Arrived in Tagaytay yesterday, passed by the parish for one night and learned how to post this journal and the previous entry.  I felt at home again with my brother priests.  One seminarian from Cebu whom we fetched from the airport joined me in the trip.  He will stay with us for ten months to experience to live concretely the communtarian spirituality.

Dinner was fraternal with all my other brothers!  Oh how good it is to live in unity as brothers!  The topic came to confession.  I felt that confession is not anymore in vogue among catholics and there could be varioius reasons from all sides and points of view.

Even our seminarians seldom confess, I said to which the other responded, "They confess directly to God." Intinctively I explaimed, so they are becoming protestants!  I know there are protestants who are more catholic that many of our catholics and there are catholics who think more as protestants, again with various reasons!

But what I failed to understand is that God is merciful and is loving to all.  If only we all feel and experience God's immense love for us, confessions will not be problem for it will surely be done out of love, not of fear of punishment but as a gift to be more in union with God.

Oh how this rigorism of mine regarding confessions gives cobwebs to my soul.  Who am I, demanding to make other confess, myself a sinner and in need of forgiveness? The realization of God's love would surely make us truthful and face ourselves, all sinners and imperfect human beings and approach His representative in truth and humily, though themselves also sinful.  To offer one's sins to the One whom we know will forgive and be merciful to us will make us grow in our union with Him. The truth will surely makes one free.

Oh what light love is.  We I only love more, perhaps one could understand what confession is all about!