Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
(Sirach 17:20-24; Mark 10:17-27)
A recovering drug addict wrote from prison about how it
feels to have fallen from grace. He said
that sin causes deep and constant remorse in the addict. The sinner knows that he has failed not only
God but also his family and himself. Confession
indicates the sinner’s desire to be understood not so much as bad but as weak. He longs to be part of everyday society whose
members are much les dependent.
Today’s first reading addresses the situation of the
sinner. It begins by saying that “God
provides a way back” from sin. The way
“encourages those who are losing hope” by offering them the truth that human
beings are not alone in the struggle against evil. More than having one another, God is at hand
to assist them. God supplies the
essential difference to live with the sin purged and in peace with all.
Catholics have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to bring
about the desired transformation. It provides sinners opportunities to
recognize their offenses. The
priest-minister of the sacrament allows them to petition support from both God
and community. It also affords the
sinner a sense of participation in his redemption as it requires sinners to
make amends. Finally, it pronounces the
words of freedom, “I absolve you from your sins…”
