Reflections
“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.
Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death..." This "death" can be literal separation from God, if taken to its ultimate conclusion where the sinner shows no remorse. Since God is the source of all true life, all rebellion of sin that takes us away from the Lord, is spiritual death. Even those of us who love our Heavenly Father and regularly ask for forgiveness and practice the Sacrament of Reconciliation, can experience a death-like pain -- through our brokenness, guilt, anxiety, emptiness, or distance from the perfect love that emanates from Jesus.
ReplyDeleteThe second half of Romans 6:23 says, "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." As in any relationship, when there is communion -- time spent together -- the bonds are stronger. I spend time with the Lord through Adoration, praying the rosary, reading my devotionals, or just being more mindful of prayer all day long. In my personal journey to turn from sin, I have a more effective repentance in those times when I am more familiar with the Lord, closer to him. Like David in the Psalms, I can feel an elation and proclaim, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered... Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!" (v. 1, v. 11)
I wait in anticipation to see how the Lord will mold my heart this Lent and lead me into further exuberance after confession of sin.