Memorial of Saint Theodore Guerin, Foundress

Saint Theodore Guerin

 Lectionary: 459

Justice is with the Lord, our God;
and we today are flushed with shame,
we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,
that we, with our kings and rulers
and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,
have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed him.

Several years ago, I attended a dojo where, with a group of white belts, black belts, and several other colors, I practiced karate. I was permitted to wear a white belt, though I never earned it, and took my place on a tatami. Next to me was a young woman wearing a black belt, while a sensei taught us the basics of the art.  In every sport, in every artistic expression, in every communication skill, and certainly in the life of the spirit, we must return time and time again to the basics. 

A house built on a less-than-solid foundation is doomed to collapse sooner or later, and probably sooner. And so must the Christian who doesn't practice the basics. Everyone must hear the Lord's first command in the earliest Gospel, "Repent!” (Mark 1:15)

American Catholics who fail to practice penance may be good Americans, but they're kidding themselves about being Catholic. Anyone can go to any Christian church and call it "Going to Church." We begin the Mass by publicly admitting we have sinned. We never approach the altar without confessing we are not worthy. We celebrate two penitential seasons each year, Advent and Lent; more than seven of fifty-two weeks. The Roman Catholic Church, with characteristic mildness, insists that we confess our sins at least once a year; but it recommends a more intense practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

That observance must be intentional and intense. It's too easy to elide over habitual sins, and those unacceptable attitudes and opinions that most people consider quite acceptable. How many times have we learned that we can no longer use certain demeaning words -- now considered unprintable -- in reference to certain individuals? 

Nor can we dismiss the warnings as "woke" or "politically incorrect." An insult is an insult in any language; and not every joke is funny. Some are quite vicious. And yes, we are held responsible for mistakes that should never be made. 

Nor can we say, "If it was okay then, it's okay now." It was never okay. If I inherit a sin of the past and repent, I don't judge my ancestors. But I do pray that my descendants will think kindly of me when they remember my sins. (By 2050, they might say, "What was he thinking when he drove a fossil-burning car? He should have had an electric car!")

The practice of daily examen invites one to ask, "Were my actions, words, and thoughts guided by the Holy Spirit today?" It is the most reliable way to discover and own my sins. Seeing my guilt, I can ask, "How serious was it? What was I thinking? Whose spirit was driving me?" 

Those who practice the basics no longer pretend to be without sin. They turn to God with all the more confidence and thank God for remaining with us.