How can anyone be
sure that one can even stay on the right course, go the right way, the way of
the Christian? "The Way."
This world is full
of temptations and the earth's so called "ruler", albeit weakened in
defeat since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is still "diabolical" as Biblically revealed to us, and does not appear to be the sort of candidate
looking after our spiritual welfare (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12;
1 John 5:19).
Fortunately, a whole
lot better news than this is also Biblically revealed to us.
In the meantime, in
the day to day struggle against sin we all want to know how to persevere: "What is the remedy? Not nature, only grace."
writes Benedict Baur in Frequent Confession: Its Place in the Spiritual Life.
So where does one
inherit such grace?
For me and millions
of other Catholics around the globe the answer is found in the sacraments
instituted by Jesus Christ.
What are the sacraments?
They are physical
manifestations, they are outward signs, for sinners and pious alike, instituted
by Christ, to give grace.
These are called sacraments.
The sacraments I have
personally received through the Catholic
Church are:
- Eucharist, (scroll down after clicking the link)
- Confirmation, (scroll down after clicking the link)
- Matrimony (scroll down after clicking the link)
Catholics believe there are
only two others: Anointing of Sick (for
the gravely or terminally ill) and Holy Orders (for men consecrated to the
priestly life).
Are these sacraments really for
sinners? Yes especially sinners.
Remember the gospel
story of the
prodigal son? The great love the
father had for the prodigal son returning home after squandering the family
inheritance during a life of debauchery and licentious living? (Lk
15:11-32) The father lavishes his repentant son with gifts and a
feast. This is how much God loves you and me!
"The Beat Goes On" is my own
personal testimony to exactly this: God's unqualified love for the repentant
sinner. Unqualified meaning "no
strings attached!" Despite my long
spell of sinful transgressions and separation from God, I am not only accepted
back into the fold but abundantly blessed with mercy, compassion, forgiveness,
and all the while, showered with life
renewing grace.
In the sacrament of Catholic
confession, one tells one's sins to a priest.
One keeps a contrite heart and a sincere resolve to change ones ways so
that "what is above all given to us is an increase of healing grace,
what theologians call gratia sanans." writes Baur.
Otherwise, says
Baur, left to our own devices, one can only "rely on his own proud and
egoistic interpretation of his experience and the events of his life. He has to trust his own covetous self-seeking
and his boundless self-centeredness and his hatred for everything that
contradicts his own will. He is the
unfortunate man of whom it is written:
"To will is present with me, but to accomplish that which is good,
I find not. For the good which I will, I
do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do….I find then a law, that when
I have a will to do good, evil is present with me….Unhappy man that I am!" (Rom
7:18-24)
I don't know about
you but probably like me, in pursuit of happiness, we've both already tried,
God help us, the many different alternatives our modern heathen society offers:
lifestyles, material acquisitions, career ambitions, you name it.
But I hope one day
too, you can testify along with me, in light of the truth found in the Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit, all the rest is just emptiness and injury at worst
and back to the starting point at best -I pray that our confessions may be testimony
to posterity!
What other way is there? None!
What other way is there? None!
No comments:
Post a Comment