The preacher asked his congregation, “How many of you have ever stolen anything?”
Half of the people raised their hands.
Then he said, “All right, today’s sermon is for you. ‘Thou shall not steal.’ Next Sunday’s sermon is for the rest of you. ‘Thou shall not tell a lie.’”
Yes, “…all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus…” (Rm 3:23,24). And, of course, we celebrate that ongoing justification in the Mass as Jesus continues to offer himself to the Father on behalf of you, me and everyone. Accordingly, the good news is that forgiveness is always available to the sinner who is repentant and open in faith to God’s forgiveness.
But failure to repent has very undesirable consequences. In Love, Medicine and Miracles, Dr. Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., says, “Peace of mind sends the body a live message, while depression, fear and unresolved conflict give it a die message.” And the American Medical Association maintains that 90% of sickness is psychosomatic; that is, the adverse effect of the disturbed mind and emotions over the body.
“When you’re on top of the world your mental faculties are at peak performance,” says psychologist Arthur R. Jensen of the University of California. “Likewise, your ability to think is really on the skids when you are worried, depressed, or in a black mood.”
Evil binds. As Jesus says, “…everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (Jn 8:34b). Evil spelled backwards is live. We have to break the bonds of evil to be truly alive.
Freedom and healing require that we are sorry for our sins, that we confess them and determine with the strength of Jesus to live the GOD, the Good Orderly Direction, by living the Faith-Love Principle.
But why is it important that we confess our sins to another human being? “‘Often what causes stress and tension are things we keep inside,’ says Jerilyn Ross, associate director of the Round House Square Psychiatric Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Ross suggests confiding in someone who really listens and has your best interest at heart.”
On the Resurrection Day Jesus said to the Apostles, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:23). And in the Letter of St. James, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (Jm 5:16a).
Because all of the priests in the Catholic Church are bound by the seal of confession, it is possible for the faithful to confess their sins with complete confidence to another and have the spoken assurance their sins are forgiven. Because of this, I have had several Protestants come to me to confess their sins.
But, a person may be living under the illusion that because he or she is such a terrible sinner, it is impossible for God to forgive him or her. However, such an attitude fails to consider that since we are created, we are limited in our sinfulness, no matter how sinful we may be. Through his passion, death and resurrection, Jesus has far surpassed our limitations; and, as has been stated, his ongoing offering of himself to the Father on our behalf in the celebration of the Mass continues to afford forgiveness to every repentant sinner.
And when I give this presentation at a penance service, I say to the congregation, “If anyone here has made such a mess of his or her life that you believe you cannot be forgiven, please come up here to be congratulated because you must be greater than God.” Again, we are limited; God’s mercy is unlimited. In fact, the only sin that cannot be forgiven is to lack faith in God’s mercy; to be closed to the forgiveness he is offering to every repentant sinner. “If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrong doing” (1 Jn 1:9).
Regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the late beloved Msgr. Conway wrote in one of his syndicated question and answer columns: “You cannot make a bad confession when you honestly wish and try to make a good one; you cannot make a bad confession without willing it.” God is looking for warm bodies with good will. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost” (Lk 19:10).
But a person may object that because he or she cannot feel sorry for sins committed, how can he or she be forgiven. We do not have to feel sorry for our sins to have them forgiven. As we have mentioned in the previous chapter, forgiveness is not a matter of feeling but is manifested by an act of the will. And with the strength of Jesus we can make the act of the will regardless of the temperature of the heart; that is, of inability to feel sorry for our sins. In fact, one can have great feeling of sorrow without being sorry if the person is not determined to avoid sin in the future. Therefore, the absolute assurance that we have valid sorrow for sin is referred to as purpose of amendment.
However, one may object, “I am discouraged by my weak purpose of amendment.” Unfortunately, the person has a lot of company. The little boy confessed his sins to the priest. And the priest asked, “Is there anything else?”
“No,” he replied, “but I’ll have more for you the next time.”
In a conversation between a Christian and a Jew, the Jew said, “About everything you Christians have in your religion, you stole from us Jews. For example, you stole the Ten Commandments from us.”
“We may have stolen them from you,” replied the Christian, “but you cannot accuse us of having kept them.”
So how are we able to have an increasingly firm purpose of amendment resulting in fewer sins to confess? Most importantly, we must acknowledge that our sins are not the problem, but, rather, only symptomatic of the problem all of us have to a greater or lesser degree: our failure immediately to do what Jesus says we must do when we realize we are being tempted. The simple answer is the Faith-Love Principle. If we program ourselves to live the FLP, we will joyfully experience that “all things are possible for God” as we exercise steadfast childlike faith in Jesus to accept the victory he has won for us.
Also, being mindful that God helps those who help themselves, insofar as possible we must avoid the occasions of sin. For example, as the Holy Spirit cautions us through St. Paul, “Do not be led astray: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor 15:33). We do not judge the moral guilt of bad companions, but we exercise prudent judgment that they are not a positive influence, and we in turn seek companions who are living the GOD, the Good Orderly Direction.
Regarding the importance of discipline for a firmer purpose of amendment, “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one” (1 Cor 9:25). In this regard, it is important occasionally to “go the extra mile” when we don’t have to and to refrain from unnecessary legitimate pleasures from time-to-time. As always, this discipline is possible by living the FLP.
In overcoming a bad habit, divide and conquer. Jesus tells us just to be concerned for the day and not to worry about tomorrow (cf. Mt 6:34). After all, most people depart this world for good having worried about tomorrow. “Oh Lord, if only for a day I can be really good, be always ready to obey and do the things I should, just for a day.
“Oh Lord, if only for a day I can do this, then when each new morning comes, I’ll pray for grace to persevere again, just for a day.”
And remember, by living the FLP, since “Jesus” means “Savior” and “Healer” with every victory we grow stronger. Therefore, as St Paul says, “…whatever is honorable, whatever is just…, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4:8). In application, when we succeed by living the FLP in overcoming a temptation or in arresting a bad habit, we should think about the victory, for “Nothing succeeds like success.”
Furthermore, because there is greater suffering in giving in to a temptation than in resisting it, if we offer the lesser suffering in achieving the victory for greater openness in faith to God’s strength and transforming love, our purpose of amendment will more readily grow stronger.
Also, Jesus says, “Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). And at the Last Judgment, since we will be reminded that what we have done for the least person we have done for Jesus, we should be aware that we cannot outdo God in generosity; that is, if we treat others as we would have them treat us, we will increasingly be one with the mind and willpower of Jesus.
As a very dear friend of mine, Sister Mary Nativity, HM, who is now a saint in heaven, so beautifully expressed in one of her many poems, “When I said ‘Yes’ to God, I knew the Word would come alive in me, and I would carry him to all humanity. I knew the deprivation and the pain would one day bring about his reign! I’d carry him to all the world wherever it was found his voice was small, or where his light was dim!”
Finally, “I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day. I had so much to accomplish, I didn’t take time to pray. Troubles just tumbled around me and heavier grew each task. Why doesn’t God help me, I wondered, and he answered, ‘You didn’t ask.’
“I got up early this morning and paused before entering the day. I had so much to accomplish, I had to take time to pray.”
Or, as Tom Shively, a strong person of faith insightfully relates, “Prayer doesn’t take time from your life; prayer gives life to your time.” And since we are totally dependent upon God for every heartbeat and breath at every moment of time, our faithfulness in prayer attests to our belief in that reality.
Beautiful person made to the very image and likeness of God, in your living the Faith-Love Principle, all that you have just considered will enable you increasingly to be victorious in Christ Jesus, as you find JOY in having fewer sins to confess in the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation.
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