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Shame: A True Christian Virtue

4/30/2013

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All during Lent, I talked about going to confession. I hope and pray that many of you did. However, lest you think that confession is just for Lent, let me remind you that confession is a sacrament all year ‘round. Every two weeks is a good rule of thumb. Remember that we don’t have to wait and commit a “really big one” before we go. We receive many graces each and every time we seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And, of course, if you haven’t gone in a long time, GO! On this wonderful topic the Pope just gave a beautiful homily. I have posted a part of it below and, whether you go weekly or have not been in a long time, it is well worth the read. Remember, we are ALL sinners.

"Walking in darkness means being overly pleased with ourselves, believing that we do not need salvation. That is darkness! When we continue on this road of darkness, it is not easy to turn back. Therefore, John continues, because this way of thinking made him reflect: 'If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us'. Look to your sins, to our sins, we are all sinners, all of us ... This is the starting point. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful, He is so just He forgives us our sins, cleansing us from all unrighteousness…The Lord who is so good, so faithful, so just that He forgives. "

"When the Lord forgives us, He does justice" - continued the Pope - first to himself, "because He came to save and forgive", welcoming us with the tenderness of a Father for his children: "The Lord is tender towards those who fear, to those who come to Him "and with tenderness," He always understand us”. He wants to gift us the peace that only He gives. " "This is what happens in the Sacrament of Reconciliation" even though "many times we think that going to confession is like going to the dry cleaner" to clean the dirt from our clothes:


"But Jesus in the confessional is not a dry cleaner: it is an encounter with Jesus, but with this Jesus who waits for us, who waits for us just as we are. “But, Lord, look ... this is how I am”, we are often ashamed to tell the truth: 'I did this, I thought this'. But shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human ... the ability to be ashamed: I do not know if there is a similar saying in Italian, but in our country to those who are never ashamed are called “sin vergüenza’: this means ‘the unashamed ', because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble, of the man and the woman who are humble. "

Pope Francis continued: “ we must have trust, because when we sin we have an advocate with the Father, "Jesus Christ the righteous." And He "supports us before the Father" and defends us in front of our weaknesses. But you need to stand in front of the Lord "with our truth of sinners", "with confidence, even with joy, without masquerading... We must never masquerade before God." And shame is a virtue: "blessed shame." "This is the virtue that Jesus asks of us: humility and meekness".

"Humility and meekness are like the frame of a Christian life. A Christian must always be so, humble and meek. And Jesus waits for us to forgive us. We can ask Him a question: Is going to confession like to a torture session? No! It is going to praise God, because I, a sinner , have been saved by Him. And is He waiting for me to beat me? No, with tenderness to forgive me. And if tomorrow I do the same? Go again, and go and go and go .... He always waits for us. This tenderness of the Lord, this humility, this meekness .... "


Text from a page of the Vatican Radio website.

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GO TO CONFESSION

3/21/2013

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One week from today we begin the Paschal Triduum. So no as we begin to wrap up Lent, where are you in your relationship with God? Have you gone to confession? If you have, GREAT! Go again. If you haven’t the GO TO CONFESSION!! Please don’t let this Lent end without celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Your heavenly Father is waiting for you to come home just like the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son. So please, GO TO CONFESSION, it really isn’t as bad as you think it is. There isn’t anything that you can say that the priest hasn’t already heard. Confession is there to lift the weight from your shoulders, to allow you to be assured of forgiveness and so you can experience personally the mercy of God. So please, find your local church and just do it! You will be ever so glad you did.

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GO TO CONFESSION

2/16/2013

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GO TO CONFESSION

Here are some interesting facts:

For one year in the United States according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control):
  • Number of deaths: 2,468,435
  • Death rate: 799.5 deaths per 100,000 population
Number of deaths for leading causes of death:
  • Heart disease: 597,689
  • Cancer: 574,743
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
  • Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
  • Alzheimer's disease: 83,494
  • Diabetes: 69,071
  • Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476
  • Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097
  • Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364

GO TO CONFESSION

Why do I care you say. Note the heart disease number. This translates into heart attacks most of which are sudden and unexpected. Note the accident numbers which are unexpected. Note the stroke numbers which, like the heart attacks, are sudden and unexpected. That’s 6,762.84 people dying each day, 281.78 each hour and 4.69 each minute. So slightly less that 5 people in the United States are being called before the Judgment Seat of God every minute of every hour of every day.

GO TO CONFESSION

Are you ready to go? Is your soul ready to meet your maker? We will all receive God’s judgment whether we want it or not, but His MERCY is there for the ASKING. Why risk eternal damnation when all you have to do is GO TO CONFESSION!!!

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    I am a Roman Catholic Priest for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. I am currently assigned to St. Dominic Catholic Church in Security, CO.


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