"And may his spirit walk by your side and give you the strength to proceed. Amen." The priest finished at the front, followed by the congregation repeating 'amen'. My eyes were trained on him standing at the front as I drank in his holiness. I feel closer to His presence when I'm near Father Adams, and he looked like an angel had come down to bless this congregation.
"Please, come to the front to receive the Blood and Body of Christ."
One by one, all of us shuffled to the front to receive communion from Father Adams. While waiting, I looked around at my fellow town members and studied their nature. I lived in a small village of only about 400 people, most of the people were elderly, but we were blessed to be such a Holy community. The church is a sanctuary for a lot of us, and we are lucky to have Father Adams.
Father Adams only joined our church a couple months ago, but we have all benefited from his knowledge and faith. He is truly a special person and clearly communicates with God. I hope to learn more about my faith and explore it with him.
When I reached the front I bent at the knees slightly and opened my mouth, sticking my tongue out to receive the Body of Christ. I looked up at him and watched as he controlled his breathing. I loved how he always took his time to make sure he said the right thing.
"The Body of Christ." he whispered, bringing the communion cracker up to my tongue and placing it gently. I took the cracker into my mouth and muttered an 'amen' before chewing. He turned to grab the chalice before tilting it up.
"The Blood."
"Amen." I whispered, looking into his eyes. He brought the chalice up to my lips and gently gave me some of the wine inside. I closed my eyes to savor the taste and thought about the sacrifice God gave to us as I swallowed. When the chalice was taken away I opened my eyes to be met with Fathers.
I bowed my head slightly before turning away and returned back to my pew to kneel. While praying, I thanked Jesus for coming into my life and thanking him for bringing the Father into our parish. I thought about the intricate and thought-provoking way he led our service each Sunday. I prayed that God would give me the strength to talk with Father Adams after the service about what was troubling my mind, and to help me be honest.
It wasn't long until service was over and everyone was talking to each other. I talked with the elders of our community, enjoying the stories and them talking about their gardens and events coming up. Some of them invited me to their houses, which I accepted. I love talking and helping our elderly, they have done so much for me and our village.
As the crowd dwindled down, my feet stayed glued to the floor. I tried to find the nerve to approach Father, who was putting things away by the altar. I bit my lip, a nervous habit, and walked closer to him. I tried not to startle him as I tip-toed towards him. God must have spoken to him that I was needing his guidance because he turned around with a soft look in his eyes and greeted me.
"Hello Diana. How can I help you, my dear?"
I got butterflies when he spoke my name. I could hear the devotion he had for all children of God. I tried to hold his gaze, but my eyes drifted to my feet, which shifted in my spot.
"If you have the time, Father, I'd like to discuss something with you."
"Yes my child, what is the matter?"
"I need to confess, Father..." I trailed off, meeting my eyes with his. He took a deep breath and nodded his head, a sympathetic smile gracing his lips.
"I see. Step into the confession booth when you're ready, and I will listen." He came closer to me and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, rubbing his thumb against the skin before moving towards the confession booth.
I let out a sigh, knowing that I had to do it now. I thanked God for giving me the strength and asked him to continue giving me the courage as I stepped towards the booth. Quickly taking a look around and seeing the last people leave the church, I entered the small booth and pulled the curtain shut behind me.
The confession booths were not fancy. They were small, but kept clean. A small bench across from the curtain was clad in red velvet that was soft to the touch when I sat on it. There was a screen between the two confessionals that covered the sight of the other person. I knew I couldn't see him, but I tried looking anyway. All I could see was his faint outline. No matter, this was between God and I.
"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been a month since my last confession." I spoke, becoming self conscious of how loud my voice was in such a small space. The last time I was in here was to confess about unkind thoughts about a neighbor, but now that seems so trivial.
"It's okay, my child. Speak when you are ready." He could sense my hesitation.
"I must admit, Father Adams, it is an uncomfortable subject to speak of."
"I understand. Why don't we revisit when you are ready?" He shuffled, and I could tell he was standing up to leave.
"No!" I shouted in surprise, stopping him in his tracks. "I mean, no, please. I need to confess, it has been weighing on my soul and I need help."
A moment passed of silence before he sat back down, staying quiet.
"You see, Father, I am a child of God. I have never... never felt these things before. I believe that the way to right living is through God, and he will guide my mind. However, it seems that lately my mind has been led astray by the Devil."
"What do you mean?" He probed. I took a deep breath and hung my head, shame filling my chest.
"It's been the most terrible thoughts, Father." I mumbled. "I can't help it. I've been... I've been thinking impure thoughts."
He took a deep breath and hummed in understanding.
"But you must understand, I've never been in a romantic relationship, have never even thought about these things. My mother taught me that it is a woman's job to wait for my husband, and that's what I've been doing. So I don't understand why I've been thinking these thoughts." I was quick to defend myself, practically pleading with him. He was quiet on the other side.
"I've never touched myself or thought of anyone else in a romantic way. I've been saving myself both physically and spiritually. It must be the Devil who is trying to lead me away from God's light." I tried to convince myself.
"I understand. Please, take a deep breath and relax. You are in a safe space."
I did as I was told and took a couple deep breaths, feeling myself calm and relax. God is watching over me, and Father Adams will guide me.
"God has not left you, Diana, I am sure of it. Tell me, what do you think of exactly?" He asked, and I could feel myself heating up.
"Y-you want me to, tell you my impure thoughts?"
"Yes Diana. I need to know exactly what is going on in your mind so I can know how to help you."
I smiled at this. He was going to help me, I knew I could count on Father Adams.
"Yes! Yes, okay, let's see." I considered for a second my thoughts.
"For instance, last night, I thought of what it would be like to have intercourse with a man. But not for growing a family, but just for pleasure. It was the most depraved, which is why I'm sure it is the Devil harming my mind."
"Please, Diana. Tell me every detail." He interrupted, his voice low. My throat dried.
"Yes of course. We were in my bed, and he kissed me."
"Kissed you where?"
"On my lips, and on my neck." I quietly told him. I felt so close to him, the screen being the only thing separating us. "After he kissed me for a little bit, he moved down lower. Down to my most intimate area."
"And this man kissed you down there?" Father Adams probed.
"Yes, Father. And, I'm ashamed to admit, but it felt good. I don't know what he was doing, but it felt good and I didn't want him to stop. After that, he kissed me again before..." I stopped, hoping he would understand where I was going. I didn't want to speak it aloud, feeling shame and embarrassment building in my gut.
"Continue." It was more of an order than an ask when he said it, his tone curt and cool.
"Before he made me touch his intimate areas. With my mouth." I whispered, feeling tears well in my eyes. "Then he goes inside of me. I know it is terrible Father, but I've been plagued with these thoughts for a while and I just want them to go away." My voice trembled.
"I can see how troubling this has been for you. Do not fear, I have determined your penance."
"Oh Father, thank you so much." I sniffled, feeling the stress fall from my shoulders.
"But it won't be easy. You are plagued by dangerous thoughts, so we have to take a unique route in casting away the devil and these sinful thoughts. Are you okay with a more aggressive and unorthodox approach?"
"Yes, I am. Please, I'll do anything." I pleaded once again. I heard him quickly exit his side of the confessional, and suddenly my curtain was pulled back. The harsh light hurt my eyes, casting him in a warm glow. Seeing Father Adams in this light made him look sent from Heaven.
"We must act quickly. We will begin your penance now. Kneel." He ordered, and I quickly obeyed. I bowed my head and brought my hands up for prayer, ready to repeat what he told me. His gentle hand met the side of my head and guided my face to look up at him as he looked down with a kind smile.
"When dealing with these thoughts, it is important to replace them with a holier version. Therefore, you must perform these same actions with me, a man of God."