DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Sunday, November 3, 2013






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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