As Catholics prepare during Advent for the arrival of Christ, they prepare their hearts for that arrival liturgically, said Father Paul Hedman, parochial vicar of St. Peter in Forest Lake. Approaching that day, the faithful also want to make sure they are able to celebrate his coming in the fullest way possible by going to confession, he said.
Preparation includes making sure “our soul is squeaky clean so that we can receive whatever grace God wants to give us at Christmas,” Father Hedman said, “that same way he gave that grace to the shepherds who were there when he was born.”
Fr. Paul Hedman
Committing a grave, or mortal, sin severs our relationship with God, he said. Even without serious sins, venial sins “can pile up over time,” he said during a recent interview on the “Practicing Catholic” radio show.
“Even if they don’t completely cut off our relationship with God, they can really affect it over a long period of time,” he said, adding that our soul needs “preventive maintenance.”
Likening it to a car’s oil changes, Father Hedman said “even if you don’t have big problems going on, you still want to change the oil every once in a while, just to make sure that everything keeps running smoothly, otherwise you will have big problems down the road.”
So, think regular confession. If it’s been years, no worries. Father Hedman said the only judgment he has for people who come to confession is positive judgment.
“Some of the most beautiful confessions that I’ve heard are the ones where someone comes in and says, ‘It’s been five years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years since my last confession,’” he said. “Praise God that the Holy Spirit brought you here today, that he placed this on your heart to be able to receive this most beautiful sacrament.”
Father Hedman described a sense of peace when leaving the confessional, but acknowledged that some people have had bad experiences.
“I want to apologize to anyone who has had that,” he said. “The confessional should be a place of mercy, a place of compassion. And if you’ve had a bad experience … please don’t let that keep you from coming back to the sacrament of confession.”
How often should Catholics go to confession? To hear Father Hedman’s response, and to hear the full episode, tune in at 9 p.m. Dec. 17, 1 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Bishop-elect Joseph Williams, who describes what he is looking forward to as the new auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Alicia LaCroix, who provides insights on the importance of hospitality this holiday season, and tips on how to do it well.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
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