Be Reconciled to God

As Lent approached I considered what I could do to make this Lenten season more fruitful. How could I grow closer to God and enter into Christ’s 40 days of fasting and prayer in the desert before his ultimate act of love, death on the cross? You hear all sorts of suggestions, what to give up, what to do, what not to do, etc. There are three areas that we are called to focus on; prayer, fasting and almsgiving but each of us is unique and we must personalize this journey. Giving up TV or social networking sites isn’t always a sacrifice which was highly recommended by a priest. I rarely even watch 2 hours of TV in a week or spend more than 5 minutes a day on Facebook so giving up these things wouldn’t impact me at all. Giving up something that will cause us to reflect on Christ several times a day when we deny ourselves of whatever it may be is a good choice. But no matter what we do, it should lead us into a deeper relationship with God. If we go through Lent without any conversion in our hearts than our actions are meaningless.

Do we have a desire to live a life of holiness? If so, we must repent and be reconciled to God. Reconciliation cannot occur unless we first acknowledge our sins and then seek God’s mercy. Self-knowledge is the basis of seeking forgiveness. We need to look at ourselves honestly and be willing to admit our faults, our imperfections, our willful acts and desires that allow evil to be experienced. The Sacrament of Penance is not merely the forgiveness of sins, we are called to a continual conversion, a transformation of our body and soul for the sake of unity with God and one another. We need to leave the confessional with the purpose to avoid sin, to die to the sins that imprison us through our own selfishness. One way to do this is to identify a virtue that counters the sin that we struggle with and practice that virtue. Absolution is more than a forgiveness of sin, it is the reception of us back into full communion with the Church. God longs for us to return to him with our whole heart. In today’s Psalm we pray for God mercy and we also ask him to create in us a new heart and to sustain our spirit so that we may continue to do what is right and holy in his sight.

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always; against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. A clean heart create for me, O God, and steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.” (Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17)