I'm Seeing Angels | Minchan

2

TW: Brief mentions of alcoholism

Chan had office duties for the rest of the week. Replying to emails, taking calls, all the boring things, he still had to do, as well as lead group prayer throughout the week. The church had small services on weekdays for the other workers to attend, which many did. It wasn't required, but it was recommended. Most of them weren't able or didn't attend the weekend services, so doing small bits throughout the week usually sufficed for them.

He was sitting in his office, reading through emails, responding to a few when he got a knock on his door. He stood up from his desk, lifting the blinds to see who it was.

Seeing one of the office workers on the other side, he opened the door to attend to their needs.

"Hi, Father," he started. He looked nervous for some reason that Chan couldn't figure out.

"Hi, Jisung. What do you need?" He used a soft tone with the man, not wanting to startle him or come off annoyed.

"Um... okay, this might be a little weird, but I was wondering if I could do... confession."

Chan smiled at the request. "That's not weird at all," he replied. He placed a hand on Jisung's shoulder and started leading him down the hall. "Let's go to the confessional, alright?"

Jisung nodded and followed the elder. He was walking a lot slower than Chan from his nerves. He wasn't confessing to anything horrible, but he was having bad feelings about something that he had done the night previous.

Chan got into the booth, pulling the partition down as Jisung knelt on the other side before starting. "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

"Begin."

"Okay, well, last night, I went out even though I shouldn't have. I knew I shouldn't have..." Jisung whispered the end, ashamed of himself. "I... I broke my two years of sobriety last night. I didn't mean to, but it happened. I blacked out and don't remember anything. I am sorry for this and all my sins."

Chan took a moment to process the confession, allowing a little bit of silence to reside between the two. He felt his heart break for Jisung at that moment. He had known the younger since before his alcoholism started, and he was there for him when he got sober. He knew how hard Jisung had been fighting this battle, and for it all to fall down from one night, it must have been devastating for him. "For penance, you will say three Hail Mary's," Chan instructed, following the order of things during a confession. He felt bad for making the younger do this, but it was part of the confession.

Jisung followed the instructions given to him and recited the Hail Mary's, feeling slightly better about the confession than he did before. "...Hail Mary."

"Now, pray an Act of Contrition."

Jisung took a deep breath in before beginning the prayer, closing his eyes tight and hands firmly pressed together. "My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy."

Chan took his turn to bow his head and pray over Jisung. "God, the Father of Mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Churchman, God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sin. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Jisung made the sign of the cross against his body with each word at the end of the prayer, repeating the 'amen' after Chan. 

"Jisung," Chan started, now wanting to offer him some kind words before he left. Jisung brought his head up but kept looking at the kneeler below him, not wanting to look at Chan at the moment in shame. "It's okay that it happened. Your addiction is not you. It doesn't define who you are as a person. You came, you confessed, and you are forgiven. But even outside of religion, I know that you are strong and you can overcome it. I don't know what it was that led you to... act in such a way last night, but whatever it was, try to avoid it. You've been working here long before you were sober and look how far you have come. One night doesn't ruin everything, I promise."