Tag Archives: sin

Sin and Forgiveness

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Sin and forgiveness

Oh how his knee hurt!!! Unable to walk without a pronounced limp, he felt the sharp pain as he lumbered to his favorite chair, moving even with the limp was painfully difficult. Since he was scheduled, in a few days, to consult with an orthopedic specialist, he barely took notice of the decline of his overall health, thinking that any general decline of his health was  related to the knee problem. There was no need to see another doctor. Oh how wrong he was! As his overall health began a rapid decline, he was finally persuaded by family members to allow himself to be taken to a hospital emergency room. That decision probably saved his life, as a deeper and more dangerous infection than the painful knee threatened his life. Death was close at hand and was only prevented from reaching its destiny by actions that resulted in a correct diagnosis and quick treatment for the life threatening disease. It was a close call for him. If one does not recognize the problem, then one will succumb to its consequence.

As human beings sin; it is very easy to disregard sins as only minor issues, or, no problem at all. Few people focus on the accumulated harm that sin does to one’s soul. All too few people fail to concentrate on the urgent need to find the remedy for sin, not willing to recognize the ultimate danger in which they are placing their souls. Fortunately there is a cure, a remedy, for sin and a relief from its fatal consequences. However, the cure is frequently ignored, in part because many do not acknowledge the problems or consequences of sin. People do not want to admit the danger that sin presents. In fact, many deny the existence of sin or deny that certain actions are sinful; often they do not want to face the very serious and often fatal danger of sin.

Similar to the sick man with the deadly infection, if the sinful person does not seek a remedy for his sin, then he could face a deadly consequence – in the case of sin, the most deadly consequence of all — hell and an eternal agony. Fortunately, God so loves mankind that He provides a remedy for sin – His forgiveness. Additionally, through His church he established the mechanism for the reception of forgiveness – the sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation). It is the choice of each individual to access the sacrament Penance or not….to be reconciled with God or not. The clergy should be screaming to all Catholics, “Seek reconciliation with God, Go to Confession regularly.” Then the clergy should make the sacrament readily available to all. The man with the injured knee sought relief from his pain and deteriorating health….just in time. Will Catholics acknowledge and seek remedy for their sins before it is too late? It is their choice. Choose well!

Catholics be cured of your spiritual illness before it is too late!!

St. Ambrose wisely noted,” It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled”

If you return to the Lord, then he will not hide his face from you. Psalm 43

Hospitals

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Hospitals

As soon as the door to the waiting room of the hospital emergency center opened, the sounds and sights of bedlam rushed to meet us. The waiting room was overcrowded with a confused and boisterous mixture of the ill, friends of the ill, screaming babies, noisy adolescents, and those who seemingly had no idea why they were there.  On one side of the room, the individuals waiting to be processed by the receptionist were fidgeting, with frustrated looks as they impatiently waited for their turn. All showed their disgust with looks of, “Why is this taking so long?” Others, having been processed by the receptionist, were sitting or standing, just waiting to be called into emergency room for treatment, hoping that their long waits would finally end. Intermittently their hopes of care would be raised as a nurse appeared at the door to shout the name of the next patient to receive treatment. Frequently their hopes were dashed as the name called out by the nurse was not the one they wanted to hear; their frustration continued with a hint of anger beginning to surface. The delay in being seen and treated by a doctor seemed endless.

Finally, the person’s name was called and he, along with a relative, moved towards the door where the nurse was standing. Now he could discuss his illness with a doctor and, hopefully, a remedy would be offered. There would be no certainty of a cure, but at least a course of action would be recommended; a stay in the hospital or a prescription for medication may result.  Hope, but no certainty would be the likely outcome of the visit.

Most hospitals have trained, professional personnel who analyze and evaluate the medical, physical needs of their patients. The question that they attempt to answer is “How do we help the patients at the hospital return to good physical health?”.  However, there exists another type of hospital with trained professionals; one that addresses the moral and spiritual failings of individuals who are seeking to return to good moral and spiritual health. It is the one that treats sin and sinners.

Sin occurs in the breaking of one’s relationship with God; fortunately the relationship can be restored. The Catholic Church is the hospital for sinners; the place where sin can be cured and moral and spiritual health restored. When asked the reasons for his conversion to Catholicism, the brilliant 20th century English writer and philosopher, G.K. Chesterton, commented, “Because it is true….and it offers the forgiveness of sin.” The Catholic Church was given the obligation to help sinners and forgive sins when Jesus Christ appeared to Apostles on the first Easter Sunday and said, “Whose sins you shall forgive are forgiven and whose sins you shall retain are retained.”  In the sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation), the Church through the successors to the apostles can offer a guaranteed return to a relationship with God. The sacrament of Confession offers an assurance, not just a hope, of one’s return to good moral and spiritual health.

It is interesting to note that medical hospitals are generally crowded and very busy, while Catholic churches are often empty at the times of Confession. Are there no sinners in need of forgiveness? Have humans lost the very sense of sin? We all sin and most of us rupture our relationship with God numerous times during our lives. Do we return to God through Confession or do we continue to be separate from God.  All humans need repentance for their sins and a renewal of their lives.

On many occasions, Jesus reminded people “to repent.” We are all anxious to cure our medical ills as quickly as possible. Why are we not as determined and anxious to repent and cure our moral and spiritual failings, which can result in the worst of conditions….hell? Without repentance and renewal, Hell is where we will place ourselves.

Suggested Reading

“Confession” by Adrienne von Speyr, published by Igantius Press  – von Speyr is a Swiss convert and mystic guided by the famed theologian Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar