Vol II: The Penitent Christian
Excerpt from a Sermon by Fr. Francis Hunolt
The Nature of a Purpose of Amendment
I do not mean to say that it is always an infallible sign of an inefficacious purpose for one to relapse into the same sins. Past sins, (even grievous ones), may be committed again, after some time, or under the pressure of a great temptation or occasion. Our wills, alas, are inconstant and changeable, so that today we may be honestly determined to do the will of God, and tomorrow, quite differently disposed. What I say holds good chiefly of those who spend months and years in the same vices, showing no sign of amendment from one confession to another, and making no use of the proper means to correct their bad habits. Of such people I say that they have not a firm purpose of amendment, no matter what they say to the contrary in confession, for their actions contradict their words. Hence, there must be an earnest determination to avoid all sin.
II. There must be a firm purpose to avoid all sin for all time and under all circumstances. God accepts no temporary armistice; if you wish to be reconciled to him, you must declare with him a peace which is to last forever. You must be resolved at the present moment never again to commit a single mortal sin, under any circumstances whatever. At the present moment, I say; for your purpose (no matter how strong it may be), cannot keep you from sinning in the future; but your will must be so disposed that you are firmly determined as long as your good purpose lasts, that mortal sin shall be incompatible with it; and if it lasted for eternity, it would be impossible for you ever to commit a mortal sin. God wishes to make a lasting peace with you; he will not be satisfied with half of your heart. In virtue of your purpose, you must be firmly resolved to avoid all the proximate occasions of sin, to overcome all bad desires and inclinations, and to fulfil all the obligations that arise from sin. If you have not a firm resolution to that effect, your purpose is of no use, and your confession is invalid.
There are many who purpose to avoid sinful acts, yet retain their evil desires and inclinations. As a sick man, who abstains from certain articles of food and drink, solely because the physician obliges him to do so, meanwhile, eagerly desires the forbidden meats; so, would-be penitents often hunger after their past excesses and rejoice secretly in the recollection of past forbidden pleasures which they have only abandoned perforce.
They wish they had made more use of the opportunities formerly offered them of
indulging their passions; they regard as happy those who still gratify themselves in that way. They wish that it were not forbidden, but lawful, to indulge in such pleasures; and they are so disposed, that, if there were no hell, they would sin without scruple. They do not fear sin, nor offending God, but solely hell-fire.
This being a mere slavish fear, which does not fully exclude the will to commit sin, therefore, does not suffice for a true conversion. Nay, to be thus disposed, to say, for instance, if impurity were not forbidden under pain of hell, I would commit it, is a new mortal sin; because it is a purpose of offending God if there were no hell, as well as a real complacency in and desire for the sinful action. O sinner, how can you thus treat your good God? You give him your heart as you would give your money to a cut-throat who threatens your life. “Here,” you say, “take all my money, but spare my life!” while you think in your heart that, if he had not a dagger pointed at your throat, you would be very far from parting with your purse so easily. “Here,” you say to God, “here is my will and the assurance of my obedience; I must obey thee and abandon sin; but if had not hell to fear, if I could live forever, then I know what I should do!” Away with such purposes of amendment! They are of no avail to the forgiveness of sin!
They do not completely abandon sin who do not give up the proximate occasions and results of sin: I mean, those ill-gotten gains, those improper intimacies, all those things which have been a scandal and a frequent cause of sin to themselves and others. Some men, not satisfied with the sins they commit themselves, leave, as it were, an inheritance of sin to their descendants. So, an unchaste man, who cannot any longer gratify his passions, dies; but he leaves behind him bad books, lewd pictures, and statues enough to corrupt the living. A vindictive man dies; but he leaves behind him a legacy of hatred stamped in the memories of his children, by his oft repeated expressions of rancour against his enemy. An avaricious man dies; but he leaves to his heirs a load of unjust and usurious gains that is sufficient to damn them. All these people make bad confessions; their sorrow is useless, their purpose vain, the absolution they receive invalid!
What a blessing it would be, what a consolation for the confessor, what a splendid proof of an earnest purpose of amendment, if the penitent could always say with truth: “Father, I am seriously resolved to amend, and, in order to prove my sincerity, here are ‘the heads’ of my sins. I have wronged my neighbour, but I have made complete restitution. I have the money here that belongs to him. Can you tell me how to restore it without exposing my good name?” or, “I have lived in improper intimacy for so long with a certain person; but that person is now gone away, or, I have left the house in which I used to sin;” or, “For some months past I have not spoken a word to one whom I disliked, but we are now reconciled.” Oh, what a splendid proof of a sincere resolution to amend!
But, alas, that proof is not always at hand! Alas! In that Day of Wrath when the “Written Book shall be produced;” when that great account-book shall be opened, out of which the thoughts, words, and actions of all men shall be judged—how many confessions and absolutions we shall then find rejected by the Judge, although, in the opinion of men, they were valid!
Then, we shall see the truth of the words, “Many are called, but few chosen” (St. Matthew 20: 16), even amongst those who were judged to be repentant sinners.
“Pour out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord” (Lam. 2: 19), is again my conclusion. O sinner, if you wish to be truly converted to God, pour out your heart like water, not like oil, so that no grievous sin may remain in it. Pour out your heart like water, not like money out of a purse. And why? If you let your money fall, you can stoop down, and pick it up; but if you pour out water on the ground, it is absorbed by the earth, and you can never recover it. In making your purpose of amendment, pour out with your sins, all the will, desire, or hope of returning to them again, crying out with St. Paul: “For I am sure that neither death nor life nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Rom. 8: 38, 39.) Amen.
Source: http://www.JMJsite.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment