Archbishop John: ‘put your faith in the Father of mercies’
Archbishop John encourages us to be courageous and come to the Lord in the Sacrament of Confession
As Advent approaches, we begin to prepare ourselves to build a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus through the celebration of his birth.
A key part of this preparation is to reflect on ourselves, and seize the opportunity to examine our consciences as we celebrate with joy our new life in Christ.
That is why Archbishop John is encouraging us all to be courageous and come to the Lord in the Sacrament of Confession. In a video message, Archbishop John explains that the starting point of a good confession is a
“personal belief that God is the Father of mercies and it is in Jesus Christ that the face of that mercy is revealed”.
People can often feel anxious or nervous to use confession, putting up barriers in their mind. But the Archbishop reminds us that we just need to
“enter the confessional with a contrite and humble heart and put your faith in the Father of mercies. Put your faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus, our Divine Healer”.
Drawing on the words of St Thérèse of Lisieux, who said “for those who love God and after each fault come to ask his pardon, Jesus trembles with joy” the Archbishop said: “No matter your sins or how long it has been since you last went to confession, be courageous and come to the Lord in this Sacrament.” The Archbishop added the Lord desires to “pour out upon you the gift of his Mercy” and that by going to confession the “Lord Jesus will tremble with joy”.
St George’s Cathedral in Southwark has confession Monday to Friday 12-12.20pm, and on Saturdays 10-11am & 5.50pm. On Sundays, confession is available during the 10am and 12noon Masses.
You can find out the confession times of your local parish by checking their website. Our online directory has a list of parishes in the Archdiocese of Southwark.
