FOS SUMMARY - The Lord of the Rings-Living the Sacraments
Holy Confession: Healing Relationships
by Dorothy Poli & Helen Tellas & Daniel Padovano
October 14, 2008
Sacramental life heals the disunity introduced by Adam and Eve and that Satan continues to foster. Dysfunction in relationships with others and within our selves came into the world when Adam and Eve acted separate from God leading to the first broken relationship. Christ came to forgive Adam and Eve and us, their progeny, and heal and restore this broken relationship so that we may again be in union with God. Since we constantly fall back into sin (acting separately from God), continual reclaiming of this forgiveness is available through Confession. It is a gift from God Who offers us His unconditional love and mercy to make us whole again.
The Sacrament of Holy Confession unravels sin’s hold on us. It cleanses and restores us to a purer and less corrupted state. We need the mercy of God to heal and reunite us on an ongoing basis. Further, we need to be forgiving of one another if we are to grow in the image and likeness of God.
Holy Confession is not an independent or static one-time event to ‘unload’. Repentance is a dynamic event that is advanced over the course of one’s life through the practice of Sacramental Confession. As with the other Sacraments, Confession allows building the stages upon which to live one’s spiritual life. It is an ongoing process to transform oneself into what we were created to be individually and collectively as a human community.
What is Sin?
Sins are not mere bad deeds that merit punishment. They are not just a breaking of rules imposed on us to take away our freedom and enjoyment.
Sin is any behavior or action that causes separation from God, from others and within ourselves from who we really are and created to become. Sin kills in that it creates spiritual death. Through choice, the sinful person is the oppressor and the victim, the master of his or her own bondage. Therefore, sins are self-inflicted wounds.
Reconnection with God: We fall into sin as a result of the free will that God gave us in His image and likeness. God allows us to be separate from Him because of the free choice He gave us. Without free choice, we would have been robotic and not creatures of love. When our choices lead to exhausting our own power, we turn into dependent (yet always free) beings. We are then humbled enough to seek and rely on God’s power, forgiveness, assistance and healing.
Reconnection with self: When we are healed from this separation from God brought about by a particular action or behavior, we are made whole in that aspect of our selves. Confession reconnects the divided self with God. Our struggles in overcoming our arrogance, self-centeredness and impulsiveness are also necessary for the healing.
Reintegration into the Community: The purpose of the Christian life is communion with God and community with one another. One cannot be united with God if not also united with the community. Jesus said that if we say that we love Him but hate our brothers we are liars.
By living sacramentally, the Body of Christ, represented by the Church established by Christ, is primary. In the Body of Christ, the divisions of the world cease to exist: male and female, Jew or Greek (Gentile), rich or poor, master or slave, etc. When we eliminate divisions and welcome the foreigner or “xeno”, we are reflecting the Light of Christ rather than the division and darkness of Satan.
Confession eradicates division and unites one to the Church community. A major component of Confession, therefore, is also to be reunited with and reintegrated into the community. There is a natural human yearning for community. It is only through the work of Holy Spirit (the energies of God) in Confession that we are grafted back into the community. The emphasis is on what is best for the other and not a self-serving attitude of what is best for oneself, changing self-love into self-giving.
An analogy: Sin is like a rope, connecting two people, that is severed. Confession enables Jesus to re-attach the rope. The rope now becomes shorter symbolizing the two people have become closer. This is the healing and transforming power of God.
The Human Relationship is a Symbiotic One
Jesus always points to our relationship with one another. Jesus forgives us but do we forgive one another? Only through the forgiveness exemplified by Jesus can relationships be healed. Further, accepting God’s forgiveness for oneself also changes and compels us to forgive another. This is accomplished through our struggle for humility, and if victorious, heals and transforms both individuals. God’s transformational healing of our distorted and imperfect souls elevates us and ultimately leads us to manifest supreme love and union with God and with one another.
Anger/resentment resulting from an offended pride keeps us separate and divided and leads us to hurt rather than love one another. When one is hurt by another, it hurts both individuals as well as the Body of Christ since we are all part of the same Body. God wants us whole, undistorted and reconciled. When we are in union with God, since it is God’s desire to be in union with all of us, it is naturally our will and desire then to be in union with one another, i.e. God’s Will and our will are one and the same.
We each need to do our part in healing our relationship with God and with each other so that loving harmony is restored. In this way the spiritual fabric of the universe is mended by each person acting as the Holy Trinity acts, while as separate Persons, in one essence with one Will.
The Practice of Confession
Confession is not an individualistic act between man and God but between man, the community (represented by the priest) and God. For the first 900 years, confessions were a liturgical event, performed in the presence of the entire community. We confess to Jesus because it is He Who forgives, not the priest; the priest is an intermediary. When we meet with our Father-confessor, it is a one-on-one meeting. This recalls Jesus’ saying that: “where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst”.
Our Confession is not about what others have done to us (that is their Confession) but how we have hurt or offended others; how we have hurt ourselves and how we have offended God. It also includes our culpability, if any, in the hurtful action by others; perhaps our sinful response or reaction i.e. anger, to the sin even if we are in the right. We always have a choice in how to respond. Taking the low road leads to a downward spiral of hostility. Taking the high road leads to reconciliation, if not initially then eventually. We ask God for forgiveness for all these actions in hurting God’s other children and ourselves and for Grace to heal us. Confession is a ‘mysterion’ in that something happens, a burden is lifted and Grace flows empowering us to forgive ourselves and others and for all to be healed.
Humility of God: Even God, while omnipotent, out of His love for us demonstrated ultimate humility through His Condescension and Incarnation, emptying Himself of His Divinity to take on our humanity. Christ expressed humility also by the way He lived His Life and accepted His Death.
Our Humility: The penitent opens him/herself to God and in the Father-Confessor’s presence. It takes much humility to be able to admit our weaknesses and ask God to heal us. Admitting those in front of another person fosters humility, and without humility there is no holiness (i.e. for connection with God).
Humility of the Community/Father-Confessor: This act of humility on our part is also an opportunity for humility on the part of the Father-Confessor. In essence, we allow the Father-Confessor to hear. In Orthodox practice, we confess to an icon of Jesus Christ; the Father-Confessor listens and prays with us.
Further, through this process, a spiritual father-child relationship is built. This relationship, as it should be for the community at large, is characterized by support, not judgment. A Father-confessor is required to honor with confidentiality and non-judgment his responsibility in an individual’s spiritual growth and opportunity for the healing power of God. As with any other close relationship, it is important to find a Father-Confessor upon which one can build trust. If this is done, it can be a powerful force in one’s life.
On Frequency: There is no set prescribed frequency (only monks confess daily). It is primarily set by one’s spiritual father. When we confess, we should do so quickly, not dwelling on the sin details but on the blessing. (The best way is to write them down and read or give to the priest.)
On Pre-requisites: Confession is not required before Communion (as in Roman Catholic practice). To do so would create a hierarchy of Sacraments that is against Church teaching. All of us sin even in the moments between Confession and Communion. The only pre-requisite is a humble heart and a willingness to change (“metanoia”) even if that means taking baby steps or risking falling back into the sinful behavior.
On Tears: There is an intimate link between tears and repentance. St. Gregory the Theologian said, “All must shed tears…” St. Symeon said, “Remove tears then you remove purification.” Tears and weeping are a gift, say the Church Fathers. Tears are also a key to reintegration into the community.
Blocks to Confession
Adam and Eve followed the lie of Satan, not the truth of God. In Confession, we reverse that.
Satan also deceives us with these common thoughts in order to avoid Confession and maintain division between ourselves, God and others:
The deception: “We have no sins; the priest will gossip, tell his wife, the bishop, etc.; the priest’s sins are bigger than mine so why should I confess to him; he will judge me or think poorly of me despite my good image in the community; the Church has committed so many sins of its own; my sins are too big to be forgiven; I have no sins and in particular no big sins; I haven’t killed anyone; if I don't confess no one will know, not even God; confession is for other people; I don’t need God’s grace - my psychotherapist is good enough; I am feeling good about myself- thanks but no thanks; I only confess to God; I think what is considered sin are man-made laws to exercise control and subjugation over the masses; I do not believe in organized religion; I disagree with what the Church considers sinful; it’s there just to instill guilt and make you feel bad about yourself; it’s pointless because I am going to sin again; I will be humiliated, I will be too vulnerable.”
The truth: Man’s mercy is not like God's mercy. Man reprimands. God loves and accepts. God recognizes our effort and intention. God has heard every confession and even if has not He knows it anyway. One cannot surprise God. Apart from that, Christ has already forgiven us from the Cross and reconciled us through the Resurrection.. Forgiveness is there for the receiving. It is analogous to winning the lottery and not claiming the win by not going to cash in the lottery ticket. Confession is an act of healing by God’s Grace that He makes available to us.
Expulsion and Reintegration into the Community
We must always try to bring people who have fallen away back into the Church. As an example, those who recanted the Church have experienced a schism. However, they can become reincorporated back into the Church if they wish.
Mystical and Scholastic theological impact on community
Scholastic theology, having been influenced by science, places more emphasis on the personal or atomic thought where one tries to figure out everything on his or her own. In science, the rational takes front and center and the focus is on the mind. Orthodoxy’s mystical theology is based on the nous, the integration of the mind and the heart.
As a result of scholastic theology, the idea of community became fragmented. The Protestants are very individualistic and, therefore, fragmented because they place the authority on the individual. The emphasis is on “Have you [as an individual] been saved?” rather than on the Body of the Church. The Catholic Church places the highest authority on one individual, the Pope. In the Orthodox Church, the ultimate authority is not on one individual but the Council made up of clergy and laity representing the Body and fullness of the Church. We have to be the ‘fullness’ of the Church in order to have the fullness of the Sacraments.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
The condition of humanity is reflected in the character of Gollum who is a representation of us. His corruption is due to his sins of conceit, greed, thievery and murder. Gollum, while fishing with his brother kills him (an image of Cain and Abel) when he tries to selfishly obtain the ring for its power. Gollum disfigures into the shriveled creature, Sméagol. Sméagol speaks in plural as he becomes divided and dysfunctional. Tolkien indicts also us here. Basically, if left ‘unchecked’, we become divided and separate from God.
Gollum lost the taste of bread symbolizing the bread in Holy Communion. On a daily basis, we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with His bread and food and ask for daily sustenance so that the devil does not ensnare us. In essence, it is stating: “I need you God”.
Sin (the downfall of the ring’s power) takes over through its deception of pleasure. We think we can elude it but it does not elude us. It catches and enslaves us. The irony is that while Gollum was preparing the hook to catch fish, he ends up getting caught himself. As Jesus said, “one’s treasure is where the heart is.” Anything that we are inordinately attached or addicted to overtakes our will if we do not allow God to help us overcome it. The attachment is sinful because it causes division and struggle within ourselves, supersedes our needs over others and separates us and divides us from each other and God.
Specifically, the ring represents power, greed, covetousness and selfishness. The ring must be destroyed or it will end up destroying those who possess it. Four individuals carry the ring each representing a form of sin: Gollum steals and kills for it. Bilbo was ignorant of its effect. Frodo inherited it. Gandalf falls into arrogance. The point is that however one got the ring or sin, sin has its effect. Frodo thinks he can save himself by his work but ends up being carried by Sam. Sam carries the burden for Frodo but even Sam is not able to destroy the ring. The only way to destroy sin and its consequences is through fellowship, a group or family (‘oikogenia’) of the community where everyone holds a role and does his or her part.
The power of mercy and forgiveness is the most powerful message Tolkien wants to convey in his books. As a soldier in WWI, he saw many friends die and many German soldiers hung for their crimes. He said that we, as humanity, should not hurt anyone anymore; we should simply recite the Lord’s Prayer. As with Tolkien’s lesson, to live with love and forgiveness changes and transforms us. With this, we can then change the world.