Reconciliation

 I experienced a singular and extraordinary event during the Christmas season.  Just before Christmas the monastery decided to have a Reconciliation service.  It was to be at end of a day of looking at our life and faults privately.  I have been to parish reconciliation services before.  Sing, read scripture, preach, list some general faults so as to prepare us for private confessions, and then confession.  But we did something different.  I had not been here at the monastery when they did the service, so this was my first time.  After we got through the recited list of faults, there was silence.  Then the monk to the right of me, confessed, out loud mind you, to the group of us, a fault he had that was right on.  Honesty!  Wow.  So I said to myself, OK, this is the way we are going.  So I then confessed faults that are me and so true, out loud for all to hear. Then the monk to my left, confessed a fault that was him for sure.  The Abbot went next.  After all this, we stood and one monk absolved the Abbot and then the Abbot absolved us all together.  It was Public confession.  Then we all hugged!  Covid!  I had not hugged anyone for nine months.  There was so much joy among us.  It was a real bonding experience, the confessing publicly and the hugging.  Ok, so we now will all die from Covid, but we will die in the state of grace and go to heaven.