Word to the Wise
Friday, March 15, 2019 - 1st Week of Lent - Fri
[Ezek 18:21-28 and Matt 5:20-26]"Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled wit your brother, and then come and offer your gift." [Matthew]
Lent is a time when the Sacrament of Reconciliation is featured in many parishes. There are parish missions and Lenten Penance Services. Since I have been in full time itinerant preaching since 2009, I have participated in and preached at quite a few of these events. The words of Jesus in today's gospel scripture are very important to remember when one decides to "go to confession." This sacrament is intended to do more than simply extend God's mercy and forgiveness. It is meant to challenge the penitent to conversion and action! It is not simply, "so I can go to communion and not be 'in a state of sin.' This very common attitude focuses only on the penitent and not on those whom he or she may have harmed. Furthermore, the giving of a 'penance' of prayers to say or scriptures to read may ignore the challenge to do something about the harmful pattern of behavior that has brought the penitent to the sacrament.
Is there an addiction or grudge or habitual way of acting that needs to change? Is the sacrament being used simply for "guilt relief" without anything being done about the causes of the guilt? Those of us who remember the classic requirement of "a firm purpose of amendment" may have thought it means only a vague good intention. Jesus' words take us beyond that to a definite course of action to conversion and rooting out the causes of sinful actions. If we can do that during the season of Lent, we will accomplish a lot. If we can do that the rest of the year, we will accomplish more than a lot. AMEN