Confession: a sacrament of healing
- Brandy Norton
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Several years ago, my husband and I made a pilgrimage to St. Augustine, Florida to visit the shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. I had first heard about this Marian shrine from a friend, who described it as a peaceful place where she and countless others had visited to pray for a child. I arrived at the shrine not fully sure what to expect. Just a few hours later, I left in awe – transformed by an unexpected encounter with Christ.
My encounter with Jesus took place in the sacrament of confession. We happened to be visiting the shrine during a time when confession was available, and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. When it was my turn, I entered the nondescript room and opted to sit face-to-face with the priest.
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.” I began stating sins, some which may sound familiar to those also experiencing infertility. I had been harboring feelings of resentment toward a close friend’s new baby, and consequently resentment toward God. I was fighting with my husband – feeling hurt that he didn’t fully understand what I was going through each month. I was turning inward and spending the majority of my thoughts focused on myself above God. When I had finished, the priest paused, looked at me, and simply said, “God loves you.” As I looked up, I suddenly found myself staring directly into the eyes of God himself.
I had heard of “in persona Christi,” the Church’s teaching that ordained priests administer the sacraments as Christ present on earth. But there I was in the confessional, mystically experiencing this truth in a profound way. I could actually see Christ present, looking right into my soul. “God loves you,” the priest repeated. And I knew in my heart that Christ was directly speaking to me: “I love you. I have not abandoned you, my beloved daughter.”
Tears streamed down my face. God was not condemning me for my bitter thoughts, but was offering me healing. I had been feeling stuck, but in this moment, Christ offered me the graces I needed to help me move forward. The experience became an instrumental moment in my personal journey and one I will never forget.
I share this story to encourage others to go to confession. Pour out everything weighing on your heart. God does not want to condemn you for the (very normal) thoughts and feelings you are experiencing over infertility. Instead, he wants to offer you healing and let you know you are infinitely loved.
Maybe you haven’t been to confession since you were a child: don’t feel intimidated to return. Ask a friend for advice on finding a good priest who can gently walk you through the process. Maybe you have experienced a “bad” confession, where a priest let himself get in the way of God’s graces and said something that was more upsetting than helpful. I am so sorry this has happened to you, especially if it was during a vulnerable time of your infertility journey. Please, don’t let this experience scare you away from returning.
Not every Confession will come with the tangible sense of healing I described. I recently returned to the La Leche shrine and on that day they only offered a behind-the-screen option and I heard no words from the priest beyond a simple penance and the prayer of absolution. It was still the healing I needed. What’s most important is the healing graces that come from the sacrament of confession. It is a chance for God to gently release you from the tangled web you’ve become trapped in, to give you the freedom to move forward.
I’ll conclude my reflection with the prayer of absolution, spoken by the priest. These words continue to heal my brokenness month after month.
God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
