I’m no priest
, but I have a few priest friends… They do comment occassionally on the strain of hearing about so much sin, especially when I’ve met up with them at larger-scale events where they have courageously heard hours worth of confessions (and from many people who had a lot of sin to confess…).
At the same time,
all of them are quick to follow that up with gratitude for being enabled by the grace of God to
heal that pain, and to tell people of God’s love and forgiveness. Every single one of them has told me time and again how
beautiful the sacrament is, and how humbled they are with every soul they encounter, and how they would not trade this special time of fulfilling the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to his apostles in this most special way.
Bottom line - yes, I am sure it can be difficult and spiritually draining, especially when you have committed priests who will hear confessions anytime, anywhere, and for as long as is necessary (as my priest friends are). Being “on call” 24/7/365 is stressful. There is no denying it. At the same time, these priests, these men called by God,
know what they are doing, and from my experience, they are quite at peace with it. In particular, those priests who maintain an active prayer life of their own, with deep devotion themselves to the sacraments, seem to obtain special graces in ministering to others through this sacrament.
If you know any priests, do not be afraid to ask them sometime what their most touching confessional experience was (without specific identifying information of course). Usually they have at least one story they will share with you to help you understand their
joy and happiness at this calling*. *Hearing them speak sometimes about their side of the confessional helps us to appreciate them more, and to better understand the grace that we have all been given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
God bless,
+veritas+
