Repent - the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

The lines for Communion are long, but the lines for Confession are mighty short.

Sin & Heaven are incompatible. While worthy reception of the Eucharist & other works or prayer or charity may remit venial sins, I'm still amazed at how many Catholics never go to Confession, or only go once a year at a penance service. Perhaps it's a little willful ignorace on our part, a failure to make an honest self-examination. Perhaps it's a sign of stagnation or misdirection in the spirtual life, in our growing in holiness. Jesus called us to repentance, not complacency.

With Lent nigh upon us, here a couple of relevant postings from my classroom blog:

The Terrible & Ugly Business of Sin
The Wonderful Gift of Reconciliation
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P.S.: The Pope seems to have had this on his mind, too. From yesterday's Angelus address:

"In the Sacrament of Penance, Christ crucified and risen, through his ministers, purifies us with his infinite mercy, restores us to communion with the heavenly Father and with our brothers, and gives us his love, his joy, and his peace."

I couldn't have said it better myself.