Penance: to offer a rosary in reparation for my sins.Christian perfection is the interior freedom to serve God completely and faithfully at every moment and in each circumstance. Therefore you must look at anything that distracts from or hinders this freedom as the work of the devil. Do I sound too serious? A religious, by public vows, has made their striving for Christian perfection a public property. Thus, any sin you commit, even if it be interior or secret, is a betrayal not only of God and your best self, but of everyone else too.
(My long-standing (14 or 15 years) penance record still holds: to say 15 Our Fathers and then to pray Evening Prayer 'with great devotion')
These are powerful words not only friar-priests but for all Christians. I tried to speak something similar to the youth group last Sunday when they wanted an intro on the moral life: focus on Christ otherwise nothing else makes sense. The lack of one's focus on Christ makes the reception of the sacraments and Christian life meaningless.
ReplyDeleteFather - very powerful, convicts me, too.
ReplyDeletePaul - funny thing, I said something very similar to our confirmation kids a few weeks ago.
So so much is said in a paragraph...absolutely something to think about every morning when rising, noon reflection, throughout the day. Thank you for sharing this.
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