Thuribles and Confession

One of my regular tasks as weekday sacristan in my parish is cleaning the two thuribles used for incensing during the celebration of Mass. Given our congregation of some 9,000 families and our regular schedule of ten Sunday Masses and two daily Masses along with multitudinous weddings, funerals, and other special liturgies, these thuribles get quite a work-out. I always seem to be behind in tending to them, so when I do get to them, I invariably need to expend a bit of effort and elbow grease to spiff them up.

The other day as I was cleaning one of the thuribles, I noticed yet again how the best approach is the gentle one -- slow and steady, a little bit at a time. Rubbing vigorously doesn't get the thuribles any cleaner any faster and just makes my joints hurt all the more. I got to thinking about confession and how I need to go often so that the gunk of my sins doesn't harden my heart with an impenetrable barrier. And when I do approach our Lord in this marvelous sacrament, I continue to be amazed at how kindly and gently He treats me! We hear in the words of absolution that God, the Father of mercies, has sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins, and we know that the Holy Spirit is the fire of God, and that our God is a consuming fire. But, as St. Francis de Sales reminds us, "the Holy Spirit is indeed violent but with a violence that is gentle, mild and peaceful."

Thank you, dear Father, for the tenderness of your love! May I never be afraid of the cleansing power of the sacrament of penance, for it is your lovely, life-giving gift to us. Amen.