March 4/Friday after Ash Wednesday
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.” ~ Ps 51.5-6
There was once a nine-year-old boy, his teeth newly in braces, whose mother suspected that he was chewing bubble gum — against the orthodontist’s orders. Under gentle but persistent questioning, he repeatedly and vehemently denied it, right up until the minute when his mother spotted the offending wad of Bazooka in his trashcan. Whether we are nine or fifty-nine, it can be hard to admit that we’ve done something wrong — and even harder to apologize for it. Indeed, the older we get, the cleverer we become at pushing off our wrongdoing. We dismiss: “so what if I had a few beers and drove home?” We excuse: “he made an outrageous comment that I couldn’t ignore.” We rationalize: “it’s her fault for not paying enough attention to me.” Our litanies of self-exoneration can be long indeed. But if we truly want to turn back to God, to reset our lives, to reboot our souls, we have to begin with the truth. Yes, Lord, I shouldn’t have driven while buzzed. Yes, Lord, I should not have responded in anger. Yes, Lord, I should not have flirted at that party. We cannot repair the damage until we acknowledge it, and we cannot be healed until we admit that we are broken. Whatever our offenses – a petty spirit, an envious eye, a judgmental heart – these are what we must acknowledge and offer to God, trusting that he will forgive us abundantly and repeatedly. The means to mercy is not to defend, excuse, or ignore our mistakes and transgressions, but to humble ourselves with the truth, to say to God and to others, “I’m sorry – I was wrong.”
Lord Jesus Christ, Give me the humility and the moral courage to acknowledge my offenses both to you and to all those whom I have hurt. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030422.cfm
To hear Ensemble Correspondances sing “Miserere mei Deus,” by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S2JO4f2pxU
