Trying to get this sub out by the feast of St Joseph the Worker. It’s my first long form essay that references him extensively as husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus and his role as model of faith. Still feeling very hopeful about my ETA, thank you for all your prayers🥺❤️

I used to think this way and didn't do it for many years, until my first one with the late Father RW Dundon at UNIBEN. I didn't know when I started crying. He wanted to see me afterward, and I ran away. Pride came back. I did it yesterday, and the tears came back, and I recognized what they were—submission and true remorse. The sacrament of reconciliation is an act of humility that strips us of our pride, which is the deadliest root of most sins. You don't know everything you did, and that third party isn't just there to absolve your sins with God’s authority; he is also there to share your burdens and remind you of things you forgot. It is OK to be human and relate openly with another human. I met a new priest randomly who had come specifically to confess one person. That is how serious Catholic priests take it. He left his parish to come to Christ the King in Accra yesterday for one person. I was fortunate to meet him, as there was no regular confession. I now realize why. He told me something I didn't know. He told me about a saint who confessed seven times a day, and people didn't understand why. I realize now that it was his own way of strengthening his relationship with God and removing pride completely. Pride is our primal sin, and confession strips us of it first, before anything else. That is more important than anything you can remember, and you asked God personally for forgiveness. Removing that pride is the first fruit of the sacrament.

The last time we had riots, back in 2011, the only long term impact on our country was this specific meme