Book Snippets

A miraculous confession to show God’s mercy

3 min • Digitized on June 26, 2024

#Example #Mercy #Miracle #Sacraments #Sin

From The Means of Grace, page 244
By Rev. Herman Rolfus

An Effect of Confession.

“It is now some twenty years,” relates Caesarius, “and about the time that I entered the Order, in 1198, that I heard from several learned and holy men what I am now going to tell you.

“There lived in the renowned city of Paris a young student who, tormented with evil desires and sorely tempted by the devil, committed such grievous sins that he could not so far overcome his shame as to confess them. But as he had been piously brought up and feared the judgments of God, he was torn inwardly with remorse of conscience that showed itself in his exterior and destroyed his peace of mind day and night.

“After a long struggle with himself he was at last moved by divine grace, burst into tears, overcame his shame, and hastened to the monastery of St. Victor, and begged the prior to hear his confession. The latter led his penitent to a confessional and spoke to him words of encouragement. At that moment our blessed Lord infused such a hearty sorrow into the young man’s heart that his sighs and tears fairly choked his words, and he could not speak. This state of things lasted so long that the prior finally said to him: ‘My son, go and write down your confession and bring me the paper.’

“Next day the youth returned and endeavored again to confess orally, but could not speak. He therefore handed to the prior a sheet of paper containing the confessiion; on reading which the prior, although a man of large experience and learning, was shocked. ‘My son,’ he said, ‘these matters are so awful that I must take counsel. Will you permit me to show them, under promise of strict silence, to the abbot?’ The youth consented.

“What then followed is well calculated to comfort the most despondent sinner. When the abbot opened the paper to read, the prophecy of Isaias was fulfilled to the letter: ‘I have washed away thy iniquities like a cloud, and thy sins like a mist.’ The whole page was a blank. The abbot said to the prior: ‘What do you wish me to read? There is not a letter on this paper.’ The wondering prior looked at the page and found it a perfect blank, and said: ‘I can call God to witness that the sins of the penitent were written there, and I wished to submit the case to you and have your advice how to proceed. Now I perceive that an all-merciful God, on account of the young person’s excessive contrition, has blotted out even a remembrance of them.’

“Calling the student, they handed him the blank paper, which he received with mingled feelings of awe, gratitude, and joy. The good priests warned him never to forget this miraculous act of mercy by again giving way to sin. He praised God from the bottom of his heart, and ever afterwards led a strictly Christian life.”