Why Go to Confession?

I've heard this question before. Here's how I look at this issue. You love your spouse. So, you have a personal relationship with each other. You love God and He loves you. Then, there should be a personal relationship between you and God. Because your are not perfect, you will sometimes "offend" your spouse, either deliberately (e.g. making fun of him/her) or inadvertently (yelling in anger). Sometimes, the offense can be more "serious", such as going to the baseball game with your buddies on your anniversary. What do marriage counselors advise in these situations? Ask your spouse for forgiveness to restore your relationship with your spouse. Likewise, you will occasionally offend God too. It happens. It can be a minor sin, such as fibbing at a job interview. Or, it can be more serious, such as fornication or adultery, or having sexual fantasies about someone other than your spouse. So how do you restore your relationship with God? For Catholics, it's called Confession. This is how you formally apologize to God for any offenses committed against Him. This includes failure to do the right thing. So don't be afraid of confession. It's the way to restore your relationship with God.

The Transient Nature of Material Things

A friend told me about a retired couple she knew, who were wealthy. The husband developed a rare & serious illness. The medical treatment required was not covered by their insurance. So they used up all of their savings and property to pay for the treatment. He was cured, but now they lived in a low-income apartment. It made me realize the transitory nature of things, and how quickly we lose them. Maybe, instead of spending all our time and effort at accumulating possessions, we should focus on things which are infinitely more valuable, such as our families and relationships. That's because these will remain, even if our material possessions do not.

Extraordinary Compassion

When we hear the word compassion, we normally associate it with feelings of pity for the less fortunate. We don't often associate this feeling with people who may anger us in any way. But one day, I heard the news that my co-worker's son was murdered by another man. Of course, her grief would have been unimaginable. Any mother would feel the same way. But what surprised me was when she felt compassion for the murderer's mother. She was imagining what the other mother was going through. She asked herself "was the other mother wondering where she went wrong in raising her kid", or "was the other mother fearful that her son may be executed for this murder". While she had every right to feel angry, she did not. It made me feel a bit ashamed of myself for being angry at others for less serious matters. Perhaps we all could be more compassionate, and less angry, towards those who annoy us in our daily lives.