"Upon This Rock Blog"

By Father Don

Spiritual Healing & Right Relationship

On Thursday, December 3, at 5:30, you can join me and others to inaugurate the Season of Advent with an annual Penance Service that emphasizes spiritual preparation, waiting, and clarity. The service will be held at the Alvin Brooks Center, 5401 Troost Avenue, on the campus of Rockhurst University, that provides convenient parking and easy access from the street. As well as being joined by Jesuit priests who will hear confessions and grant absolution of sins, counselors and spiritual directors will be present to answer inquiries and assist sojourners that seek direction in life, whether to deal with a particular gnawing issue or to connect with ongoing guidance through individual mentoring or group companionship.
There are numerous forms of spiritual healing. Catholics traditionally start with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament has gone through various iterations through the centuries, sometimes emphasizing confessing, at other times forgiving; still other times the focus was on doing penance, receiving healing, or experiencing conversion. “Reconciliation” comes from a Greek word meaning “eyelash to eyelash,” i.e., “re” means again, “con” means with, “cilia” means eyelid or eyelash; in other words, we return to face ourselves. In facing ourselves, we also face God while looking at our sins or shortcomings or struggles. Read the Full Post.