The Rite of Reconciliation for several penitents with individual confession and absolution has been a great gift for the People of God for well over 40 years. Generally held in Advent and Lent, at times of retreat, and at days of recollection and renewal, penance services have done much to renew the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church. #27 of Sacrosanctum Concilium from the Second Vatican Councils states: “It is to be stressed that whenever rites, according to their specific nature, make provision for communal celebration involving the presence and active participation of the faithful, this way of celebrating them is to be preferred, so far as possible, to a celebration that is individual and quasi-private. This applies with especial force to the celebration of Mass and the administration of the sacraments, even though every Mass has of itself a public and social nature.” I would like to share a few observations about the manner in which parishes celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a communal liturgy.

The first value that communal penance services highlight is the ecclesial nature of penitence itself. Penitence is ecclesial in that when one member of the Body of Christ suffers, all suffer. Sin is a rupture of relationships:  with God, with others, and with oneself. There is no such thing as a victimless sin. Last Sunday’s Gospel of the Prodigal Son reminds us this:  “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” The prodigal admits that his sin has ruptured his religious and familial relationships. He is willing to make amends by becoming a hired servant. 

The communal nature of penitence is not just attested to by the New Testament. The Covenant of old called for occasions when the entire people of God would give themselves over to fasting and prayer and offer sacrifices of atonement for the sins of the people. The story of Jonah, which Jesus Christ himself refers to as the only sign offered as proof of his message, is a story of repentance and conversion. Jonah is sent to the city of Nineveh and he is to preach repentance to the entire city. The Lord tells Jonah, “Should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left?”

Human beings are communal by nature and communal by supernatural grace. One of the great lies of modern times is that of the idolatry of the individual, where ”doing it my way” and “no right, no wrong, no rules for me-I'm free” become theme songs. The communal celebration of penance beautifully illustrates that the human person finds its fulfillment in the encounter with the other. We need to do penance for each other. We need to witness contrition to others. With others we make a heartfelt confession and plea for mercy.

One of the key values of the renewal of the Church has been the restoration of the Word of God into the lives of the faithful. This has been accomplished by new efforts to translate the Scriptures into the languages of the people and fortify the proclamation of the Scriptures as integral to the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. Again, Sacrosanctum Concilium states in #24. “Sacred scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions and signs derive their meaning. Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and western rites gives testimony.”

Communal penance services are structured with a robust and extensive proclamation of the Scriptures. This ensures that the consciences and the penance of the faithful are rightly directed by the Word of God. The same principle from Sacrosanctum Concilium is evident too in the Vigil for the Deceased that guides the Church’s participation in the holy vigil that is kept with those who mourn the loss of a loved one. That vigil service can include the recitation of the rosary or a partial rosary, but finds its structure in the service of the Word and in intercessory prayer. 

In my many years of celebrating reconciliation with individual penitents, I must say that we have not quite put into practice what was envisioned by the Council to make the Scriptures part of every sacramental celebration. The customary formulas are deeply engrained through habit and the beginning dialog between the priest and the penitent does not allow room for even the briefest proclamation of the Scriptures. It is not only habit and custom that precludes this though. I do think that the Rite itself for individual confession and absolution isn’t quite scripted enough to allow for easy and comprehensive adoption of a dialog that includes proclamation of the Sacred Scriptures. At the very least, I presume that the penitent has had recourse to the Scriptures to guide their examination of conscience. This is why I believe it is so important to structure the Liturgy of the Word in a sound and extensive manner within the penance service.

One of the requirements of Reconciliation is an examination of conscience. Having been instructed by the Word of God, then the people identify the sins they have committed. In a communal celebration of Reconciliation, the Church has an opportunity to instruct the faithful in an authentic and extensive scrutiny of the heart. The context of a penance service facilitates the pastoral necessity of forming the conscience. Through the years, many different schema have been offered through which we go beyond the letter of the law to its spiritual depth as Jesus showed us in the Sermon on the Mount. We begin with the precept of the commandment, and in the light of Scripture and Tradition apply that commandment to all our thoughts, words, and deeds. 

Essential to the celebration of Reconciliation is contrition. In a communal service, the people recite together an Act of Contrition. This isn’t put into the Rite just to save time by not making it part of the individual confession that is to follow. A communal act of contrition more clearly manifests the mysterious communion of the Body of Christ gathered together. That act of unity assists us in a more heartfelt and more meaningful contrition. The act of contrition recited together promises that we as a Church are committed to repentance and mercy, that we will work together to identify the sin that exists among us and bring it to God for healing and redemption.

Included in the Rite is also intercessory prayer. After the communal expression of sorrow and contrition, the community entreats the Lord for mercy. I find this part of the rite which combines the penitential rite we are accustomed to recite at the beginning of Mass and the Universal Prayers offered before the preparation of the gifts, especially meaningful. It is through the sin of Adam and Eve that sin entered into the world. Through sin we have lost our original innocence, and all the evils of this world, especially the great enemy which is death and loss of eternal life, have been unleashed. It is because of the Fall that we beseech God to grant us mercy and salvation for all that would afflict us. The petition to the Father for mercy clearly indicates that our sins have caused great affliction and God alone is the source of mercy and forgiveness. We conclude these intercessions with the great intercessory prayer that Christ taught us:  the Our Father.

The Rite envisions a communal proclamation of God’s mercy and a prayer of thanksgiving. Again, this aspect of the Rite of Reconciliation should be part of the usual individual celebration of Reconciliation. It is often omitted as priest and penitent have not been accustomed to a common expression or dialog to proclaim God’s mercy and offer thanksgiving. This part of the Rite has also been neglected at communal celebrations since frequently  the faithful are permitted to leave church after their individual confession and absolution. Our concerns about keeping people too long or our desire for efficiency obscures the whole reason for having a communal penance services in the first place. We have all been equally condemned by our sins. We have experienced the Divine Mercy poured out upon us in the Liturgy which is the greatest work of the People of God. Can we not wait and pray for an hour until the work of reconciliation has been accomplished in all those present? Can we not stay in witness to others, supporting them in prayer as they too take their turn?

This Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 PM at the Newman Center, the Catholic Church of Adair County will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a communal penance service. Five priests will be present to hear confessions and give absolution. This reconciliation service is a perfect time for our community to reclaim the Rite of Reconciliation for several penitents which had been severely limited by the pandemic. The normal customs were dispensed with to minimize the size of the gathering. People we encouraged to come and go throughout a certain time span to accomplish this. Granted, there are some among us who might not be advised to attend a communal celebration. That is why I have provided ample opportunities this Lent to go to confession individually. I encourage all those who are able, though, to come and celebrate Reconciliation together this Sunday.

Finally, I make one more appeal to everything through precept:  it is stipulated by the Church that all Catholics go to confession whenever they are conscious of grave sin. The question then is this:  how do I become conscious of grave sin? We won’t unless we open our hearts to the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. A communal penance service, surrounded by your brothers and sisters in the Lord to give you witness, is a perfect place to start.