Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 13, 2016

Let’s start with a little trivia. You have most likely heard the phrase “short shrift,” as in not getting all of what you feel you deserve. But do you know where the phrase comes from? “Shrift” is an archaic term for Confession, particularly for the penance we do when we go to Confession. Short shrift would come when a condemned criminal was about to be executed. They would allow him to see a priest, but it was often so late that the condemned man would not have time to complete any serious penance, such as you would expect for a capital crime. Thus, he was unfairly given “short shrift.”

There are times when I feel like I have to give short shrift. When I came here, one thing that made me uncomfortable was the schedule of Confessions on Saturdays from 3:00 to 3:45. When I have a Sunday Mass, I like to be in the sacristy about half an hour before Mass starts. When I come in fifteen minutes before Mass, I feel like I am rushing. But while I have gotten used to that, I have wondered what might happen if the day comes when Fr. Russell is no longer here to help us. I got a preview of that eventuality last week, with Fr. Russell in the hospital. Despite the wedding, we started Confessions on time. But we had a good number of people coming, and I didn’t finish until about 3:57. It’s good to have more people for Confession than the time allotted, for that’s a sign of a spiritually alive parish. But it meant that I was trying to move quickly through the last few people in line. Furthermore, I was rushing into the sacristy at a time when the Altar Servers and Lectors were wondering where I was. I was out of breath as we started the Mass, and I didn’t feel like I was properly focused on the Eucharistic Liturgy.

My attitude toward Confession times has always been, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I’ve been in parishes where not many people come to the sacrament, so I’ve tried different times to get people coming. When I have been in parishes where people come, I’d rather not change things. But for two and a half years, I have thought about a different time for Confessions. I want to have time to give everyone a good experience of Christ’s mercy without having to give “short shrift.” And I want to be prepared to be the best celebrant I can be for the Mass, the most important thing we do. So I am thinking about starting January by scheduling Confessions from Noon to 1:00 on Saturday afternoons. We had those times in other parishes where I have been stationed, and they have worked well. I may have to beg off of going to the cemetery if we have a Saturday morning funeral, but I should have plenty of time for Confessions, even if we go overtime and even if there is a wedding.

I said that this timing has worked well in other parishes. But what works in one place does not always work in another. I would like to ask people’s opinions about changing Confession times before I make the final decision. Please let me know what you think. I don’t want to give “short shrift” (either literally or figuratively) to anyone.
                                           
                                                                                       Father H