The grace of being ashamed.
In his homily a few mornings ago at Holy Mass, Pope Francis preached about the sacrament of confession.
Pope Francis: "We always seek to justify ourselves: 'But yes, we are all sinners' we say”.
Pope Francis confided that he admires the way children make their confession. “Little ones have a certain wisdom. When a child comes to make his confession, he never speaks in generalities. He says: 'Father, I did this, and I did this to my aunt, I did this to someone else, and to someone else I said this word', and they say the word. They are real, they possess the simplicity of truth. And we always tend to hide the reality of our weakness and poverty”.
He then added: “But if there is one thing that is beautiful, it is when we confess our sins in the presence of God just as they are. We always feel the grace of being ashamed. To feel ashamed before God is a grace. It is a grace to say: 'I am ashamed'. Let us think about St Peter after Jesus' miracle on the lake: “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinner”. He was ashamed of his sin in the presence of Jesus Christ”.
Going to confession, the Pope said, is “going to an encounter with the Lord who forgives us, who loves us. And our shame is what we offer him: 'Lord, I am a sinner, but I am not so bad, I am capable of feeling ashamed'.
The Holy Father concluded: “let us ask for the grace to live in the truth without hiding anything from the Lord and without hiding anything from ourselves”. - Source
"Without hiding anything from ourselves."
I sometimes wonder what is worse the oft times shrouded generalized terms I have used in making my confession out of shame and/or pride or the actual vile sins themselves? I wondered reading yesterday's gospel whether the Publican immediately ceased being a Publican upon leaving the Synagogue? is this implied in that Jesus said he left justified? I am trying to fit his experience into the framework of the rest of us sinners.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteSince I can't comment on the ads post, I'll do it here.
ReplyDeleteA few of them got upset over "criticism," yet that's what 90% of their posts are. They attack people, they get site views, they get cash.
Hypocrisy is as ugly as that denim jumper....
Well Thom - it was time to move along. You know those people as well as I do.
ReplyDeleteAye. I do. *hugs*
DeleteShame...one can either face it, beat oneself up with it, or face and embrace and let God do the rest. I speak from experience since I have been down all three and though I struggle many times, I want to embrace it in a healthy way and place it at the foot of the Cross.
ReplyDeleteNow, if shame helps me along the way of Calvary, if it helps me to realize I am a sinner who is a weakling yet, like St. Peter, cries out, "Lord, save me!" then so be it.
As long as I stop beating myself up about it, as long as I remember and believe, and trust in the infinite love that our Heavenly Father has for me, well, I am going to be alright...and can only hope to persevere till the end. ^^