It's Easter once again, am I a better person than last year? I would like to think so, but am I really? After a long time of not participating in the Lenten activities of our parish, I went to attend the Easter Vigil ceremonies last night. Being part of a worshiping community that commemorates our belief in the Catholic faith gives an uplifting feeling that made me feel sad for missing the activities in our church in the previous years.
How many out there chose to go out for a good time instead of celebrating the Holy Week as it should? Sadly, I was one of them before. A passive Catholic, limiting myself to Sunday Masses, the occasional novenas and Holy Rosary - not really involved, like an outsider looking in on something routinary. An observer, a critic but not an active member of a community of believers.
Time to change that, there is so much that we miss in not taking part in our church activities. Be an active follower of Christ and reignite our commitment to love and serve Him with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message for today:
He is Risen! Jesus rose from the dead, the immortal Savior from being man made immortal in His death and resurrection. A transformation similar to a change in life from being a sinner becoming sinless. True repentance brings that grace, if you truly ask pardon and ask for help in changing your life, grace will be given so that you will have the strength to overcome the weakness that led you into sin. Sincere and true repentance brings about a total change in someone's life and perspective.
Frequenting the confessional often with the same venial sins is not a sign of a sincere repentance. Why do you keep on doing something that is sinful? Because you do not understand the grace of repentance. The confessional is just a routine, a show to the world that, "hey I am confessing my sins, I do as they say," but the real motive of the confessional is for you to become aware of your sins and truly know its implication to your life.
Venial sins when repeatedly done will create an impact to your life unknowingly. It will become a habit that marks your character.
Confession should not be taken lightly. When you are penitent, when you do your penance, it is a promise not to do the same thing again, a promise to change and sin no more of the same offense. But what happens in the confessional? It is like a routine garble of the same sins, one could say, "my sins, Father are the same as my last confession."
Is there repentance there? No! The sacrament of Reconciliation and repentance should not be taken lightly. It is about time that it should be stressed that the confessional is like the tomb that you come out of from your own resurrection. Your resurrection, a new life, a new leaf, a new chapter - a triumphant change from bad to good.
Sadly, that is not what happens, the miracle of transformation does not occur because the sinner takes his sins lightly, thinking it is alright because I just confess my sins and then I'll be okay. NO, every grave act of sinfulness is to be accounted for. Nothing that is done wrongly will be forgotten in heaven. Every misdeed will be reflected in your life, don't take sins lightly.
Although, you've been saved from the fires of hell by my Son, you have to face retribution for every confessed and unconfessed sins that you weren't truly repentant. Make an examination of conscience and see if you have tiny sins of mischief that you haven't truly conquered and repented. Words, actions, thoughts that hurt anyone are sins that you have to be sorry for.
Be kind and loving always like my Son, that is the road to righteousness. Be serious about your confession, don't make it a habit, it is a sacrament to be taken seriously with a truly repentant heart to be truly transformed into a new self, a new beginning.
No comments:
Post a Comment