Tag Archives: sin

Why Did They do it?

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Why did they do it?

They gave of themselves, their wealth, their time, and their future. Why did they do it? They created and raised five children, made certain of their education from elementary school through college, provided food and clothing, and gave much of their free time to the children. All of this was accomplished during very difficult political and economic times; money was hard to acquire. What motivated the parents to sacrifice so much and, in some cases, to suffer for their children; children who often were difficult to manage and could be rebellious? Love is the only answer! The parents so loved their children that they would sacrifice their own personal well-being for “the kids.”  Yes, love is the only answer.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried,” exclaims the Apostles Creed. (Note – the reference to Pontius Pilate provides a historical connection to Christ’s passion and death – a time and place is established.) Why did he, the creator, allow himself to become the created and then undergo such humiliating sufferings? Yes, the only answer is love. God loves each one of us; He sacrificed his only son, having him undergo horrific punishments for us. As great is the love of human parents for their children, God’s love for us is inconceivably greater and its totality is beyond man’s understanding. The theologian Hans Urs Von Balthasar incisively commented, “What it means to bear the burden of the world’s guilt, to experience in oneself the inner perversion of a humankind that refuses any sort of service, any sort of respect, to God, and to do so in view of a God who turns away from these abominations – who can conceive of it?” Christ suffered for us, for love!

What were the reasons for Jesus Christ to suffer and die for us?  The answer is twofold – to provide a remedy for sin and to provide an example for our lives.  Sin is a defilement of the soul, which is removed by Christ’s Passion and death; Christ’s blood washed man of his sins, cleansing him. Christ’s charity and obedience to the Father are greater than the sin and disobedience of man. Thus Christ makes man friends with God once again; the gates of paradise are opened. The suffering and death of Christ is offered as a substitute for the punishment due to mankind for its sins. Christ is the perfect sinless offering – the remedy for sin – which God accepts on our behalf.

But God does not stop conferring gifts on mankind at the passion and death of Christ. He loves us so much that he provides continuing gifts in the sacraments to help us return to Him when we sin again, and again and again. The sacraments are the vehicles that strengthen and assist us to remain sinless and in communion with Him. Mankind has been cleaned, given the tools to strengthen itself, and promised help in keeping its soul clean and prepared for entering God’s kingdom. Will mankind use these many gifts or will it allow itself to succumb to its darker sides?

Thank you God for your love….a love that suffers for us! Man has a God who suffered for all of mankind.

Suggested Reading:

“The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom”, Edited John Hardon, S. J., published by Ignatius Press , Chapter on Thomas Aquinas, section on The Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Article 4. ( This section can also be found on the Internet at http://dhspriory.org/thomas/Creed.htm)

“Credo” by Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Section 4, published by Ignatius Press.

 

Repentance

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Repentance

As the brothers were wrestling on the bedroom floor, suddenly the younger brother unexpectedly whacked his older brother, abruptly pushing him to the floor. Almost immediately he recognized that he had gone too far and emphatically apologized saying, “I am sorry, I am sorry!” Expecting his brother to accept his apology, he was stunned when, after getting up from the floor, his older brother whacked him sharply and pushed him to the floor. He shouted at his brother, “I said I was sorry.” Immediately the older brother firmly replied,” Next time be sorry BEFORE you act foolishly!” It was a valuable lesson for the youngster; “think before one acts foolishly and is forced to accept the consequences.”

While the principle of considering one’s actions prior to implementing them is a solid principle, all of us many times in our lives do not put the principle into action. We have eaten or drank too much, having suffered discomfort or worse as a result. How often have we overspent our money on frivolous items only to find ourselves short of cash for essentials? We experience regret and occasionally real remorse for our poor judgment and its unpleasant consequences. While it is accurate to point out that poor judgments regarding eating, drinking, or ill spent money are generally not major indiscretions and their consequences often can be limited, there are many situations in life, if acted out, that are serious and the results can be very harmful or even disastrous. If one carelessly drives an automobile that results in an accident in which someone is hurt or if one is disloyal to one’s spouse serious problems can and often do occur. Apologies and restitutions may not be sufficient remedies for these poor judgments. By applying the “Be sorry before one acts” principle, one would eliminate the heartache and harmful results of poor judgment.

Yet humans do error frequently. Despite all of God’s gifts and man’s ability to observe and understand the proper use of these gifts, man consistently misuses the bounty given to us by God. Man sins frequently placing his eternal happiness in serious jeopardy. The spiritually gifted Bishop Fulton J. Sheen wisely noted in his classic work, “The Life of Christ, “Man thinks that it is dying that decides his future state; it is rather his living that does that. Some of the choices he has made, the opportunities that were in his hand, the graces that he accepted or threw away are what decides his future. The peril of living is greater than the peril of dying.”

As each of us engage in living our lives, it is vital that we choose well, using the abundant gifts God has provided us. Yet all humans make poor choices and sin, jeopardizing their eternal happiness. When man sins, what can humans do to redeem themselves? The principle of being sorry before one acts is often forgotten or totally ignored by man. All too often man does not even recognize sin, thus acting only for his immediate gain. Fortunately, redemption is available to all. For those individuals who recognize their sins and do seek redress for them, God has magnificently told man that He will accept man’s apology for his sins. In the Bible the word repent appears over seventy (70) times; Jesus advised man to repent and believe in the gospel. God eagerly and generously opens himself to accept our repentance (apologies). God created each one of us; we are all His children. As long as we repent with true contrition and a firm purpose of amending our lives, God forgives our sins. Thank you God!!

No matter the frequency of our sins, God loves us so dearly that he accepts our repentance. Repent and be forgiven! St. Alphonus Liguori noted, “St. Augustine says, that to prevent the sheep from seeking assistance by her cries, the wolf seizes her by the neck, and thus securely carries her away and devours her. The Devil acts in a similar manner with the sheep of Jesus Christ. After having induced them to yield to sin, he seizes them by the throat, that they may not confess their guilt; and thus he securely brings them to Hell.”

Suggested Reading:

“The Life of Christ” by Fulton J. Sheen, published by Image Books / Doubleday “We are the Risk of God :

Reflections on the Limits of Divine Mercy” by Fr. James V. Schall   An essay on forgiveness and God’s Mercy which can be accessed on the Internet at:    www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2011/schall_divinemercy_feb2011.asp