A Sunday Thought About Lightening Your Burdens to Start the Week Off Right
Last Sunday we talked about how our soul is sick and sorrowful when we sin. It's burden we all bear, and today we'll talk about lightening that burden. Oh, and if you think bringing up the terrible burden of our sins isn't quite the light summer fare you're looking for on a lovely July Sunday, stick around for a few more minutes. I think you'll find something even more refreshing that a glass of cold lemonade on a hot summer's day.
So back to sick and sorrowful: Maybe you think "sick and sorrowful" exaggerates the state of your soul when you sin. I hope not. A soul without sin - like Our Blessed Mother's throughout her entire life - is full of grace. When we sin, we're introducing what is contrary to grace; we expose ourselves to something that could ultimately be life-threatening, like a disease that, left untreated, eventually kills the body. Only this disease of sin, left untreated, eventually kills the soul. So "sick" makes sense.
And when you remember that sin offends God, how could you not be sorrowful in response to your sins? Just think of Jesus hanging on the cross, suffering and dying just so you might be saved from your sins. If you're not sure about this, or haven't though about it for a while, look at a crucifix. Our Lord allowed Himself to suffer and die in this most horrible way imaginable because that was the only way He could make adequate reparation for the sins of men: our sins...yours and mine. His horrible suffering reflected the true horror of our sins. Let this sink in and sorrow will surely follow - at least it will if you really love that same Jesus who saved you. And you do love Him, don't you?
So why bring all this up on this summer Sunday? After all, summer's supposed to be light, airy, refreshing, even filled with fun, a time when we take a break from not only work, but from our usual mundane concerns and worries. We get outside in the sun to re-charge during summer; we don't hang our heads and wring our hands contemplating grave matters of sin and sorrow in summer, right?
But wait! We Catholics know about something that non-Catholics (and sadly many Catholics) don't. Even when they hear of it, most fail to grasp just how important, how essential it is for us fallen creatures. It's called Confession. And it turns our contemplation of grave matters like our sick and sorrowful soul into something like summer: light, airy, refreshing, even filled with fun. Here's how it works for us Catholics:
The sickness and sorrow that burdens our souls, motivates us to get to Confession on a regular basis. We bear our burden and drag ourselves into that confessional. But then, after making a good confession and receiving absolution from the priest, acting in the place of Jesus Himself, we emerge no longer sick, no longer sorrowful. We leave our burdens behind; we've got a skip in our step.
And who wouldn't be skipping and smiling after a good confession? He Whom we offended so terribly, He Who suffered so horribly because of our offenses, having heard us confess those sins, has forgiven us. Jesus Himself has said "You're sins are forgiven," just as He said to so many while he walked on this earth. Just as He said to those whom he cured of diseases, physical disabilities, to those whose souls were possessed by the devil, so He says to you in the confessional: "Your sins are forgiven. Even though you've told me how you've sinned, knowing how much it hurts Me, knowing that your sins scourged my flesh, drove hails into my hands and feet, drove the lance into my Sacred Heart, I forgive you.
And there's more...
"I know you will try your best not to sin again; but if you do fall again, I will be here waiting to hear you again, ready to forgive you yet again, to relieve your burden again, assuming your come to Me in your sickness and sorrow, sincerely seeking forgiveness, determined to again do your best to love Me as I always love you..."
Summer is wonderful, but so is Confession. And while summer only lasts a few months out of every year, we can go to Confession anytime, winter, spring, summer or fall. If you make it a habit of going to Confession on a regular basis, you'll lighten your burdens and refresh your soul throughout the whole year.
So back to sick and sorrowful: Maybe you think "sick and sorrowful" exaggerates the state of your soul when you sin. I hope not. A soul without sin - like Our Blessed Mother's throughout her entire life - is full of grace. When we sin, we're introducing what is contrary to grace; we expose ourselves to something that could ultimately be life-threatening, like a disease that, left untreated, eventually kills the body. Only this disease of sin, left untreated, eventually kills the soul. So "sick" makes sense.
And when you remember that sin offends God, how could you not be sorrowful in response to your sins? Just think of Jesus hanging on the cross, suffering and dying just so you might be saved from your sins. If you're not sure about this, or haven't though about it for a while, look at a crucifix. Our Lord allowed Himself to suffer and die in this most horrible way imaginable because that was the only way He could make adequate reparation for the sins of men: our sins...yours and mine. His horrible suffering reflected the true horror of our sins. Let this sink in and sorrow will surely follow - at least it will if you really love that same Jesus who saved you. And you do love Him, don't you?
So why bring all this up on this summer Sunday? After all, summer's supposed to be light, airy, refreshing, even filled with fun, a time when we take a break from not only work, but from our usual mundane concerns and worries. We get outside in the sun to re-charge during summer; we don't hang our heads and wring our hands contemplating grave matters of sin and sorrow in summer, right?
But wait! We Catholics know about something that non-Catholics (and sadly many Catholics) don't. Even when they hear of it, most fail to grasp just how important, how essential it is for us fallen creatures. It's called Confession. And it turns our contemplation of grave matters like our sick and sorrowful soul into something like summer: light, airy, refreshing, even filled with fun. Here's how it works for us Catholics:
The sickness and sorrow that burdens our souls, motivates us to get to Confession on a regular basis. We bear our burden and drag ourselves into that confessional. But then, after making a good confession and receiving absolution from the priest, acting in the place of Jesus Himself, we emerge no longer sick, no longer sorrowful. We leave our burdens behind; we've got a skip in our step.
And who wouldn't be skipping and smiling after a good confession? He Whom we offended so terribly, He Who suffered so horribly because of our offenses, having heard us confess those sins, has forgiven us. Jesus Himself has said "You're sins are forgiven," just as He said to so many while he walked on this earth. Just as He said to those whom he cured of diseases, physical disabilities, to those whose souls were possessed by the devil, so He says to you in the confessional: "Your sins are forgiven. Even though you've told me how you've sinned, knowing how much it hurts Me, knowing that your sins scourged my flesh, drove hails into my hands and feet, drove the lance into my Sacred Heart, I forgive you.
And there's more...
"I know you will try your best not to sin again; but if you do fall again, I will be here waiting to hear you again, ready to forgive you yet again, to relieve your burden again, assuming your come to Me in your sickness and sorrow, sincerely seeking forgiveness, determined to again do your best to love Me as I always love you..."
Summer is wonderful, but so is Confession. And while summer only lasts a few months out of every year, we can go to Confession anytime, winter, spring, summer or fall. If you make it a habit of going to Confession on a regular basis, you'll lighten your burdens and refresh your soul throughout the whole year.
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