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When
I was a child, I enjoyed playing in the basement. There were nooks and crannies
to hide in, and decades of accumulated stuff to explore. It was a little spooky
down there, and I was convinced that witches lived down there. But as long as
the lights were on, I was unafraid. When I had to go back upstairs, I had a
problem. The switch for the lights was at the bottom of the stairs, so I had to
turn off the lights before I was safely upstairs. When I flipped that switch
and the light went off, I was sure that the witches would come grab me if I didn't get up the stairs in about five seconds. Every time I came up from the
basement, I turned off the lights and sprinted up the stairs as fast as I
could, just to be safe from the witches. I must have been fast enough, because
I’m still alive today!
Like the
witches in the basement, sins and temptations can’t grab me if the light of
Christ is shining in the basement of my soul. When we confess our sins openly
to Christ in the presence of a witness (the priest) the light comes on, and our
sins can’t get ahold of us. Our problem comes when we hide our sins out of
shame or pride. This is why David prayed, “Cleanse me from my hidden faults.”
(Psalm 19/18) When we look honestly at ourselves and confess our shortcomings,
we begin to get freedom from the sins and temptations we try to hide from
others. As St John
Cassian wrote, “The devil, subtle as he is, cannot ruin or destroy [someone]
unless he has enticed him either through pride or through shame to conceal his
thoughts.”
Confession
is not meant to produce guilty feelings. It is a safe place to be open about
the secrets that bother us and cause sinful behavior. Honest confession
cleanses us from hidden faults. 
