Confession

The definition of confession from Dictionary.com:

–noun

1.

acknowledgment; avowal; admission: a confession ofincompetence.

2.

acknowledgment or disclosure of sin or sinfulness, esp. to apriest to obtain absolution.

3.

something that is confessed.

4.

a formal, usually written, acknowledgment of guilt by aperson accused of a crime.

5.

Also called confession of faith. a formal profession of beliefand acceptance of doctrines, as before being admitted tochurch membership.

6.

the tomb of a martyr or confessor or the altar or shrineconnected with it.

Christians know that confession is essential to the faith to reconcile one's self to God.

The early church recognized the need for confession--baptism alone does not keep a person from sinning--therefore the practice of confession and penance was begun. This confession took place publicly, and was often handled severely. However, like they did with most everything else, the Irish Christians came up with their own system, probably modeled on the practices of the Egyptian monks. Confession was private, and the confessor was a unique spiritual guide known as an anamcara, or soul friend. This practice, although likely initiated by the monks, spread to the Irish priests and bishops, and also to the European continent.

Confession was viewed as good for the soul. By the 8th century or so, the confessors were the church clergy, but before that anyone could be a confessor to anyone else, even GASP! women. Actually, in ancient Ireland it would not have been unusual to have women in such roles. It would have been perfectly normal, and as I've pointed out many times, St. Brigid is a wonderful example.

Confession became the practice of the Catholic Church, largely because of the initial practice by the early Irish Christians. Protestants practice confession also, but it is not stressed. I think it is still good for the soul, and necessary still for reconciliation with God.

Here's a prayer we've been using in my weekly prayer group. It's a modern update of an existing prayer of confession.

Prayer of Confession

Almighty and merciful God,

We have strayed from you like sheep.

We have followed our own desires

And offended you by not following your way.

We have failed to do what we should,

And we have done things we shouldn’t.

Have mercy on us, O God.

Grant grace to those who confess.

Restore those who are remorseful,

According to your promise through Jesus.

For his sake grant us mercy

So that we may hereafter live a life pleasing to you

And give you all the glory.

-Silent confession-

We have assurance that God is faithful and just and cleanses us from all sin.

Thanks be to God.

Just a Reminder

The prayer below is from the Carmina Gadelica, a 19th century collection of prayers and poems gathered by Alexander Carmichael. The collected verses are probably of ancient origin. No one wrote them down before Carmichael, although some are similar to other poems that do appear in ancient manuscripts.

How wonderful that someone went to the effort to collect these gems before they were lost to modern memory.

GOD with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without Him,
Nor one ray without Him.

photo via creative commons by Sean Ericson

Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.

God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
For ever and for evermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Chief of chiefs, Amen.

©Cindy Thomson

Still Thinking About St. Patrick

photo via creative commons
by Chris Fifield-Smith

Even though St. Patrick's Day was last week, there is still plenty to contemplate when thinking about the life and ministry of this ancient saint. One of things that impresses me is his prayers. When he was kidnapped from his home as a teenager, he says in his Confession that he was not a Christian. He had been raised in a Christian home in an area of Britain where the Christian church survived, but he says that he did not at that time follow God's precepts. He was taken away to a pagan land where he was made to work as a shepherd, alone and without any counsel. And yet, this is where he found God.

How many times have we heard stories about people in a crisis calling on God? Perhaps we've even experienced it ourselves. Maybe it was a ship wreck, or a serious illness, or some other physical danger. I wonder how many of these people would continue to cry out to God if their prayers were not immediately answered. What if it took six years? That's how long Patrick prayed before God showed him how to escape. And during those long, lonely years, he found himself growing ever closer to God. He says:

"...I used to pasture the flock each day and I used to pray many times a day. More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number."

The prayer not only got him through that time and delivered him, the process drew him closer to God and strengthened his faith. I wonder...if it were me, would I give up long before the end of six years? Especially if I had no faith at the beginning? God rewards faithfulness, and he rewarded Patrick's in a way that blessed us all even these many hundreds of years later.

~~~
Blog Tour

Several bloggers hosted me during the week of St. Patrick's Day. I thought I'd share the links here in case any of you would like to read them.

Small Leaf Shamrock (scroll down the page.)
Sunnybank Meanderings
Celtic Treasure by Liz Babbs
and again here
Cara Putman's blog
Nicole O'Dell's blog
Favorite PASTimes
Susan Miura's blog
~~
And finally, here's the photo of shamrocks growing in the wild in Ireland that I promised you last week.

photo via creative commons by IrishFireside

The Ministry of Monks

©Cindy Thomson

This is something I’ve thought about while doing research for my books. The Irish monks were laborers. The ancient monasteries were centers of trade and learning at a time when they were no cities as we know them. The monks were artists, tradesmen, scribes, and farmers, but all that was—and still is in communities today—a matter of simple survival. Their real work was prayer.

There were regular times of prayer. They even woke in the middle of night to a call for a prayer. The prayers were certainly for themselves and their community—for spiritual growth and a desire to be closer to God, but what I tended to overlook when I began researching was the monks’ prayers for everyone else, for the whole world, for all of God’s children.

What a difference these communities made (and continue to make) because they devoted so much time for prayer. While the rest of the world bustles about, scarcely giving thought to the One who created us, there were (and are) men and woman interceding for us.

I was reminded of this just today when I read a Facebook message from a “friend” I have never met in person. She went to Lindisfarne on a spiritual retreat and while she was there she prayed for me, knowing that I have a great desire to travel to her side of the pond. I didn’t know she was doing this. I was probably asleep when she prayed due to the time difference. She was carrying on the work of those ancient monks. I want to do that too. I’m praying for you, right now as I write this.

Lord, Creator of all that is seen and unseen, bless my readers in their pursuits today. Make them aware of your touch. You created us. It is Your breath that we breathe, Your love that we share, Your wisdom that we seek to use in our work. Thank you for bringing us together through prayer. It doesn’t matter whether I know their names or their faces. They are Your children and my brothers and sisters, and I commend them to Your care today. Amen.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.—Psalm 9:9 NIV