The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
Low Sunday – Mercy Sunday – Thomas Sunday
New Confessional: For many years confessions have been heard in my office, which you know is crowded and where we are often distracted by the phone ringing or someone knocking at the door. That’s going to change soon as Sabbatino, a friend from Italy, has had a confessional built in Italy and shipped here – a remarkable and generous gift to us!
What’s a confessional? Some of us have seen movies where someone goes into a confession booth and there is a sliding door and a grill where sins are whispered and forgiven. That’s the way confessionals used to look and Hollywood likes the ideas because it’s mysterious. A Catholic thing!
But a new confessional allows the penitent (the one going to confession) to sit so he/she can see the priest or go to confession anonymously. The room is sound proofed to give people security in speaking.
The arrangement in this confession space also allows the penitent and priest to have their own space. We’ll all have a look when it arrives and is set up.
But the confessional, while a place for telling sins, is all the more the place where God’s wonderful mercy is encountered! In fact, the telling of sins is only one part of the experience – the bigger event is what God does with it all – blowing it away – flinging it all into an abyss of mercy and tender love.
The program calls for the getting rid of our inner “junk.” Confession is the very best place. A sponsor can kindly and patiently listen to it all – but only a priest can absolve it. There is a most wonderful feeling when leaving the confessional knowing that I’ve confessed it all. A feeling of light and freshness – as if filled with air! The confessional is the place of starting over. In fact, it is said, “The demons detest the bath of Christians.” The “bath” is not the holy water or baptism font – but the confessional!!!!
There is a new icon arriving shortly: Mother of God – Unexpected Joy. Here is the story:
There was a man who lived during the time of St. Dimitry of Rostov in 17th century Russia. This man had great devotion to the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos). But in spite of his devotion he would continuously and deliberately sin. He would daily pray before her holy icon offering up praises to her from his heart singing as the angel did, “Rejoice, full of grace…”
One evening as he was about to go out and commit some sort of sin, he stopped to offer up his prayer as he would always do. This time something strange happened. Before his eyes, he saw that the Christ Child began to bleed from His hands and feet and side. The figure came alive. The sinner fell to the ground and cried to the Mother of God, “O, Lady, how can this be?” She replied, “The sins that you and others continue to commit are crucifying my Son, the same as once was done at Calvary. You continue to grieve me with your lawlessness and you call me merciful.” He cried out to her, “O Lady, you have boundless mercy and great goodness. Do not allow my sins to overcome me. Ask thy Son to forgive me.”
Two times did she ask her Son to forgive the sinner. But He would not be moved. Finally on the third time He said, “For your sake I will do this. As a sign of his repentance he is to kiss my wounds.” This the man did with great joy and true repentance. From that time on, he led a good and blameless life.
This even inspired the painting of this icon, which received the name, “Unexpected Joy.” Copies of this icon were soon found all over Russia.
In the early 1900’s and for about twenty years, Father Mitrophan, at the urging of the Optina Fathers, served a weekly prayer before this icon. May people were healed of diseases even such as cancer and tuberculosis and also from demon possession through his exorcism.
The feast days of the icon are January 25, May 1 and December 9
Troparian for the Feast
Today we faithful people spiritually keep festival, glorifying the defender of the Christian race; and coming before Her most pure icon we cry: O most merciful Lady Theotokos, unto us who are bowed down by sins and many woes, grant joy beyond all expectation; and save us from all evil, as You entreat Your Son, Christ our God, to save our souls.
