abortion

in my 28 years as a priest, i have heard thousands of confessions. each conversation is important to the person in that sacrament of healing. and healing is gifted in wonderful ways. grace happens in confession, not because of me, but because of the mystery of God’s love.

i have heard many women over these years confess the sin of abortion. they wanted to be forgiven by God and have their hearts healed by God’s peace. in the confessional when i hear the word abortion, my heart sinks. the tone of these conversations shows their wounded souls. for many, these wounds have festered for years.

in the sacrament of reconciliation, we remember that God’s will for us is peace and healing of heart. in reconciliation, we hear of God’s unconditional love through God’s boundless mercy. in reconciliation, we remember who we really are: a daughter or son of God. women who confess having abortions receive these graces in Spirit-filled ways when they leave the confessional.

today, i pray for God’s love to break the power of death and suffering in all wounded souls because of abortion. the lives of those unborn sons and daughters of God who never saw the light of day are our contemporary “holy innocents.” the silent cries of the mothers who have no where to turn. the families that seek wholeness and healing.

may we all be instruments of God’s healing grace.