Brothers
& Sisters in Christ:
Children
misbehave. That is one of the things that can be expected when interacting with
or raising children: they won't always be perfect and they will make mistakes.
It is through these errors and behaviors that children learn what boundaries,
rules, and expectations are. Without the experience of making a mistake or
doing something wrong, a child cannot grow and fully understand the reasons
behind why he or she can or cannot do something. Learned experiences provide some
the most valuable insight into a person and how they relate to others. Through
the guidance of parents and mentors these experiences take on an even deeper
meaning. By following guidelines set forth by them, a child formulates a
structure to live by and gages what is truly right and wrong. Guided by a
conscious and these lessons, the child develops and grows, hopefully shaping
its personhood by all of these things mentioned.
This
can be said about our own faith and relationship with God. We are His children
and as Jesus himself said, to enter his kingdom one must become like a child.
Our spirituality and relationship with God is constantly being shaped by the
way we approach it. Through prayer, sacred scripture, and the Church we learn
how to follow God's plan for us and what He wants us to do with our time on
this earth. There is a certain way we are expected to act and functions to
perform as Christians endowed with the gift of eternal salvation. We are asked
to open our hearts to God and evangelize that same faith which has become an
intricate part of our lives.
At
the same time we must realize that we are not perfect and will fall short of
God's expectations and our own: we came to Christ broken and in many ways will
remain broken until we achieve perfection through Jesus Christ when we are
finally reunited with him for eternity. Many times, like children, we will have
an inclination to do wrong or will make mistakes created through our own
ignorance or sinful nature.
Just
as a child will act out in defiance to a parent and do something that it knows
is "against the rules" so will we be tempted to do the same; many
times regardless of the known consequences. This is a
regardles
of Original Sin and our fallen nature. We will be tested and will at times fail
that test.
When
we do fail the test we must acknowledge our imperfections and ask for
forgiveness through the only way that we can be made whole again: The Sacrament
of Reconciliation. Through this wonderful Sacrament, we can reestablish our
relationship with God. This is a true exemplification of His love for us that
He offers us the chance of forgiveness by acknowledging what we did was wrong.
All we need to do is come forward and recognize our mistake. If we do not do
this, there is a great risk that not only the act itself, but the overwhelming
guilt that accompanies it can become an impediment to the reception of God's
love and our relationship with Him. It becomes a stumbling block.
Jesus
ministered to those who needed him the most: the sinner, the downtrodden, and
the forgotten. As they were lifted up, all of humanity was lifted up out of the
darkness. To lift up an object from the ground, you must grab it from the
bottom and that is exactly what Jesus did when he ministered to the neediest in
society. And the first step when being ministered to is acknowledging the
necessity that what is being spoken
C,being
needs to be heard. Jesus Christ died for everyone. He loves everyone the same
regardless of what was done in the past and what might happen in the future. He
truly hopes that His love will influence us and strengthen us so as to live our
entire lives obeying His words and acknowledging that love through actions
which emulate it. Yet, there will be those times where that same love will be
the only thing that will be able to rescue us, comfort us, and make us whole;
especially when we have turned our backs on Him by sinning.
Jesus
is not only there when times are good. He is also there when we need Him the
most and that is when we can truly understand the Crucified Christ and what He
did for us for one simple reason: We are His children and He loves us.
Yours
in Christ, Deacon Tom
