Confessing the good and the bad

From the Desk of Father David

Dear Parishioners and Friends in Christ,

             Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches and His Father is the vine grower.  Prayer, Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, fasting and spiritual reading are ways that help us draw life from Jesus, the true vine.  Let us look at the Sacrament of Penance.  A young boy came into the confessional and after he told me his sins, he asked me if he could tell me some of the good things he had done.  I told him of course.  This child understood that when you are doing the Examination of Conscience your want to see the good and the bad you have done.  That is why you should ask for God’s guidance to see your life as He sees it and then begin your examination.  What you have done good you give thanks for and what is bad you ask for His forgiveness.  If you are only seeing your sins then you are not seeing as God sees.  For God sees the entire person, their joys, struggles, hopes, dreams, failures, and successes.  Too many times we focus only on our sins and that leads to discouragement, which leads us away from Christ.

Here is a prayer to pray before going to the Sacrament of Penance.  God our Father in heaven, send your Holy Spirit into my heart.  Point out my sins.  Supply the courage I need to confess them honestly.  Help me to believe you are always willing to forgive.  Remove my sin and guilt, fill me with peace, then send me away strong, free, and determined I will be better in the days ahead.  I ask for these things through Jesus, Your Son, who is my Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

Lord Jesus help us to entrust ourselves into Your Father’s loving hands so we can bear much fruit and experience life abundantly.

In Easter joy,

Fr. David