Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are twenty-three (23) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and five (5) canons in the Code of Canon Law which can help us to appreciate the Sacrament of Penance. The following is a reflection on CCC, 1487.
There are five different aspects we should consider in relation to the harm sin causes. How often have we heard “I’m not hurting anyone”? We should never forget that the sufferings endured on Good Friday by the Innocent Jesus Christ were directly in proportion to our sins.
Sin wounds the honor of God. God has made us for Himself, and when we sin we disregard His will for us, namely holiness and happiness in both this life and the life to come. The English Martyr Saint Thomas Becket (+1170) did what he did (defending the rights of the Church against encroachment of King Henry II) and suffered what he did (exile and death) all for the honor of God. The ancient Latin hymn by Theodulph of Orleans (+820) Gloria, laus, et honor is sung in English as All glory, laud and honor, translated by John M. Neale (+1866). Sins are sour notes. Our repentance and confession allow for harmony to be restored.
Sin wounds the love of God. Whenever we sin we prefer or love what is not God or His holy will for us. We prefer the creature to the Creator, spurning the love of God.
Sin wounds the proper human dignity of one called to be an adopted child of God. Sin is an abuse of free will. Being made in the image of God, imago Dei, we are called to exercise our freedom well. To say “no one can tell me what to do” may be a sign of a misunderstanding of human freedom, autonomy. Not only can God tell us what good we should do and what evil we should avoid, He has, and continues to do so through His bride and mystical body Mother Church.
Sin wounds the spiritual well being of the Church. One moniker for Mother Church is the ‘communion of saints,’ communio sanctorum. Our sins disfigure the holiness of the Church, while our repentance and graced living are her splendor. Saint John the Evangelist helps us in this regard, when, inspired by the Holy Spirit he wrote: “If we say we are without sin, the truth is not within us” and that the Lord Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (cf. 1 John 1:8; John 14:6). In the Sacrament of Penance we confess our sins, and He who is faithful and just forgives us and purifies us from all unrighteousness (cf. 1 John 1:9).
Mortal (deadly) sin thwarts our being living stones, building up Mother Church. Yet, God’s grace, given anew in the Sacrament of Penance, gives us new life in Christ if and whenever we should find ourselves displeasing to God due to our sins.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr