Ashamed to be reconciled?

Have you ever been so ashamed for some of your sins that you resolved not to go to confession? Perhaps it was just for one week, a month, or even years. When I sin, especially in those ways which deeply damage my relationship with God, I find it humanly difficult to bring myself to confession, because I am embarrassed and I have just a little too much human respect. But check out what Tertullian had to say about that:

> "[Regarding confession, some] flee from this work as being an exposure of themselves, or they put it off from day to day. I presume they are more mindful of modesty than of salvation, like those who contract a disease in the more shameful parts of the body and shun making themselves known to the physicians; and thus they perish a long with their own bashfulness." (*Repentence 10:1*, Tertullian, A.D. 203)

Woh. Talk about hitting right at the heart of the issue. Do I really want my whole soul to risk losing salvation, just because I'm too "modest" to confess my sins to God? This is a good reminder for me to put first things first. My reconciliation with God is WAY more important that any human respect I may lose after a priest hears my confession.

Thanks God for helping me grow in humility.