Reflections
Psalm 51: 3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 (Read)
“A clean heart create for me, O God.”
We are shown in the Psalm that although
David was chosen by God to be king,
even David sins gravely. David is sincerely
sorry for having committed adultery and
murder, two grievous sinful acts which
separated him from our loving Father.
He pleads with the Lord,
"Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness;
in your abundant compassion blot out my
offense."
We are reminded here that no sin is too big
for God to forgive.
Just as Moses trusted God to relent in His wrath against
the Israelites (Exodus 32:11), we too trust in the Lord to be
far more forgiving than we ourselves are capable of.
And when we do fall into deep patterns of sin, we must
realize that our wrongdoing ultimately, is a rebellion
against the Lord himself. David’s sins, like our own,
are offensive to God first and foremost –
we are all born of a sinful nature.
David prays words of repentance that recall for us the
power of the Sacrament of Confession. “A clean heart
create for me, O God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.”
The Lord is the source of cleanliness and purity of heart.
God wants to have a close relationship with us, but
unconfessed sin will always get in the way. We must
confess our sins openly and sincerely. Where else
can we turn when we are separated from God? Who else
has the healing power to cleanse us? David reminds us
that without the Holy Spirit we are ruled by the desires of
this world. “Do not drive me from your presence, nor take
from me your Holy Spirit.”
We can almost hear David’s loud cries and see his tears,
as he offers this prayerful psalm and seeks his own
inner renewal. And just as David is profoundly grateful
for God's compassion, so too St Paul acknowledges
God's mercy in this Sunday's 2nd reading (1 Timothy 1:13).
When we receive the Sacrament of Confession, we also
are given an opportunity to be restored in the joy of His
Salvation, to offer up what is dead within us, so that like
the prodigal son in the Gospel we can return to the Father
and again be good witnesses for the Lord. “I will rise and
go to my father.” (Luke 15:18)
Once we have regained a solid foundation with God the Father,
no strong assault from satan will overcome us. We can have that
very same "steadfastness of spirit" that David asks for and
receives from the Lord.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm is King David's mea culpa, his personal confession to God.
Speak of how the verses of the Psalm inspire you to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
2. Our psalmist pleas with the Lord not to take from him God's Holy Spirit.
Tell of how you also rely on the Spirit in your daily life.
Such a powerful Psalm of repentance... indeed Psalm 51 is David’s “mea culpa” after his adultery with Basheba and even the indirect murder of her husband, Uriah. Any sin, of any scale, is a chosen rebellion against God and is therefore a separation from God. What a dark place in which to dwell!
ReplyDeleteHow do any of us, when we sin, get back into God’s favor? That is precisely when we feel the role of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit moves us to be humble and to be sorry; He convicts us to seek reconciliation with our Lord in order to feel peace, love, and blessing again.
Once we ask for forgiveness, whether in the Sacrament of Reconciliation or private prayer, we must depend on the Spirit to help us stay on the right path. In our fallen and fleshly nature, it’s not easy to turn our heads away from worldly sin.
The Holy Spirit helps us keep our eyes and hearts focused on holy living. Certainly, we fall into sin again, but once we have tasted the grace of forgiveness (especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation) we want to share that joy with others and we become stronger in our efforts to resist temptation.
As I write these words, I feel the Spirit prompting me to experience the gift of the healing Sacrament of Reconciliation more often.
Whenever I read Psalm 51, it echoes in me David’s pleading cry over his sins, having committed an adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. We all know that those are grievous sins against God. But David admits, confesses, and repents of those sins, asking God's mercy:
ReplyDelete“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Blot out all my iniquity.”
I realized that God mercifully forgave David when he was truly sorry for his sins.
Even if we are born as sinners, and we are sinful beings, no sin is too great to be forgiven.
I feel fortunate because we have a forgiving, merciful God. I expect God to restore me and renew the joy of my relationship with Him.
And so whenever I have felt God’s forgiveness and mercy like David felt, I feel the joy of God’s salvation renewed by the Holy Spirit. The God who saves me also clears my heart and spirit
and allows for new thoughts and desires.
Right conduct can come only from a clean heart. And so in my daily life I ask God to create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me.
I will sing of your righteousness. Praise God!