Repentance...

During this time of Advent, the matter of repentance has laid heavily on my heart although this post will be written off the cuff with references and links added at a later date. So often in modern circles and past times, our natural tendency is to demand a public punishment for sins committed when we may or may not know the person's full history or we presume that a person is unable to repent from a seriously sinful past. Is this truly what our calling as Christians requires of us? At this time, I must say no. In fact, our calling requires exactly the opposite of us.

We, as Catholics, do not believe as Luther did that Christ merely covers over our sinfulness and hides it. We believe that the blood of Christ, often through the grace of the sacraments, truly changes us. Our sins are truly washed away provided we seek a life of grace, frequently partake of the sacraments especially the Eucharist and Confession, and turn away from our sins with a contrite heart. Are we truly contrite? Do we truly believe our sins deeply offend Christ and are sorry for only that reason? Most likely, no. Most likely, we fear the fires of hell and separation from Christ then comes the realization that we offend Christ daily by our sins. Sometimes are sins are private while at other times they become publicly know when another witnesses our transgression. Private or publicly known sins severe our relationship with Christ when they are mortal in nature and sully our relationship possibly leading us away from Christ and to worse sins. This is why confession is absolutely necessary in the case of mortal sins even when our brothers are unaware of our sins and regular confession of our venial sins is a good devotion to aid us in our journey toward Christ.

So, where does that leave us in relation to our brothers in Christ when we are aware of their past sins? First and foremost, WE DO NOT JUDGE! Does this mean if a person is living a lifestyle that has sinful elements we must accept that lifestyle. No, this means we accept the person for where they are now and limit our involvement in their life so we are not involved in the sinful aspects while praying for their and our continued conversion or we can distance ourselves from them completely while praying for their and our continued conversion. If they question our actions, we can explain to them we feel uncomfortable being involved with certain activities due to their nature and that we are more than willing to discuss these issues with them if they desire. NEVER should we come across holier than thou, because all of us sinners and only by the grace God are we not walking the path they are on.

So, what do we do when it is revealed to us that a friend as a sinful past? Well, we do not judge! If they are living a Christian life, it would be unchristian for us to withdraw our friendship based on their past. Remember, it is only by the grace of God we did not commit the very same sins. Who knows, maybe one of our own sins is even worse in the eyes of God, but we are blind to it. We must take the plank out of our own eye before we can take the splinter out of our brother's even when our brother's sin is murder or adultery.

So, this Advent, let us focus on the reality of Christ coming as the Christ child, our savior, and the coming of his graces that bring us out of sin and to repentance. Although we are often unaware of it, we are sinners who fall every day and always need Christ at the center of our heart.