Confessions Dear souls, confession is good for the soul, especially when done before God alone; before His representative in the sacrament of reconciliation; confession is good; but, sometimes, we need to share those things that can be shared openly. I am thinking of a passage that follows our last treatment of this little letter: “And these things we write to you, that you may rejoice, and your joy may be full. And this is the declaration, which we have heard from him, and declare unto you: That God is light, and in him there is no darkness. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1st Epistle of St. John 1: 4-10) We need to acknowledge our sins. I have sinned in thought, and in word and deed through my life. But, GOD has been gracious and remembers my sins no more, even though I seem to be unable to forget them, because of the shame of their pass arrogance. I think of being misunderstood and how I sinned by not communicating better. I think of the arrogance of my youth; my attention to “becoming something” and the selfish intentions of that arrogance of my youth. We think of our having offended others; and how others have shown the pain and how it is now too late to even seek them out; for they are gone from this earth. We also think of this: Abba Evagrius said: “While you sit in your cell, draw in your mind, and remember the day of your death. And then you will see your body mortifying. Think on the loss, feel the pain. Shrink from the vanity of the world outside. Be retiring, and careful to keep your vow of quiet, and you will not weaken. Remember the souls in hell. Meditate within on their condition, the bitter silence and the moaning, the fear and the strife, the waiting and the pain without relief, the tears that cannot cease to flow. Remember too the day of resurrection, imagine God’s terrible and awful judgment. Bring into your sight the confusion of sinners before God and his Christ, before angels and archangels and powers, and all the human race: punishment, everlasting fire, the worm that never dies, the darkness of Tartarus and above them all the sound of the gnashing of teeth, fearfulness and torments. Bring before your eyes the good laid up for the righteous, their confidence before God the Father and Christ his Son, before angels and archangels and the powers, and all the people: the kingdom of heaven and its gifts, joy and rest. All this remember. Weep and lament for the, judgment of sinners, bring to life the grief they suffer; be afraid that you are hurrying towards the same condemnation. Rejoice and exult at the good laid up for the righteous. Aim at enjoying the one, and being far from the other. Do not forgot it, whether you arc in your cell or abroad. Keep these memories in your mind and so cast out of it the sordid thoughts which harm you,” (from the Apophthegmata patrum, selected) We know dear ones that God has purposed our Salvation in Christ Jesus; and to as many as received Him to them gave He the authority to become the sons of God. (Gospel of St. John 1: 12) Remember this. Our lives are short. The little soul sees this more daily, especially when suffering pains of the flesh and mind; the emptiness of mankind’s efforts to save himself; the total reliance we have upon the Son of God; the absolute trust we must have in Jesus for our own Salvation and that of His Church. So, when the little soul confesses his sins; he realizes the Sinless One that saves his littleness; helping this little soul to become in Jesus a better one than he was before jesus found him in the mud and dirt of life. Thanks, therefore, is always our expression to God then for the unspeakable Gift we have in our Beloved LORD and Savior, Christ Jesus. Abba Anthony the sinner ----- maryinwilderness.org/desertwind/551
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 03:39:10 +0000
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