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by Rev. Fr. V.V. Paulose, Toronto, Canada
"Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son." (Luke :15:21)
Have you, at any time, cried with remorse and
repentance?
Even the hardest minds will soften when hearing these meaningful words in the
English language – thank you, excuse me, sorry, and I love you. Rare use of
these words has made humans more inhuman. In each person, there is a moral
compass of individual conscience created by God to discern what is pure and what
is impure. Each time we ignore the voice of the inner man (conscience), we lose
the sensitivity and power to hear the voice of God. Our heart will become
hardened like Pharaoh in the Bible, making us fit for God's wrath. We should not
postpone saying sorry to people whom we have hurt in any way. We lose nothing
when we apologize but only stand to gain goodwill and happiness.
The Bible records a colorful variety of examples, including the episode of king
David. He sent a soldier to his death so that he could marry his widow
Bathsheba. Subsequently, he displayed remorse and repented for his act. He
publicly acknowledged his wrong doing.
Today, it is rare to see people accepting and apologizing for their mistakes.
This is a dangerous situation of self-destruction. Confession tables are empty
waiting for patrons. You find arrogance everywhere - homes, work places, worship
centers etc. - everybody thinks they are infallible and want to live life on
their own terms.
A classic example to emulate is the British Prime Minister, David Cameron who
made an apology to the families of victims of Bloody Sunday. In 1972, thirteen
Catholic demonstrators in Northern Ireland were killed when British soldiers
opened fire on a group of protestors. In June, after a 12 year investigation, it
was confirmed indisputably that the protestors were unarmed. So the Prime
Minister offered a public apology on behalf of the country in the British House
of Commons. He said, "You don't defend the British army by defending the
indefensible." Cameron went on to say, "What happened on bloody Sunday was both
unjustified and unjustifiable."
Don't forget and be ashamed to say sorry for your mistakes. This will enhance
your spirit and vitality. Let us examine ourselves on a daily basis and make
sure that we owe no apologies to anyone. Let us be prompt in apologizing for our
mistakes.
Jesus, let us have the mind of penitence for our
sins. Please reveal to us those who are still in pain and keeping a grudge due
to our wrongdoings and sins. Let us have the courage to ask for their
forgiveness. We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
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