Psalm 32: 1-2, 5, 11
This Psalm is one of David’s penitential psalms.
David sings out about the heaviness of his sin,
that weighs upon him so long as he keeps silent.
The Psalmist’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’s sins may not have been so obvious
as the sores on the lepers described in this
Sunday's lst reading from Leviticus.
But like those same lepers,
David was compelled to cry out “unclean, unclean”
and to seek God’s forgiveness in order to be healed.
Just as David threw himself on the mercy of the Lord,
so did the leper in today's Gospel who knelt before Jesus
and moved the Lord to pity.
The leper in the Gospel was shouting for joy
after he was made clean.
The same thing can happen to us
when we receive the sacrament of confession
and we are made clean inside.
We may not be joyful for the same reasons as the leper,
but as Jesus says, it is what is 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 from what we know from the Psalm,
confessing our faults will lead us
to be glad in the Lord and rejoice.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. This Sunday's Psalm Response is, "I turn to you, Lord,
in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation."
Tell of a 'time of trouble' in your life when you turned to the Lord,
confessed your faults, and were filled with the 'joy of salvation.'
2. Our psalmist is grateful for God's gift of forgiveness;
having confessed his sin before God, he is a new creation
thanks to the grace of God. Give an example of how your
anxiety over your sin ceases when you bow down
and confess your faults to the Lord.
Reconciliation is a needed part of our faith. Without it, sins would keep piling up until it was so bad, we wouldn't know what to do in life. Confessing our sins gives us the goodness of feeling pure.
ReplyDeleteI like to be active, involved, and busy, but not too busy. Sometimes, just in our daily routine, we get too caught up in what has to be done, and our schedule seems to control our life, and becomes burdensome. And the computer and emails, which are marvelous modern inventions, sometimes contribute to the overall stress. When that happens, I take time out, shut off the computer, read, go for a walk, pray, and I can feel the stress lifting. In our lives, in this country, there is actually very little, that absolutely has to be done, and when in doubt, get back to core/family values.
ReplyDeleteI find that reconciliation changes me for the better. It can change anyone too. It should be a very important part of our lives and I'm glad it is a sacrament that I can take.
ReplyDeleteI find that reconciliation changes me for the better. It can change anyone too. It should be a very important part of our lives and I'm glad it is a sacrament that I can receive.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite Psalms. I remember so clearly when I acknowledged my sin of anger to the Lord and He took away the guilt of my sin. That's when I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and my life was changed forever. Praise God!
ReplyDelete