139. Fourth Sunday of Easter

Meditations no. 185 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Confession is the sacrament of God’s mercy.

During Holy Week, we saw how some words of Jesus Christ were fulfilled to the letter - words which the Church sets before us in today’s Gospel: I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

It wasn’t enough for Jesus merely to show us the way to the richest pastures; nor was he content simply to come into the world in search of the lost sheep. He was not satisfied with dying and rising from the dead for his flock; nor did he stop at giving himself to us - Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity - in the Sacrament of the altar. Knowing our failings and weakness, he saw to it that as often as we went astray, we could return to him, cleansed and renewed.

Our Father says: My children, the sacrament of Confession is the most beautiful manifestation of God’s power and Love. Decent people do not find it hard to admire God the Creator, from whose power all things come. They are also able to admire God the Redeemer, who takes flesh in the most pure womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and goes all the way to the sacrifice of Calvary, allowing himself to be fastened to the wood, not so much by nails, as by the enormous love he has for us. There he hangs on the Cross, suffering all that can be suffered, which is a great deal because he loves us without measure; and he dies. His example moves us deeply and fills us with gratitude.

But a God who forgives!… Isn’t that something marvellous? I know of several non-Catholics who, upon learning the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of Penance, have exclaimed, “This can only be something divine!” And as a result, they have been converted and have become very happy.

My children, the sacrament of Penance does not only serve to forgive sins, be they big or small; it is also a means to strengthen our soul for the struggle, to renew our sorrow for not having been true to our word, as good, noble children feel sorry at having offended their father. Confession is so helpful! Never neglect it Foster the devotion of making a good Confession, although there may be nothing grave to accuse yourselves of. Make a good examination of conscience and you will see things. Above all, you will renew your sorrow for your past sins and you will receive more grace for the struggle. You will be given some spiritual advice that will set your heart on fire, making you capable of everything good, everything great, whatever requires sacrifice.

As we meditate on this sacrament of God’s mercy, the following inspired words come to our lips in gratitude: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and staff comfort me.

In the Work the Good Shepherd is the Father and whoever has received that mission from him.

In order to facilitate the sinner’s conversion, God has given us, as the minister of forgiveness, someone who acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. The Second Vatican Council declared that, for the penitent or ailing among the faithful, priests exercise fully the ministry of reconciliation and alleviation. The sacrament of Confession entails a judgement, and at the same time it serves as a medicine for the soul. It involves forming a resolution, and therefore looks to the future. Consequently, it is a channel for spiritual direction, so that as well as his strictly sacramental mission, the duly authorized minister can carry out a pastoral mission. Such pastoral work requires some knowledge of the individuals and their circumstances, as well as a particular grace of God, in order to have its full effect.

Jesus Christ himself, through his divine call, has gathered us together in Opus Dei, which is his sheepfold.

Our Lord has chosen the Father and those who have received that mission from him, namely the Directors and priests of the Work, to be shepherds of the sheep. This mission is not usually given to anyone who does not belong to Opus Dei. Those who do not belong to our family are not good shepherds for my sheep, though they may be very good shepherds for their own flocks.

The Good Shepherd is only the one who, knowing and living our spirit, has received this mission from the proper person. To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. That is why, if the members of the Work truly want to be faithful, they will not follow a stranger, but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

Our Father concluded: Therefore, whenever possible, you must go to Confession to those priest brothers of yours who have been appointed for this task. It has also been established that all the members of the Work should go to them once a week, at least to receive their blessing.

Now is the time for us to ask ourselves, in the intimacy of our own heart: Do I go to sacramental Confession punctually? Do I accept this means of personal sanctification which the Work, as a good mother, generously offers me, with gratitude and in the desire to make good use of it?

Always go to the good shepherd.

Our holy Mother the Church - and with her, I, who am your Father, who have to be both father and mother to you - give you complete freedom to go to Confession to any priest who has the appropriate faculties.

However, although I fully respect the right which you each have, I must advise you to do what is best for your souls. For this reason, I shall tell you once more: since you are faithful and reliable sheep and you want to remain that way always, you must allow yourselves to be looked after by the Good Shepherd.

A specific application of this doctrine which our Father taught us is the resolution, which we now renew, always to go to our priest brothers. We should do so especially if, on some occasion, there is something in our soul which makes us feel ashamed. You will open wide your heart - a rotten heart, if it is rotten! - sincerely, with a deep desire to be healed. If not, that rottenness would never be cured. If we went to a person who could only treat our wound superficially, it would be because we were cowards, because we were not good sheep, because we wanted to hide the truth, to our own harm. And in harming ourselves like that, picking a doctor at random who could not give us more than a few seconds of his time, who could not use the scalpel or cauterize the wound, we would also be harming the Work. If you were to do that, you would have the wrong spirit; you would be unhappy. It would not be a sin, but alas for you! You would have begun to go wrong, to take the wrong road. You would have begun to hear the voice of the bad shepherd in not wanting to be cured, in not wanting to apply the means. And you would be harming the others …

My children, don’t be ashamed of being wretched, if sometimes you are. Don’t panic because you find the fomes peccati (the tinder of sin) in your heart. Don’t be afraid of anything. Be truly faithful! Sincere! Be sincere! Let’s have the common sense and the supernatural spirit to realize that the Father, because he is both father and mother, leaves things very much open; and for that very reason, and because you are steady, reliable sheep, with the good sense to let the Good Shepherd work, you know enough not to make use of certain rights. In exchange you will experience greater effectiveness in the work of your sanctification and the sanctification of the whole of Opus Dei, your brothers and sisters, so many souls, and the Church.

Devotion to our Lady, Mater divinae gratiae, Mother of divine grace, and Refugium peccatorum, Refuge of sinners, will inspire us to go to Confession with true sorrow for our sins.