Here's my summary from this past confession (my husband is Catholic, and plays for our parish, but also plays for a Presbyterian church sometimes):
This morning I brought something to confession that I had read at another church's worship service.
It was a profound confession of allowing the profane to be a part of daily life, of being crude and profane in language, and of treating people badly. The way it was phrased made it easy to understand, showed me the excuses I make for my bad behavior. It also made it clear that these behaviors are bad habits that reveal the state of my soul to be shabby and mean.
I am not going to confession every week during Lent to polish my halo--what halo? I am going to confession every week to examine my faults in the presence of Christ, Who paid the price for them.
A lot of times, I decide that what I have done, said, thought, or failed to do wasn't that bad, just a venal sin. And sometimes, I have looked at my venal sins and decided they weren't that important to God. I've reassured myself that I'm no worse than anyone else, and I have deliberately let myself off the hook with a muttered, "Sorry, God."
Going along that path, I casually wave goodbye to the Cross of Christ, and go straight downhill to a comfortable, humorous, altogether amusing walk through the valley of the shadow of death...each venal sin is a step in the wrong direction, and I have made many. Turning back to Christ involves some uphill steps and a lot of sweat.
Christ, I am so sorry. I didn't follow Your Commandment, to treat others the way I want to be treated. One of the two greatest commandments, and I treated it like a joke.
Anyway, that's what I'm doing along with the spring housecleaning. Hope it makes sense.
Wow! Great statement, Judith Anne! I think you have summed up what we all do. We excuse ourselves. But Confession makes us come face to face with ourselves, in the presence of the Lord - and somehow, it's a lot harder to come up with that excuse then!
Have a blessed Lent.
What a splendid idea for 'housecleaning'.
Would it be possible if I could forward your post to my pastor? I am sure he would include it in one of his homilies.
Please accept my sincere thanks for your post. You have really helped me spiritually to address something in myself I have not even looked at seriously.
This is beautiful, Judith Anne. Thanks for sharing your insights with us.