Repent and believe in the Gospel

Repent and believe in the Gospel

Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky

The first order of business this Lent is to respond to these words of Jesus: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

Repentance is a tricky business. Every sin offends God and violates God’s rights. And a good deal of the time we’re unaware of our sins, just as the people in the time of Noah seemed unaware of their wickedness. So we usually need a wake-up call, short of a cataclysmic flood, to bring us to our sin-sensitiveness.

Nathan the Prophet dialed King David’s wake-up call. David was at peace but remained an adulterer and a murderer until he repented. After Nathan indicted David with his memorable, “Thou art the man!” David changed his ways and penned Psalm 51: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight.” (Psalm 51:3-4) Our sins form us and even define us unless we repent.

Here are six guidelines to help us to restore our wounded relationship with Jesus with a good Confession.

1. Rely on God’s grace to see our sins.

Nothing good is possible without God’s grace. We cannot even see our sins in honesty without His grace. Apparently, as we get older – laity and clergy alike -- we tend to neglect God’s grace. And it becomes more difficult to know the difference between right and wrong. Strangely, perhaps because we've lost our innocence, we seem less inclined to say with certainty, some choices are just wrong.

It’s easy for a priest to fancy himself as playing the part of Nathan the prophet. When Nathan identified the sins of King David, it was a very easy call. Similarly, indicting Catholic politicians by name who reject legislation that would have clearly protected the lives of unborn babies is a very easy call. But unlike Nathan – and the German bishops during the Nazi rule – at the moment there was no need for personal courage in calling them to accountability because there was no risk to my life and limb. Might result in smaller collections or fewer invitations to cocktail parties, though.

The Fifth Commandment is straightforward: Thou shalt not commit murder. We’ve all heard priests, bishops and popes dabble in politics in acts of clericalism. But confronting direct violations of the Commandments by Catholic politicians is not such an act. We all need reminders and reminders come, by God’s grace, in many guises.

2. Ask for God’s grace for the virtue of prudence.

Prudence is the virtue that assembles the facts, identifies the options, immediately eliminates the evil choices, and makes the best of the morally good choices. For example, aiming to keep weapons out of the hands of killers, to keep knives out of the hands of murderers, and preventing terrorists from using airplanes as cruise missiles are good things. But it is a fool’s errand for the clergy to dictate the means to these ends because such prudential judgments are well beyond their field of expertise. It’s up to the laity and your prudence. Assemble the facts in honesty, develop considered opinions, and fight nice. It’s your job. Sins of omission come with complacency.

3. Strive to please God, not men.

When Saint Paul chastised the Galatians for their obduracy, it wasn’t pleasant for them or for him. He writes, “Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10) Many in our badly broken culture will accuse you of being “judgmental” and even “hateful” for holding fast to God’s law. And it is easy to wilt under the pressure because we all want to get along. But if we strive with God’s grace to please God, not men, we will not wilt.

4. Do not mistake feelings as a reliable barometer of our sins.

We are often distressed with the experience of so-called “negative” feelings such as anger and sorrow. But these emotions are part of our overall human makeup, how God made us. Mary at the foot of the Cross was sorrowful but committed no sin. Such was her love. Jesus was angry as He overturned the tables in the Temple, but He committed no sin. Such was His zeal for reverence for His Father’s house.

On the other hand, it is quite possible to be relaxed and at peace, unaware that we are in the state of sin. The Devil consoles us when we are at peace with him. Clear thinking, an honest examination of conscience -- without an excessive attentiveness to feelings -- is necessary for us to identify our sins. As Saint Thomas teaches, right reason should rule our passions. But we must not allow our feelings to be disproportionate or out of control or to otherwise lull us into sinful acts.

5. Avoid confessing excessive details.

If you robbed a bank, the priest doesn’t need to know where, when, and why. He doesn’t need to know the location of the loot, just your resolve to make restitution. (Besides, the Seal of Confession prevents him from seeking out the location.) When it comes to confessing your sins, boring is good. The purpose of Confession is to identify an act that can be repented of and forgiven. You and God know the details. Just the nature and number of those sins, please. The same goes for the confession of sexual sins, if you get my drift.

6. Be attentive to the true cost of sins.

Many sins bring personal, social, and financial success and we can often get away with them -- in this life. But sins not only offend God, sins disfigure God’s handiwork and rob souls of grace. Sins also disfigure families and cultures and nations. And an unrepented mortal sin leads to eternal horror and disgrace. “…what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” (Mk 8:36)

The Sacrament of Penance is for all of us. It is a magnificent Sacrament of mercy, forgiveness, and peace of soul. Jesus speaks to priests and people, bishops and popes, to one and all: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”