I have frequently commented that one of my favorite things to do as a priest is to hear confessions. This love does not arise out of some sort of prurient interest, but because it has been a powerful sacrament in my own spiritual life, and I love the opportunity to be a part of seeing God at work in such incredible ways in the lives of others.
Hearing confessions is deeply humbling. How is it that I forgive the sins of those who are far less sinful and far more contrite than myself. That is one of the great mysteries of Holy Orders. The most humbling confessions, however, are those of priests. More than that, I cannot really say, but I am reminded once again how much we need your prayers. St. Norbert summarized well the situation in which we priests find ourselves. "Beware, O Priest, lest what was said of Jesus on the Cross should also be said of you. 'He saved others but he cannot save himself.'"
Receiving absolution is deeply humbling.
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