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| By Velopilger (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Nearing the end of Lent and reaching Holy Thursday, there's a very good chance that there is a Kumpisalang Bayan or Community-wide Confession event in your parish. In a nutshell, it's usually an evening set aside by the parish to give confessions to the people who attend with priests from the other parishes in the diocese invited to help out.
In fact, some of these reach until 11PM available especially for those who may have been caught in our famous Filipino version of the traffic jam. In case you end up lining on a long queue, here's some tips to bide the time.
Instead of Candy Crush, it's a good time to re-check your checklist in your head of the sins you've done or may have discounted. Also you can assess whether that sin is a mortal sin rather than a venial sin or vice versa. If you're unsure, be sure that the confessor will help you with your questions. Of course, do your re-check silently, just like Candy Crush.
You know the steps to confession. You've done your examination. The person who's with the confessor is still there. This moment can give you time to read the Gospel of the day at mass. If you read the newspaper, it would just make that cracking noise when you flip the page and staring ensues.
You can have the missalette with you or a bible and you can read and meditate on that episode. Especially during Lent, the readings lead up to the Passover and the Cruxificion like that of the woman who committed adultery as the scribes tested Jesus on what would be His verdict under the Mosaic Law. Usually most people concentrate on "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," to which it is true we have all sinned. To bring it in context, a few sentences after, when the crowd had left, Jesus mercifully said to the woman, "Go and from now on do not sin any more," as Christ acknowledges there was sin, forgiving it, and inviting the woman to not do it again.
You can endlessly slouch there waiting in line like Tina Belcher or you can pray meditatively or do mental prayer or do meditation. Vocal prayer like the rosary makes you focus on Christ but meditative prayer can keep you in touch with Him. For starters, you can tell Him your day then pause a few moments to reflect with Christ especially with the Gospel passage you just read or remember. You can mention your requests and now you can add why like the grace to help your father's illness. This can also be something you can talk to your confessor for you to grow in prayer.
In fact, some of these reach until 11PM available especially for those who may have been caught in our famous Filipino version of the traffic jam. In case you end up lining on a long queue, here's some tips to bide the time.
1. Re-examine your conscience
Instead of Candy Crush, it's a good time to re-check your checklist in your head of the sins you've done or may have discounted. Also you can assess whether that sin is a mortal sin rather than a venial sin or vice versa. If you're unsure, be sure that the confessor will help you with your questions. Of course, do your re-check silently, just like Candy Crush.
2. Read the Gospel for the day
You know the steps to confession. You've done your examination. The person who's with the confessor is still there. This moment can give you time to read the Gospel of the day at mass. If you read the newspaper, it would just make that cracking noise when you flip the page and staring ensues.
You can have the missalette with you or a bible and you can read and meditate on that episode. Especially during Lent, the readings lead up to the Passover and the Cruxificion like that of the woman who committed adultery as the scribes tested Jesus on what would be His verdict under the Mosaic Law. Usually most people concentrate on "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," to which it is true we have all sinned. To bring it in context, a few sentences after, when the crowd had left, Jesus mercifully said to the woman, "Go and from now on do not sin any more," as Christ acknowledges there was sin, forgiving it, and inviting the woman to not do it again.
3. Meditative Prayer
You can endlessly slouch there waiting in line like Tina Belcher or you can pray meditatively or do mental prayer or do meditation. Vocal prayer like the rosary makes you focus on Christ but meditative prayer can keep you in touch with Him. For starters, you can tell Him your day then pause a few moments to reflect with Christ especially with the Gospel passage you just read or remember. You can mention your requests and now you can add why like the grace to help your father's illness. This can also be something you can talk to your confessor for you to grow in prayer.
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