Reflections
Psalm 32: 1-2, 5, 11 (Read)
“I confess my faults to the Lord.”
This Sunday's 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. (Leviticus 13:1-2)
But like those same lepers, David is compelled
to cry out, “Unclean, unclean,” and to seek
God’s forgiveness in order to be healed.
Just as David throws himself on the mercy
of the Lord, so does the leper in today's Gospel,
who kneels before Jesus and moves the
Lord to pity. (Mark 1:40-41)
The leper in the Gospel shouts for joy after he
is 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'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 whose sins are 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 the Psalm tells us,
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.
As Catholics, we are lucky indeed to have the Sacrament of Confession to go to when seeking forgiveness. What do people of other faiths do when faced with such a need??? Telling a family member, friend, neighbor, business associate you’re truly sorry, is the right thing to do, BUT, it doesn’t take the place of the Sacrament of Confession.
ReplyDeleteSin is the cause of our misery. Although Christ bore our sins, they are not imputed to Him. It is God that justifies. When our sins are pardoned, we are sincere, and seek sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not profess to repent, with an intention to indulge in sin, because the Lord is ready to forgive. And to the man whose iniquity is forgiven, all manner of blessings are promised.
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult to bring sinful man humbly to accept free mercy, with a full confession of his sins and self-condemnation. But the true and only way to peace of conscience, is, to confess our sins, that they may be forgiven; to declare them that we may be justified. Although repentance and confession do not merit the pardon of transgression, they are needful to the real enjoyment of forgiving mercy.
Let us rejoice, O Lord Jesus, in thee, and in thy salvation; so shall we rejoice indeed.
How easy it is for us to drift away from God to fall into sin!
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is part of God's loving nature toward His creation. Most of the time I take advantage of His Merciful forgiveness when I acknowledge my sinfulness. I confess my transgressions and my iniquity before God. He sets me free from the guilt of my sins. His forgiveness brings me true joy and inner happiness to make me feel like a new creation inside. And I am once again reborn in spirit.
Having come to know God's love, I am filled with the joy of deliverance. I am fortunate to have a Merciful God who forgives me always whenever I confess my wrongdoings. He is my hiding place, protecting me from trouble. I am grateful to the Lord. Through my faith in Jesus Christ I experience the joy of salvation.