Psalm for Sunday, June 12, 2016

Reflections

Psalm 32: 1-2, 5, 7, 11  (Read)

 

“Then I declared my sin to you, and

you took away the guilt of my sin.”

 

A simple act of confession, which sometimes

is so difficult for us, is how we get rid of the

torment in our lives that is a consequence of

unconfessed sin. We all know the peace that

we obtain when we receive the Sacrament of

Reconciliation, when our burden of guilt is lifted.

We are convicted of sin, as was our psalmist

King David, whose sins against Uriah resulted 

in horrible consequences for David's family.  

(First reading, 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13)

We may not be able to avoid the consequences

of sin, but we can lift up the burden of sin and

give it to Jesus, our Savior. After all, as scripture

tells us, Jesus came to heal the sick, and to forgive

sinners like us. Having received the Lord's

forgiveness, we become the blessed sinners that

our Psalmist talks about. And then we are inspired

to sing out and praise the Lord.

In this Psalm, one of David’s penitential psalms,

our Psalmist sings out about the heaviness of his 

sin, that weighs upon him so long as he keeps 

silent.  David's sins were hidden in his heart.

Then when he declares his sin, and confesses 

his faults, his burden is lifted and his guilt is taken 

away.

David is compelled to cry out “unclean, unclean”

and to seek God’s forgiveness in order to be healed.

For our part we too are called to kneel before our 

Lord and beg for mercy in order to receive his grace 

during the Sacrament of Confession.

As Jesus says, it is what's inside our hearts

that needs to be purified. And having been

cleansed from within, we really have something

to be joyful about.

We are all pitiful in the sight of Christ, but once 

on our knees, having confessed and repented

of our sins, there is hope for us sinners whose sin

is forgiven. As it says in the Psalm,  “Blessed is 

he whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered.”

We all need a spiritual cleansing from time to time

if we are to obtain a pure heart. They say confession

is good for the soul, and as the Psalm tells us, we 

know that confessing our faults will lead us to be 

glad in the Lord and rejoice.

Amen

Discussion Questions for Reflection
1.  Speak of the peace you obtain after having received Absolution for 

your sins when you participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 

 2.  Our psalmist, David, is convicted of his sins and acknowledges his 

faults before the Lord.  What is it in your life that inspires you to confess
your sins before the Lord?