Spirit led recovery

I left pretty early for a talk I was booked for on the Holy Spirit at a local church, when I discerned that the Spirit was calling me to visit the Dominican Monastery in West Springfield to at least pray and perhaps make a good Confession, if a priest were available. It was almost very much like, "Go to the Dominican Monastery, pray with the Blessed Sacrament, and go to Confession to Fr X (we'll keep his name private)." When I arrived I noticed that the chapel would be closing in 15 minutes. I went in and found that the sisters were just chanting their vespers and there were a couple of faithful in the chapel pews. Sure enough, Fr X, the very same priest I had envisioned hearing my confession, was there.

I knelt down in front of the beautiful sanctuary, with Jesus awesomely enshrined in the monstrance above the altar, and there I poured out my heart with regard to the last two weeks in which I lost my abstinence with food. There were other sinful things, too, for which I wanted to beg the Lord's forgiveness. But for those moments I was quickly drawn into praise and thanksgiving. It was a new day. The birds were chirping around the stark quiet of the monastery grounds. The nuns were singing, trying their best to match the key of the organist, but nevertheless faithful and strong. I was transported into another world of holiness, of truth. I thought to myself, yes, this is real. The ways of the world are so futile. Jesus is truly present. Jesus, you want me to be holy. Jesus, you want me to recover.

I remembered my duties for the evening, how I would need to beg the Holy Spirit to supply the talk on the Holy Spirit for some local parishioners. First, I needed to go to confession. I waited until Fr. X rose from his pew and made his way toward the door. Of course he agreed to hear my confession, and he searched for the key to the confessional. I knelt down in the stall for the penitent, and without starting the confession, Fr. X prayed a prayer of blessing: "May the Holy Spirit enlighten your mind and heart that you may confess your sins and know his mercy." Boom. Game, set, match. That wrote most of my talk. This is a Spirit led recovery.