The “S-Word”
A heart broken by sin can be healed by Christ! “Your sins are forgiven.”
Wednesday of the Third week of Lent ~ 3/15/23
It’s almost midnight, so this will not be posted by my intended deadline, but I’m still going to write it and stay true to my challenge. The theme for today is “The “S-Word”: Consequences of Sin”. We don’t like to talk about, hear about, nor even think about sin anymore. It’s uncomfortable and we are all about seeking comfort in this 21st century. It is a very recent phenomenon . . . we should feel uncomfortable about sin. Every time we sin, we put distance between us and God. God is not walking away from us because of sin – we are walking away from God because of our choice(s).
I have been working with one of my previous teens, now a young man in his 20’s. He is struggling with the notion and consequences of sin. He asks me over and over again, “How will I know I am forgiven?”, “How will I know I’m not going to Hell?”, “I don’t want to go to Hell for sinning!” It would be easy, though very insensitive, to just tell him, “Quit sinning, then!” And, impossible – we are humans – we tend to be selfish and sin.
So, I refer him to various scriptures where Jesus tells us about forgiveness, and, remind him of the beautiful cleansing grace of the sacrament of Confession – when we reconcile ourselves back to God.
I don’t think there has ever been a time when I’ve gone to confession/reconciliation, when I have not left in tears. Perhaps it was the release of nerves and tension from having to admit something sinful I’d done? Perhaps it was sheer embarrassment and/or humiliation for acting in a way that was not right with God? Perhaps it was realizing that I had intentionally separated myself from God, and He was waiting all along for me to return to Him? No matter, the tears flow, and the cleansing begins.
Here is one version of “The Act of Contrition”, said before one enumerates their transgressions to a priest:
“Oh 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.”
Back in the day, we said “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins . . . ” Some how that subtle wording change doesn’t seem as potent. But, I think at the core, the message is the same. Since small children are the ones primarily making their First Confession - about age 8, perhaps it was deemed important to revise it? Either way, we need the contrition addressed in either prayer. I doubt if 10 people on the street were surveyed about the meaning of that word, I would find very few who would be able to explain what “contrite” means, or, “contrition”. No matter the reason I’ve shed tears, how do I act moving forward? Am I truly sorry for having offended God? . . . turned my back on Him. Do I truly intend to mend my ways and try to avoid the occasion of sin in the future?
There are those who don’t feel that it’s necessary to ‘tell your sins to a priest’, and, it is not specified as such in the Bible, however, since we are all called to be priests, prophets and kings, we could each be consider worthy of being entrusted to the precious honor of hearing someone confess their sins to us, so as to be healed.
An elder could be very helpful, if you needed guidance, but a priest has been given the authority to act, “Persona Christi”, in the person of Christ, and offer you absolution – you actually hear that your sins are absolved – as if Jesus were saying the words to you. While it can be very awkward to dredge up sins and admit them out loud, it can also be very powerful!
The Letter of James ends with “The Prayer of Faith”, and this guidance:
“Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven, therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James 5:13-16
He goes on to encourage us further: “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20
During this time of purification, I invite you to consider how sin might have affected your life. How might it continue to hinder your relationship with God, if left unacknowledged and unconfessed. Think of how your relationship might be enriched by owning your sins only long enough to confess them and know they are forgiven when you are truly contrite. It might be very enlightening to test yourself - see if you feel any different “just telling God you are sorry” (while that is a good start!), and actually confessing with a contrite heart, out loud to someone else.
May you continue to be blessed on your Lenten Journey