We are now into the season of Advent. Although we will not have a penance service, I will be offering additional time for confession on Wednesday evening 6:30 – 7:30 pm for the Wednesdays of Advent. There will be a Mass offered at 5:45 and at the conclusion I will be available in the confessional till 7:30 or as long as needed. I am observing that many are in a deeper way turning to their faith in God. This is very good. A great way to do this is a regular examination of conscience and confession. You might ask, do I really need to do that? That is a popular approach that usually means, I’m not going to do it. Perhaps asking our self this question instead might give better perspective, why shouldn’t I go? I know that admitting our sins can be embarrassing. That is one of the reasons the Church offers confession anonymously from behind a screen. This is offered at our parish and it is supposed to be offered at every Catholic Church. If you haven’t been for a while and have forgotten how to proceed, grab a brochure from the entry or simply tell the priest you would like some help. It happens a lot and we are very happy to assist. Your confession is held under the “seal”, which means the priest is not to divulge the content even under threat of death. It’s Church law! (If you have good reason to believe this has been violated, it should be reported.) The most helpful thing is to keep in mind that ultimately you are confessing to the Lord. The priest is just the “phone connection” if you will. The absolution the priest says to you comes from the Lord. Receive it from the Lord. Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.