Today's reading and the Sacrament of Confession

[PeterK]

Matthew 8:1-4

After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.’

When I read this and then heard it again in Mass this morning, I was struck by the similarities this brief passage has with the Catholic sacrament of confession.

• The leper’s disease represents personal sin.
• The leper bowing low represents humility or contrition before the sacrament.
• The leper’s position in front of Jesus represents the bringing our sins before the priest, nothing is hidden, everything is in front, in the open, admitted to.
• Jesus stretching out his hand and saying ‘Be cured’ represents the priest’s absolution.
• The leprosy cured at once equals ours sins being forgiven instantly at the words of absolution.
• Jesus’ admonition not to tell anyone represents the seal of the confessional.
• And finally, the cured leper going to the Jewish priest and making the formulaic offering is very similar to our formulaic penances given after confession.

The parallel could only be stronger if the leper recited the Act of Contrition.

Is this a proof text for the sacrament of confession? Probably not. But I think if one already practices this sacrament it definitely is an affirmation text.

Hope this helped.

Petek

 

[NHInsider]

Very nice analogy.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Petek,

I like the way you’re looking at this. Whether it is really about confession or about forgiveness in general, I think too often we get stuck at the literal story and don’t get the real message, which is spiritual.

Alan