A 15th Sunday after Pentecost Thought About Perfect Contrition

We've talked about Perfect Contrition many times. After our recent posts about Confession, Perfect Contrition fits right in. So here's something originally posted in 2014 to help us to understand this critically important component of our spiritual life on this 15th Sunday after Pentecost:

 

To start the Lord's Day, some thoughts about perfect contrition. I learned about perfect contrition growing up, as part of learning my Faith.

When we go to Confession, we express contrition, or sorrow, for our sins. The Church teaches us that there are two types of contrition: imperfect and perfect. Imperfect contrition consists of sorrow for sin because, in the words of the Act of Contrition, we "dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell." We express perfect contrition, again as we pray in the Act of Contrition, when we are sorry for our sins "most of all because they offend Thee my God, because Thou art all good and worthy of all my love."

How often I've repeated these words, yet how often I continue to sin. Alas, such is the way with us fallen creatures, so ungrateful to a loving God who has done so much for us, who has loved us without measure! Have you ever realized this? If so, you have gained at least an initial understanding of perfect contrition vs. imperfect contrition. Recently, I came across some passages from Perfect Contrition: A Golden Key to Heaven written in 1904 by a Catholic priest, Rev. J Von Den Driesch that can guide us to a deeper understanding of perfect contrition:

"When you as well as the whole human race were lost through original sin, God gave His Only-Begotten Son, and He, your Savior, redeemed you by His cruel death on the Cross. He thought of you with heartfelt love when He suffered the terrible agony in the Garden of Olives, the bloody scourging and crowning with thorns and when He carried His heavy Cross up the long, bitter way of Calvary, and when He shed his blood in unutterable torments on the Cross - He was thinking of you as if you were the only human being on earth. And what follows from this? 'Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us'...

Perhaps you can read these words again, and slowly. Since Sunday is the Lord's Day, give some time to the Lord and let these words really sink in. As I do that, "God's infinite love" transforms itslef from words I learned in the study of my religion to an ever-present reality, something that not only enlightens my mind but penetrates my heart and soul. And as this starts to really sink in, you understand why the saints - holy as they were compared to most of us - constantly lamented about their sinfulness. They understood, in the very depths of their hearts and souls how much God loved them, and how little they loved Him in return. 

Father Von Den Driesch now tells us specifically just how God loves us each and every day of our lives:

"God has drawn you to Himself, and is ever drawing you by the Sacraments which you have received, by the numberless interior and exterior graces wherewith He daily overwhelms you, yes, you are, as it were, swimming in a sea of the bounty and love of God!...

As Catholics, we have all been baptized and received the special graces of Confirmation that strengthen us in our Faith. But do you continue to avail yourself of the sacraments? Do you attend Mass regularly - at least on Sundays - go to Confession, receive Holy Communion? Jesus Himself gave us the sacraments as the specific instruments of God's grace, but it's up to us to avail ourselves of these. Frequently attending Mass and receiving the sacraments helps open us up to God's love, to His "numberless interior and exterior graces." With His grace, you - yes, even you - may find yourself "swimming in a sea of the bounty and love of God"!

Imagine such a life. Now imagine you living this wonderful life daily. Father Von Den Driesch tells us that, if we do:

"He will finally crown His love by taking you to Himself in heaven and making you eternally happy...

And so Father exhorts us all:

"What do you owe Him in return? Love for love. 'Let us therefore love God because God first hath loved us'...

Father now leads us all to a clear understanding of perfect contrition:

"Now ask yourself the great question: 'What return have I made to God for His love and goodness? Answer: 'I have repaid Him with ingratitude and sin!' And are you sorry for this ingratitude? 'Yes, certainly.' Surely you will make amends for your past ingratitude by greater love towards your great and loving Benefactor? 'Yes.' Then you have perfect contrition, sorrow arising from the love of God. This repentance, this sorrow, from love of God, is called Perfect Contrition."

This Sunday, I thank God for His infinite Love and ask Him for the grace of perfect contrition.

Happy Sunday!