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<\/p>\nLENTEN RETREAT
\nDay\u00a09<\/p>\n
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THE <\/strong>first path by which the Lord can begin to transform a soul is opened when that person, seeing themselves in the light of truth, acknowledges their poverty and need for Him in a spirit of humility. This is a grace and gift initiated by the Lord Himself\u00a0who loves the sinner so much, that He seeks him or her out, most especially when they are enclosed in the darkness of sin. As Matthew the Poor wrote…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sinner thinks that sin prevents him from seeking God, but it is just for this that Christ has descended to ask for man!<\/strong> \u2014The Communion of Love<\/em>, p. 95<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Jesus comes to the sinner, knocking on his or her heart, with a hand that was pierced for their sins.<\/p>\n Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Hearing this knock, Zacchaeus came down from his tree, and immediately, repented of his sins<\/em>. It was then, in the confession of his sins in sincere contrition, that Jesus said to him:<\/p>\n Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:9-10)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The second path, then, by which the Lord is able to enter a soul and continue the work of grace is repentance, <\/em>true sorrow\u00a0for one’s sins:<\/p>\n Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matt 3:4)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n That is, they shall be comforted when, in true sorrow, they confess their sins before the Great Tribunal of Mercy, the Holy Trinity, in the presence of Their representative, a priest.\u00a0Jesus instructed St. Faustina:<\/p>\n Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy<\/span><\/em><\/strong> [the Sacrament of Reconciliation]. There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.<\/em><\/strong> \u2014Divine Mercy in My Soul, <\/em>Diary, n. 1448<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So today, brothers and sisters, hear the invitation\u2014the strong<\/em> call\u2014to return with fervor and frequency to the Sacrament\u00a0of Reconciliation. Somewhere along the line,\u00a0the idea took hold among many faithful that it is\u00a0only necessary to go to Confession once a year. But as John Paul II said, this falls short of what is necessary to grow in holiness. In fact, he recommended weekly <\/em>Confession.<\/p>\n …those who go to Confession frequently, and do so with the desire to make progress” will notice the strides that they make in their spiritual lives. “It would be an illusion to seek after holiness, according to the vocation one has received from God, without partaking frequently of this sacrament of conversion and reconciliation.” <\/span><\/strong>\u2014POPE JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Penitentiary conference, March 27th, 2004; catholicculture.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n There, he said, the penitent “lays bare his conscience because of the deep need to be pardoned and reborn.” [1]<\/sup><\/a>Ibid.<\/span><\/span>\n
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