Pills, penance, and papers

Saturday was a draining day, and a restorative one, from multiple perspectives: the health of my body, the health of my soul, and the health of my grades!

The head cold that had been plaguing me finally released its grip on my head a little bit, enough that I could breathe freely now and then, and even think occasionally. Combining Zicam and two different antihistamines (with the permission of "experts" on the internet), finally checked the sneezing and watery eyes enough that I could function, at least minimally.

So, I bundled up in the morning and headed to St. Rose's for one of their Communal Penance services. They typically have a couple of them near both Christmas and Easter. It had been awhile, and it was time for me to go. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession, Absolution & Penance) is sort of like the process of blowing and coughing out the crud in my nose and chest, hearing the doctor say "good, a productive cough there!", plus taking some medicine to help. The soul needs that purgative/restorative regimen from time to time.

Nice picture, huh? ;) I wonder if priests hearing confessions ever feel like they want to go shower afterwards?

There is no corporate absolution anymore, all confessions are individual, but they lined up multiple priests for us to expedite the process, and scattered them around the sanctuary for privacy. You took your turn with whomever was open when you got to the front of the line. I drew a thirty-something bald-as-an-egg black priest with a heavy Caribbean accent - boy, did he have some good insights for me. Just what I needed as help.

The individual confessions are normal, I guess... if such a thing is ever routine. But I do love the imagery in the way they do this corporately at St. Rose. You come in and sit in one section of the pews, with all the other "sinners". We all, including the priests, sing, pray and recite a confession together, then scatter to our individual sessions. As we each finish, though, we all go and sit in a section of the sanctuary completely opposite the first, where all the "forgiven" sit. :) I love that part. And my soul does feel healthier today. There was a freedom in worship this morning that I had missed lately.

After that, it was pound, pound, pound away at the keyboard trying to come up with 3,750 words on my philosophy of evangelism and discipleship - for the final paper of the Fall Quarter, due this week. Argh. This was one of the tougher papers I've ever had to write, mostly because I have no passion connected to the topic. And so it was draining to get through it, but felt so refreshing when I had something that passed muster and I could upload it to the class website.

Done! Done with illness, done with confession of sin, done with schoolwork. All draining... and all restorative, when finally past.