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A Father's Confession

Oh, Heavenly Father, God of all creation, believing in the words spoken by your son Jesus, my Lord and Savior, to his apostles, saying: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21). And breathing on them, he continued: “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23)—believing these words—Heavenly Father, I come before you now seeking full reconciliation with you and your Church for the awful offense I committed against you and the Body of Christ by aborting one of your children given to be my child—for failing to live up to your calling as a being created in your image. I come here seeking your grace through you sacrament of reconciliation so that I may be unbound—set loose—from this sin (Matthew 16:19).

Oh, Heavenly Father, I thank you and praise your for this sacrament, which humanizes your spirituality to me! Much like a little child who understands simple words, so can I—through this beautiful gift of yours—understand, feel, and know your love, forgiveness, and mercy. Oh, Heavenly Father, how great thou art—how merciful—how benevolent thou art! That you can use us, despite our sinfulness, as your instruments for one another in revealing yourself to us and communicating your grace to us. By empowering your priest, you make your love, mercy, and forgiveness known to me in a voice that I can hear, in a face that I can see, and in an embrace that I can feel—and all of this for my benefit because you love me.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your patience, for not forsaking me, for your saving work inside of me that has brought me to this point, where I can now celebrate your forgiveness, for your truth has set me free—free from despair and free to share my story with family, friends, your Church, and others, giving testimony to your written Word saying: “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). And now, I offer my confession fully to you in this sacrament: for the abortion, for my sexual relationship outside of marriage, and for using your gift of sexuality in a manner you did not intend.

Glory and praise to you, Almighty Father, because you freely offer your grace and salvation to us—unmerited and unearned—but gained only through the atoning death of your son on the cross! I thank you for Him above all else!
Heavenly Father, make me an instrument of your compassion and love for all your people. Keep me from judgement and self-righteousness. Draw me ever closer to you as your adopted son in Christ so that I may always cry out to you: “Abba! Father!” Draw me ever closer to you with a humble and repentant heart through faith in Jesus Christ so that one day I may see you face to face and rejoice in your glory.

THANK YOU, HEAVENLY FATHER!

    In Their Own Words