Yom Kippur

At least twice a year we have the special day of repentance and reconciliation with each other and with God. A day or two before Christmas, again during the Holy Week preceding Easter and once again a day before the annual Patron Saint of the Parish feast day (July 4th). I do not include here communal penitential services (with individual confessions) celebrated on the occasion of Divine Mercy Sunday or other pilgrimage days...


Today we had our first Yom Kippur day of the new liturgical year. The day for confessions for all parishioners who wanted to prepare themselves properly for the Nativity of Our Lord. I like to use this Jewish term for the day of atonement and repentance which is probably the most important holidays in the Jewish liturgy - in connection with our penitential days...

I was alone today in rendering the penitential service to my people as a confessor. It has become increasingly difficult to secure services of other priests in our Diocese. We are not that many and most of us  minister alone in the parish. And again, the service of the sacrament of reconciliation is not among the most popular ministries for many of us as it is perhaps the most tiresome, difficult and delicate spiritual ministry one can imagine in priestly life...

So, I sat alone in the confessional for the whole day, serving my people. Though tiring immensely - mentally, spiritually and physically as well (no one likes to have other people filth poured over one's ears and soul for the whole day), but it is one of the most satisfying or maybe - the most satisfying ministries a priest can feel in his life. No different with me. I came to love my ministry as a confessor, working in the shrine and the parish and sitting for hours - days and nights (during vigils) and witnessing to the miracles of Divine Mercy in people's lives. I have my own rule not to discuss anything related to the internal forum of the confessions so I hesitate very much to give even anonymous examples of such miracles... I won't do this this time here as well...

The attendance of my people today was poor, to be honest. The market day that occurs twice a month in Kiabakari was a major factor for many people to choose to go to the market or being forced to go by their bosses at work, families or simple curiosity or necessity to sell something in order to buy something else one needed for Christmas or simply purchasing necessities for the family celebrations during Christmas. I cannot blame them for this, that is why some of the confessed earlier during morning Masses this week and other will come tomorrow as we have regular Friday retreat day in the shrine.

Thank God for the gift of Yom Kippur Day in Kiabakari today. Thank God for every person who was embraced by the Merciful Father in the sacrament of reconciliation. Thank God for giving me strength, patience and perseverance to keep me going till the end of the day, though my health problems started to reminded me again since this morning that I am far from being cured...

Revoking all allegiance to the Evil One, which reminds me in this respect the spirit of the Kol Nidre opening prayer for Yom Kippur Day (revoking all vows, pledges and promises one can make the following year)...

Cleansed, pardoned and blessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, let us proceed joyfully to Bethlehem now... to the tune of shofar and with the Shema Yisrael prayer on our lips...

Transliteration:

Sh'ma Yis-ra-eil, A-do-nai E-lo-hei-nu, A-do-nai E-chad.

Ba-ruch sheim k'vod mal-chu-to l'o-lam va-ed.

V'a-hav-ta eit A-do-nai E-lo-he-cha b'chawl l'va-v'cha u-v'chawl naf-sh'cha, u-v'chawl m'o-de-cha. V'ha-yu ha-d'va-rim ha-ei-leh, a-sher a-no-chi m'tsa-v'cha ha-yom, al l'va-ve-cha. V'shi-nan-tam l'-va-ne-cha, v'di-bar-ta bam b'shiv-t'cha b'vei-te-cha, uv-lech-t'cha va-de-rech, u-v'shawch-b'cha uv-ku-me-cha. Uk-shar-tam l'ot al ya-de-cha, v'ha-yu l'to-ta-fot bein ei-ne-cha. Uch-tav-tam, al m'zu-zot bei-te-cha, u-vish-a-re-cha.

Translation:

Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One.

Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.