I believe that we have a natural instinct to confess. C.S. Lewis writes about the Natural or Moral Law in his famous work, Mere Christianity. He discusses our moral intuitions and our sense of fairness and justice, and proposes, that although cultures across time and around the world can be very different, there is a moral law built into all individuals. Lewis gives examples on how all cultures have the same standards regarding not killing an innocent person, not taking what isn’t yours, and not lying to cover your tracks. He says that there isn’t any country where people are admired for running away in battle or for selfishness.

C.S. Lewis is one of the three people living or dead that I would like to have dinner with. If that time comes, I would like to propose that he add “a longing to confess” to his natural law list. His point about the natural law is that it has nothing to do with religion. That it doesn’t matter if people believe in God or not, whether they have formally been taught the laws or not, whether they lived thousands of years ago or today. Instinctively, these laws are written on our hearts, and we all know them. Regarding confessing, consider our secular society and all the tell-all books that people write at the ends of their lives. I don’t believe they are compiled purely for attention or monetary gain. I believe that their hearts are weighed down by the memories of their bad behavior and they feel that confessing will relieve the burden. Many may hope to receive sympathy that will provide a sort of forgiveness.

Whether Lewis would indulge me by adding confessing to his list, we’ll never know, but we do know that Jesus recognizes it as a human need. The secular world may mock Catholics confessing to a priest, and Catholics rarely love the idea of walking into the Confessional, but Jesus instituted the sacrament of Confession to bring us all relief. The purpose of confessing to a priest, rather than only in prayer to Jesus, is that we are making a public confession (albeit in the privacy of the Confessional under the priest’s seal of secrecy). We admit our sins out loud and do not have to burden our friends and family with the fallout of our tell-all books. Instead, we obtain the dignity, forgiveness, and grace that Jesus offers his brothers and sisters through the sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Scripture: Read John 20:21-23. What stands out?

Call to Action: St. Lawrence offers Confessions from 4-7 PM Mondays and Fridays. Make it a monthly habit to find relief and forgiveness through the Sacrament of Confession.