Sins are like ear wax

I came up with metaphor for sins and the sacrament of reconciliation (confession).  I figure it will help me explain to my daughter (one day) why we should practice the sacrament of reconciliation.  So here it goes.

Sins are like ear wax.  How?  Well, with time if we do not clean out our ears, ear wax will build up in our ear canal and eventually we will not be able to hear clearly or at all.  Sins are the same way.  If you do not confess your sins, your soul gets clogged up with sins.  So what happens?  You do not to hear the Holy Spirit clearly.  Every time we confess our sins, is like cleaning out the wax in our ears.  The more we clean out our ears, the more we prevent ear wax build up and the better we can hear.  The more often we confess our sins, the better we can here the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

Did you ever feel that God is not hearing your prayers?  Did you ever wonder if you were doing your part?  Prayers is important.  Silence is important.  Confession is also very important.  You cannot do just one part and expect great results.  It’s like a recipe, you need all the ingredients to achieve a delicious meal.  

Once a priest asked me if I knew where the tradition of the piñata came from.  I had no clue.  He explained to me that the piñata began when the Spaniard conquistadors arrived to Mexico.  The Spanish priests were trying to explain to the Mexican Indians why they should confess their sins and that is where the idea of the piñata was created.  The traditional piñata is circle with seven cones (not Dora or spider man) which represent the seven deadly sins.  The Spanish priests explained to the Indians that going to confession frequently was like hitting the piñata.  Every hit was like going to confession in faith of breaking that sin.  Once you break the piñata, you have broken the pattern of that sin.  All the sweet candy comes falling down just like the sweetness of breaking the chains of that sin.  Pretty sweet!

So imagine not being able to hear because of the wax in your ears.  You would miss out on some great conversations.  So clear out the ear wax from your soul and make a trip to the confession booth because you might be missing out.  Afterwards, you can celebrate with a piñata.