To the Band of Brothers: October 4, 2023

Several years ago, I had the unique opportunity to visit Russia. It was one of the Overseas Study Program trips Belen does. When I heard the coordinators were thinking about Russia, I threw my hat into the ring to be one of the chaperones. As a child of the 80s, it was inconceivable to think that a visit to that country was ever possible. Under communist rule, the Soviet Union was the “evil empire.” It seems that practically every movie I watched growing up as a kid pinned the good ole US of A against the Soviets. In “Rocky IV” (1985) the Italian Stallion fought Drago, in “Red Dawn” (1984) the Wolverines fought the invading Red Army on American soil, in “Spies Like Us” (1985) Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd fumbled their way through the Soviet Union, and in “War Games” (1983) Matthew Broderick had to keep a computer from launching a nuclear attack on the Kremlin. 

All of these flicks were fantastic. They were even more entertaining because, as the son of Cuban exiles, anti-communist and, more specifically, anti-Soviet sentiment was part of my DNA. We knew Fidel Castro was in bed with the Soviets, so ultimately, they were the root of the evil. Any movie that showed how terrible they were was only going to validate what was the topic of so many conversations at any Cuban breakfast, lunch, or dinner table. 

But eventually, the Berlin Wall came crumbling down and with it the Soviet Bloc. Now, it was okay to travel to Russia and see firsthand what the Death Star actually looked like. It was amazing for a group of young Americans to fly into Moscow. It was amazing to walk through Red Square and stand at the door of the Kremlin. It was amazing to walk through Lenin’s tomb and surreal to then sit at a table at the new McDonald's after ordering a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. I can assure you I have eaten a lot of those burgers, but that one tasted particularly good.

Of all the places we visited, I was most impressed with St. Petersburg. Wow, what a beautiful city. You can tell at one point it was the crown jewel of Russia. The buildings, culture, bridges, streets… all of it beautiful. Of particular magnificence is the Hermitage Museum. Founded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the Great, it houses one of the greatest collections of art the world has ever seen. At the center of the collection hangs one of the most beautiful paintings in the world. “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Dutch master painter Rembrandt depicts the gospel parable found in Luke (15:11-32). You remember the story. The old man who had two sons, the youngest of whom asks his father for his inheritance and squanders it away in a terrible way. Humiliated and hungry, he returns to his father defeated only to be embraced and forgiven by him. It is a beautiful story of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and love.

Rembrandt paints the moment of the embrace between father and son. The young boy kneels at his father’s feet with the old man embracing him very lovingly. You can see the expression of relief in the son’s face as he clings to his father. It is so powerful a scene that you can spend hours not simply looking at it, but praying with it. Jesus, of course, describes the experience of what repentance is all about. We are encouraged to imagine ourselves as the son who, because of our sins has left the Father’s house and is called to return. Jesus assures us that God will take us back. His love for us is so real that, as the parable tells us, He will place rings on our fingers, sandals on our feet, and kill the fatted calf for a banquet to celebrate our return.

How do we ultimately experience this great mercy and love? It is the sacrament of confession. Before Jesus left this world, he entrusted his apostles with the power to forgive sins (Matthew 18:18, John 20:23). That power has been handed down from generation to generation in the Church so that in the confessional, we can experience the awesome mercy and love of God. The priest is a direct descendant of the apostles and, like them, has been entrusted with that power. Understand it is not power for the sake of power. It is power for the sake of service. It is one of the greatest services the priest can provide. 

The Church tells us every Catholic should go to confession at least once a year. Usually, people take advantage of the seasons of Lent and Advent to do it. But why would we limit ourselves to just one time a year? Confession is something we should practice more frequently. The great thing is that at Belen you have access to this amazing experience as often as you want. You can stop any priest at Belen and ask him to hear your confession. Every time we have a FLEX Mass, there is at least one priest in the confessional ready to hear your confession. So, go! Go to confession and allow the loving embrace of the Father to communicate the power of His unconditional mercy and love. It is there for the taking.

Auspice Maria,