"Save Yourselves from this Corrupt Generation!" (Acts 2:40)
Revealing Our Long-Hidden Failures to a Priest
Photo by Shalone Cason on Unsplash
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
"I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:7).
In His lost sheep parable, Jesus illustrates His concern for the lost and God's love for the repentant sinner.
It takes courage to return to the confessional and reveal long-hidden failures to a priest. We draw back when we imagine how ugly the words will sound when they hit the air. But we must remember—when we are truly sorry for our sins and seek forgiveness, it's the Good Shepherd who leads us to the confessional, who comforts and forgives us, and who dispenses His grace to us through the priest. When the priest says, "I absolve you of your sins," we'll know it's the Good Shepherd Himself, for there is no mistaking His forgiveness. The sinful secrets we were so frightened to confess are gone forever.
Back in His flock, we are restored. We begin to sense God's favor upon us. His grace helps us avoid committing the same sins and we learn that we are forgiven only to the extent we forgive others. Jesus, the Good Shepherd has left His Spirit to guide us and will never leave us alone—we have His word, His peace.
Our hearts are free!
Elizabeth
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About the Author
Elizabeth Tichvon is a Catholic writer and Consecrated Marian Catechist under the Direction of His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Always faithful to the Magisterium, she spreads and defends the Catholic faith as a true witness of Christ, confessing the name of Jesus boldly, never ashamed of the Cross.
Elizabeth became aware of the need for the New Evangelization while in the two years of her formation as a Marian Catechist and wrote over 200 published meditations on Sacred Scripture from the daily Liturgy of the Word for various Catholic websites, and following Jesus' example, now teaches through her own parables so that by sharing her stories through social media, might bring others closer to the heart of Christ. She is currently a regular columnist at Catholic365 and as a Marian Catechist, her spiritual life is the foundation of her writing.
She completed UCLA's Graduate Program With Honors and worked as a Paralegal for 32 years before retiring from Chrysler's Office of the General Counsel in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
