The Act of Contrition

There are many variations of the Act of Contrition.  Don't worry, they all work.  Here is a good version that I like to use:

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,
I have sinned against You whom I should love
above all things. I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance, to sin no more, and
to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.

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How to go to Confession

I know the idea of confessing your sins can be scary.  But let me assure you that thinking about confession is ALWAYS worse than actually confessing.

The best guide I found to going to confession is found here at Busted Halo.  I really can't add to it.  So I will repeating their information in this post:

• Before You Go
• Examine your conscience, that is, reflect on what sins you have committed. To guide you, just Google “examination of conscience” and you’ll find many resources to help you. It’s even alright to make a list to bring with you to confession if that helps.
• Introduction 
• When you come before the priest, begin by making the Sign of the Cross (praying the words out loud).
• Continue by saying, "Bless me, Father, I have sinned. It has been [how long] since my last confession. These are my sins...”
• Confession 
• List the sins you have committed that came to mind when doing your examination of conscience. 
• Don’t be too general (like, “I haven’t been a good person”), but a lot of detail is not necessary either (you don’t need to tell the whole story of how a sin came about). 
• If you’re not sure if something is a sin is, just ask the priest. This is not counseling, so unless you ask, the priest likely won’t give you advice. He’ll just move on to...
• Penance 
• The priest will suggest something for you to do or pray as a response to God’s mercy. You’ll have to remember what this is and do it after the confession is over, so pay attention.
• Contrition
• The priest will then ask you to pray the Act of Contrition, demonstrating your sorrow for your sins. This needs to be prayed out loud for the priest to hear, but need not adhere exactly to one formula. 
• Absolution
• Don’t get up to leave after that prayer, because the best part is yet to come: the priest will extend his hands in your direction and he will pray the Prayer of Absolution: “God, the Father of Mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
• You respond: "Amen."
• Conclusion
• The priest will then likely say something like, “God has freed you from your sin. Go in Peace.” To which you can respond: “Thanks be to God.”
• After You Leave
• Don’t forget to do your penance. If it is saying certain prayers, it’s best to do it right away in the church before you forget.

Other Things to Know

There will be a copy of the Act of Contrition in the confessional.  You don't have to have it memorized.

Ideally, you would go to confession during a church's listed times for reconciliation.  However, you can ask the priest for the sacrament at other times.

Lastly, DO NOT BE AFRAID!  I know that you think the priest will think you are unbelievably evil...don't flatter yourself!  You are not that original!  You can't invent a new sin.  In fact, you won't be able to tell the priest something he hasn't heard before! 

So go enjoy Reconciliation and receive God's forgiveness for your sins!

(I will be posting additional posts on what Reconciliation is and why you need it soon!)

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The Sum of All Christianity

What if I told you that I could summarize all of Christianity in 5 words?
- Everything.
- The Bible.
- The Catechism.
- The life of Christ.
- The history of the Church.
- All of it.
Would you want to know the words?

The Greatest Commandment

Jesus was once tested by a Pharisee.  The following dialogue took place:

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." ~ Matthew 22:34-40

This same conversation is also seen in Mark 12:28-31 and Luke10:25-28.  It is commonly called the Greatest Commandment.  And rightfully so!  Straight from the mouth of God Himself, this commandment sums up everything...It captures each and every one of the 613 laws of the Old Testament...It captures the 10 Commandments...It captures the golden rule...It captures all of the teachings of Jesus Christ.


Five Words

And this Greatest Commandment can be stated in five words: Love God, Love Thy Neighbor

That's it. Those five words summarize ALL of Christianity.

• Want to be the best version of yourself?  Love God and love your neighbor.
• Want to glorify Jesus?  Love God and love your neighbor.
• Want eternal life?  Love God and love your neighbor.

No complicated formula, no list of rules, just two requests in five words.
And yet the ramifications of these five words are infinite.


A New Perspective

Now ask yourself what your life would look like if you truly lived these five words.  Imagine if everyone truly grasped these five words.  Heck, imagine the transformation if just Christians (2.5 billion) understood them.  The world would become a paradise overnight!

I struggle to live these five words as I should.  We all struggle in our effort to live these five words.  And it's frustrating because the words are so simple and yet we find it almost impossible to live them out.

Some wrestle with the selflessness required to live these words.  Others have lost their way and forgotten the true meaning of the words.  And some have never even heard these words.

Looking at things from this perspective, the entirety of Catholicism can be summed up as an effort to spread these five words and explain them.  The Bible can be viewed as a library of books attempting to communicate the truth contained within these five words.  In fact, the reason God had to send Jesus down to Earth was so He could tell us these five words plainly and show us what it meant to live these five words.


The Lesson


God has shed blood, sweat, and tears trying to teach this to us.

As Christians, we need to remember to not get lost in the details, implications, and rules.  Keep these five words at the forefront of your thoughts and use it to shape your understanding of the faith.

And next time, when sharing your faith, start with these five words.  (It is a culture of sound bites after all.)  Our faith is simple in complexity, and yet, universal in application.  It is beautiful.  And more people should know it.

"Love God, Love Thy Neighbor"

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Ash Wednesday

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is the official beginning of the season of Lent.

What is required of me on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence (from meat).

What happens on Ash Wednesday?

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.  In addition, a special rite is performed where the faithful receive ashes on their foreheads.

What is the purpose of the ashes?

In Biblical times, ashes were used as a sign of mourning.  We receive the ashes to remind us that we are entering a season of penance focusing on, and preparing for, Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

In addition, the ashes are a symbol of our mortality.  They serve as a reminder that we will die and are reliant upon God's grace and mercy.  "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." ~ Genesis 3:19



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A Real Man Acts Like a Father

In my last post, I recalled the various definitions of what it meant to be a man that I had held as I grew up.  In this post, I want to share my current theory on what a man really is.

Discovery

There I was, sitting in a drive thru lane for Bill Miller's BBQ and, once again, I was wrestling with the definition of what it meant to be a man.  I decided to start at zero and look at what I knew.

• I knew a real man was strong enough to help others who needed help (Able)
• I knew a real man put the needs of others before himself (Selfless)
• I knew a real man stood up for what was right regardless of the situation (Righteous)

While these are all noble and good (and I would struggle to just accomplish these), they still lacked a unifying theme and let too much fall through the cracks.  

And then I had a realization!

All three of these characteristics described described characteristics that an ideal father would possess!  Think about the archetypal father figure.  He is definitely able, selfless, and righteous.  But he was other things as well...strong, wise, caring, a protector, a provider and more!  

And every single quality I listed for a father also described how a man should act!  I was thrilled.  This theory works!  (For now.)

My New Definition

A real man acts like a father.

That does not mean a real man must have children.  Nor does it mean that every male with children is a man.  

What is does mean, is that a real man lives in the world as we would envision a father to live in his home.  

• He treats the people he meets with love, 
• the places he encounters with respect, 
• and the things he does with pride.  

A real man would have to be confident enough and strong enough to not only put others before himself, but also have the bravery to put himself "out there", risking backlash for doing the right thing.

In short, acting as a father to the world requires one to be incredibly manly.

Implications

The beauty of this comparison is that it explains a theory I can barely grasp, much less communicate, with an idea that is well-known and familiar to everyone.  It keeps scenarios from falling through the cracks and it definitely has a unifying theme.

Using this archetypal father as a new role model sounds exhausting.  It requires so much love.

I will write again after I have kicked the tires a bit more.  

In the mean time.  I would love to hear your thoughts!

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