A couple of
weeks ago while on retreat I had the privilege and blessing to have my younger
brother come along with me. While visiting
the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto behind Mt. Saint Mary’s College my brother asked
me a simple but profound question. “Are we hypocrites to keep asking God for
forgiveness each day for the sins we continually commit? If God has given us grace then we are
hypocrites to always turn our backs on Him.”
What does Scripture say to this question? “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us.” (1 Jn. 1:8) Knowing that
we are sinners we are to, “... confess
our sins, (for) he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9)
However, this is not easy, this continual humbling of ourselves, this
acceptance of our weakness, and harder still – the continuing struggle to reach
perfection or one might even say, “As Catholics do we live in a continual cycle
of repentance and forgiveness? That does
not seem like a happy life, but rather a life that is burdensome.”
Today’s
Gospel challenges us to, “Strive to enter
the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong
enough.” There is a theme that runs
throughout all the readings today and that is “discipline.” The life of faith is not just “feel good,” or
“spiritual” but it also entails hard work and not only hard work but an actual
disciplining of us by God. “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the
Lord or lose heart when reproved by Him; for whom the Lord loves, he
disciplines …”
St. Paul
understood this concept of a continual upward calling towards God that
consisted in a challenge, if not even a painful struggling against sin.
“Therefore, that I might not become
too elated, a
thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me
from being too elated. Three
times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that
the power of Christ may dwell with me.” (2 Cor. 12:7-9)
St. Paul in
a subliminal or even in a roundabout way admits to his struggle with pride, the
pride that he was receiving abundant revelations from Jesus as opposed to
others not receiving as many or as important.
God disciplines Paul by placing a thorn in his flesh, to keep him
humble. I wonder, if God placed a thorn
in St. Paul’s flesh, does He do the same with us? St. Paul begged the Lord to take it away, but
the Lord’s answer was, “My grace and your humility are enough.” So it’s not the person who lets us know how
holy they are, how good they are before God, but rather when we admit our sins,
failings, weaknesses, and when we surrender to Jesus – that is what is pleasing
to God.
People will
come to confession, over and over again, week after week admitting the same
sins and it can wear on the one confessing, and this also takes us to the
question I asked in the opening, “is the life of a Catholic a vicious cycle?”
Part of our life is knowing that we struggle between good and evil this is what
fighting the good fight is all about. From
St. Paul, “I have competed well; I have
finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness
awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that
day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.”
(2 Tim. 4:7-8) Even though we fall and
get, fall and get up, fall and get up, we are happy and joyful because of God’s
grace, we don’t live in a state of misery, for we have been set free, we allow
ourselves to be humble and to feel contrite and the fight itself gives us joy –
knowing that we are on the road to salvation.
We Catholics,
however, will sometimes drown ourselves in guilt, for instance, “my sin is too
big or great for God to forgive, or I have way too many sins, i.e. I curse, I
lie, I gamble, I smoke, I drink, I gossip, how can the Lord love me?” If we do not repent, then yes, God grants us
what we want, in that case not to be forgiven, but as soon as we do repent, we
are forgiven – completely!
I will leave
you with this, how can I tell who a true Christian is? A true Christian is not a person that has
never sinned, exception here is our Blessed Mother, but a person who continues
to get up after every fall. God tells us
that what is dearest to His heart is that He loves a humble and contrite heart,
so in every humble and contrite heart you will find a Christian, that is who we
are, simply running the race, I pray we run it well. Amen. FJ
Image is of St. Paul preaching in Athens
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