Reflections
Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 14-15This Psalm is perhaps David’s greatest prayer,
his mea culpa, after Nathan comes to him
to call attention to David’s adultery with Bathsheba.
We are shown in the Psalm that although David was
chosen by God to be king, even David sins gravely.
But God in his compassion and goodness
can blot out David’s offense, no matter how grave.
David realizes that only God, in his mercy,
can cleanse him from his sin.
He calls on the Lord to blot out his offense,
knowing that the Lord, in his abundant compassion,
will wash away his guilt.
David’s sins, like our own,
are offensive to God first and foremost –
we are all born of a sinful nature
David’s words are a prayer of repentance
and recall for us the power of the Sacrament of Confession.
“A clean heart create for me, O God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit ...
Give me back the joy of your salvation.”
Where else can we turn when we are separated from God?
Who else has the healing power to cleanse us?
“Do not drive me from your presence,
nor take from me your holy Spirit.”
David reminds us that without the Holy Spirit
we are ruled by the desires of this world.
And without it we cannot bear the fruits of the Spirit,
which we are called to do.
The people of Jeremiah’s time (in the 1st reading)
were given the assurance that David sought –
they were assured that the Lord
would forgive their evildoing, their own infidelity to God,
and that their sin would be remembered no more.
We can almost hear David’s loud cries
and see his tears, as he offers this prayer
and seeks his own inner renewal.
When Christ was in the flesh, this is how he himself prayed,
as we are reminded in the 2nd reading.
David prays that God will create for him a clean heart,
because God alone can bring about this transformation.
We, too, are called to seek our Savior’s mercy
for our sinful ways, especially during this Lenten season.
We, too, are given an opportunity to be restored
in the joy of His Salvation, to offer up what is dead
within us, so that (per the Gospel)
we can again bear fruit and be good witnesses for the Lord.
In that way, we will then “teach the wicked God’s ways,”
and our mouths will proclaim His praise.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist King David cites the greatness
of the Lord's compassion in calling upon God to wipe out his offense.
Even though David was an adulterer and a murderer,
he knew that he could call upon the Lord to restore him
and create for him a clean heart. Does this give you confidence that
no matter how serious your sins may be, you can call upon God
to be thoroughly cleansed? Explain.
2. As our psalmist implies, it is not enough to call upon God
to create a clean heart within us. We must also ask for a steadfast spirit,
for the Holy Spirit to be sustained within us. Tell how the Holy Spirit
is working within you and what you are inspired to do
through the gifts of the Spirit.
1. Our psalmist King David cites the greatness
of the Lord's compassion in calling upon God to wipe out his offense.
Even though David was an adulterer and a murderer,
he knew that he could call upon the Lord to restore him
and create for him a clean heart. Does this give you confidence that
no matter how serious your sins may be, you can call upon God
to be thoroughly cleansed? Explain.
2. As our psalmist implies, it is not enough to call upon God
to create a clean heart within us. We must also ask for a steadfast spirit,
for the Holy Spirit to be sustained within us. Tell how the Holy Spirit
is working within you and what you are inspired to do
through the gifts of the Spirit.
If God can readily forgive David who is an adulterer and a murderer, (and He can), then He can certainly readily forgive our sins. Lent, is the perfect time for us to show God true compassion and sorrow for our sins, and ask God for mercy, compassion and forgiveness. If we don't ask, how can we expect forgiveness? So, the answer for all of us, is to be bold in asking for forgiveness, and to be truly sorry,
ReplyDeleteand committed to improving our way of life.
I. ONE BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
ReplyDelete977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved.
"521 Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too might walk in newness of life."522
978 "When we made our first profession of faith while receiving the holy Baptism that cleansed us, the forgiveness we received then was so full and complete that there remained in us absolutely nothing left to efface, neither original sin nor offenses committed by our own will, nor was there left any penalty to suffer in order to expiate them. . . . Yet the grace of Baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature. On the contrary, we must still combat the movements of concupiscence that never cease leading us into evil "523
ONE BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
ReplyDeleteOur Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved."
"Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too might walk in newness of life."
"When we made our first profession of faith while receiving the holy Baptism that cleansed us, the forgiveness we received then was so full and complete that there remained in us absolutely nothing left to efface, neither original sin nor offenses committed by our own will, nor was there left any penalty to suffer in order to expiate them. . . . Yet the grace of Baptism delivers no one from all the weakness of nature. On the contrary, we must still combat the movements of concupiscence that never cease leading us into evil."
1. In King's David case, he was truly sorry with a contrite heart for his sins as an adulterer and murderer. He was broken, and humbled himself before God. God in his mercy and compassion blots out his sins. I can see in this that we are sinful at birth. Sin, a dark force within us is on the lurk. Our own selfishness and worldly desires can lead us to blindness. Without the Holy Spirit within him, David was ruled by worldly desires. He was blinded by his sins. That's why I am so thankful to God for his Mercy. Just as God forgave David,
ReplyDeleteno matter how hideous my sins are, He'll forgive my sins and wipe away and cleanse my heart from sins. And He'll renew my heart and make me a new person. In l John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from our unrighteousness." I believe in God's Nature (compassion and goodness). After all, we have a merciful God, and our sins are not remembered at all if we confess our sins.
2. No wonder why King David cried out to God, "Do not take from me the Holy Spirit and do not drive me from your presence." Without the help of the Holy Spirit's guidance we can easily stumble and fall into the pit. However, God is teaching us and guiding us and leading us into the right path. David's crying out echoes my own behavior. When I sinned against God, my ears were blocked, and my eyes spiritually blinded, and my mind became confused without having a right discernment through the Holy Spirit. I turned to God, pleading for his healing power to come over me. And I also asked God to show me in which areas of my life satan has a hold. Through the light of the Holy Spirit, I could enter into God's presence again.
It is true that our merciful Father will forgive any offense, when we confess with a sincere heart. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" We are, in a way, "new creations" each time we confess, just as a new convert to Jesus has a fresh start. However, I think it's important to remember that there can still be fleshly, worldly consequences to our sin that God may allow to linger in our lives. For example, a recovering alcoholic may have the joy and peace of the Spirit in his or heart, but the person may still battle health issues throughout the physical body. I might be going off-topic here, but I struggle with the trials that our Father still permits in our lives. My obsession with staying fashionable, young-looking, physically attractive, etc. surely takes its toll on my heart by becoming an idol. I can pray over and over for forgiveness of this sin, and I can enjoy spiritual recovery. However, the consequence is that I have stress over finances and face the need to correct my image for the sake of my children. I have come to learn that my "sin consequences" and other hardships sent my way, are my blessings. They are one way that I stay moored to the dock that is our God.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that our merciful Father will forgive any offense, when we confess with a sincere heart. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" We are, in a way, "new creations" each time we confess, just as a new convert to Jesus has a fresh start. However, I think it's important to remember that there can still be fleshly, worldly consequences to our sin that God may allow to linger in our lives. For example, a recovering alcoholic may have the joy and peace of the Spirit in his or heart, but the person may still battle health issues throughout the physical body.
ReplyDeleteI might be going off-topic here, but I struggle with the trials that our Father still permits in my life. My obsession with staying fashionable, young-looking, physically attractive, etc, becomes a false idol in my heart. I can pray over and over for forgiveness of this sin, and I can enjoy spiritual recovery. However, the consequence is that I have stress and face the need to correct my image for the sake of my children. I have come to learn that my "sin consequences" and other hardships sent my way, are my blessings. I cannot work through these consequences with my own strength; I have to depend on the Lord's graces to make any progress. In this way I stay moored to the dock that is our God.
1. Yes....as Catholics/Christians that's what it's all about.
ReplyDelete2. We pray to God and ask for help and support to do the right thing. And, the Holy Spirit, works within us. I spent from 11:00am to 5:00pm at Interfaith Community Services today, and I could feel the Holy Spirit working within me. A lot was successfully dealt with. The Holy Spirit was with us and we came up with good, practical, Christian solutions to worldly problems.