin has been forgiven in a sacramental Confession. In the Confession it disappeared in the ocean of God’s mercy and love. Have no fear. After Confession your sin will no longer weigh down upon you. Therefore the man whose sins have been forgiven knows to whom he should go and to thank for the immense and divine peace in his heart, conscience and soul. Confession is medicine. Confession is a gift that only God gives to His children. This grace, this sacramental grace opens my heart and changes it, and I wish only one thing: never more to offend my God and spurn His love!
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