The Confession.

Appearing at the confessional every Saturday became a norm the moment I joined the altar servers. Bro Ikenna, the president of the altar servers in his husky voice would say,

"You have to appear before the Lord unblemished and sinless like the spotless lamb if you are to serve at his altar", so we would line-up to make our confessions before the Priest.

Fr Silas, with whom confession is always short and simple is our favorite. In our usual manner we would start with

"Bless me Father,  for I have sinned" and then rush our sins as though we're speaking in tongues. Fr Silas who is of Ijebu origin and doesn't understand Igbo will ask that, as penance, we say The Lord's Prayer 3 times, Hail Mary 3 times and the doxology (Glory Be To The Father) 3 times, while he says the prayers of absolution. With Fr Silas, I haven't stayed more than three minutes at the confessional. As with him, confession ends in a jiffy. 

Mother would always remind me on Friday night about the confession for Saturday morning, and she would always say,

"You have to be contrite for offending our Lord who is ever ready to forgive you".

I never really appeared remorseful maybe because I go to confessions without knowing what to confess.

The morning mass of this Saturday became unusual as Fr Silas was celebrating the mass with another priest. Just before the final blessing Fr Silas said

"The Provincial superior has deemed it necessary to give us an associate Priest to help in the pastoral duties of this parish".  So immediately after the mass, Fr Jude was at the confessional . 

My friend Kenechukwu, whom I always cherished our discussion of the penance given after confession, was to clear the streak as the first person to attend confession from the new priest

Kenechukwu had stayed beyond our normal 3 minutes and it was already ten minutes.  I was confused.  I tried to think of any other sin Kenechukwu would have committed, apart from lying, fighting and insulting people . I was still in this state when he came out sweating and looking so confused. I rushed to him and in teary eyes he said

"Is it not the same thing I usually say to Fr Silas and he will ask me to say, The Lord's Prayer 3 times, Hail Mary 3 times and the doxology (Glory Be To The Father) 3 times as penance, I said to the new Priest and he asked that I do the Stations of the Cross for seven days and it must be inside the church". 

That was how, with sweaty palms, I left the church to be blemished and full of sin on Sunday.

By Ozor Onyebuchi
buchizzhenry@gmail.com