There is a
certain priest in New York who received a wonderful gift from God. He
had the ability to Read Hearts and used this during the Sacrament of
Reconciliation (Confession). There was another priest who went to see
him. This priest was overcome with guilt for a sin that he had
committed. He had already begged Jesus for forgiveness and went to
Confession previously but he still felt that Jesus had not forgiven
him. He was in danger of losing his vocation and was considering
leaving the priesthood. He brought this to the confessor, telling him
that he felt that Jesus had not forgiven him for his sin. The
confessor looked at him strangely. He paused then said, “Jesus is
unaware of any sin that you committed. You have already been forgiven
and it has been forgotten. He loves you that much.”
As Christians
we must realize that when we come forward seeking forgiveness from
God with a contrite heart and a wanting for repentance that we are
indeed forgiven. Once this is achieved then the focus must be on our
present and future relationship with God. Through God's forgiveness
we are ushered into a rebuilding phase of our spirituality and our
life. The past has been thrown behind us and our life has begun anew.
The words in the Book of Isaiah can offer us comfort and truth in
this respect:
“Seek the
Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the
scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; Let him
turn to God for mercy; to our God who is generous in forgiving.”
It
is difficult for us to comprehend an all-forgiving God. In society
today we continuously participate in a cycle of judging and
condemnation where the entire value of a person is summed up by the
negative instead of the positive. Errors and faults are emphasized
while the positive is dismissed quickly. Love and compassion are
easily replaced with a harsh critique that, in reality, the person
who is pointing the finger would never pass themselves. Complete
forgiveness is withheld. The negative becomes a stereotype that a
person can never completely overcome. With this situation also comes
a perverted joy as the one being judged is scrutinized and labeled.
It is very hurtful and sad but it defines what society has become: a
place where other people gloat and celebrate the misery of other
people instead of helping them and lifting them up.
This
was not the intention of God. This cycle of destruction is a
invention of man and a tool of Satan to further distance ourselves
from God. In our fallen nature we have lifted ourselves up to the
position of God and have appointed ourselves the ultimate judge of
persons through our actions and willingness to destroy other people
so as to make ourselves superior in comparison. This is being done so
often that it has become an unconscious act and one that is accepted
as a normal part of life. It becomes a game of sorts as individuals
point an accusing finger at someone else while refusing to approach
themselves with the same scrutiny. It is a perverse cycle of
destruction.
We
have already received instruction from Jesus in this area where he
tells us that there is only one judge who is the Father. He further
tells us bluntly to STOP JUDGING! Yet, even those who profess to be
good Christians ignore this by choosing condemnation instead. In a
most beautiful way, Paul dismisses the accusations against him by
saying, “The one who judges me is the
Lord.” He
dismisses the human courts and human accusations because, in the end,
judgment belongs to God. God knows our hearts and God knows our
intentions. He also knows all of the struggles that we go through and
wants to help us through them. All we have to do is surrender
everything to him and ask.
God
wants us to recognize and admit to our sins. This is part of the
healing process: to recognize the problem. If we do not recognize the
problem and admit to it, how can we then overcome it? Sin is indeed
an illness and must be approached that way. The first step is always
a diagnosis. The diagnosis comes through an examination of one's
conscious and a realization of the presence of sin. The second step
is a simple question: “What are we going to do about this?” We
cannot do anything on our own, so we need to seek a doctor who
specializes in this affliction. That doctor would be God. It is
through God that we can then be treated and cured.
The
treatment will be ongoing. We must envision ourselves constantly
under a doctor's care. Through this relationship with God we can
receive advice and counsel revealed through prayer and contemplation;
reinforced with Sacred Scripture. It becomes a healthy life choice
that has implications throughout eternity. Our treatment is
specialized according to our needs. No one person's treatment will be
like another person's. Some will ignore their treatment plan while
others will embrace it. Throughout it, he will make corrections and
warn us. We must be open to this advice if we are to remain healthy
and alive. We must also be willing to make some hard choices which
will dictate our future relationship with him.
Forgiveness,
knowing we are forgiven, and a future under the continued care and
guidance of God will insure health and happiness now and forever.
Deacon
Tom
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