The Art of Beginning Again - Part III

LA PARAULA ARA A LES LECTURES MASSIVES
per al 22 de novembre de 2017
Dimecres de la trenta-tercera setmana del temps ordinari
Memorial de Santa Cecília, màrtir

Textos litúrgics aquí

CONFIANÇA

L' El primer pecat d'Adam i Eva va ser no menjar la "fruita prohibida". Més aviat va ser que es van trencar confiar amb el Creador: confieu que Ell tenia els seus millors interessos, la seva felicitat i el seu futur a les seves mans. Aquesta confiança trencada és, fins ara, la Gran Ferida al cor de cadascun de nosaltres. És una ferida en la nostra naturalesa heretada que ens porta a dubtar de la bondat de Déu, del seu perdó, de la providència, dels dissenys i, sobretot, del seu amor. Si voleu saber fins a quin punt és greu, fins a quin punt és intrínseca aquesta ferida existencial per a la condició humana, mireu la Creu. Allà veieu el que era necessari per començar la curació d’aquesta ferida: que Déu mateix hauria de morir per reparar allò que l’home mateix havia destruït.^[1]cf. Per què Fe?

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who creu in him might not perish but might have eternal life. (John 3:16)

You see, it’s all about trust. To “believe” in God again means to trust His Word.

Els que estan sans no necessiten cap metge, però sí els malalts. No he vingut a cridar els justos al penediment, sinó als pecadors. (Lluc 5: 31-32)

So do you qualify? Of course. But many of us allow the Great Wound to dictate otherwise. Zacchaeus’trobada with Jesus revealed the truth:

El pecador que sent una privació total de tot allò que és sant, pur i solemne a causa del pecat, el pecador que, als seus ulls, es troba en una foscor absoluta, apartat de l’esperança de salvació, de la llum de la vida i de la comunió de sants, és ell mateix l’amic a qui Jesús va convidar a sopar, el que se li va demanar que sortís de darrere de les bardisses, el que va demanar que fos parella del seu casament i hereu de Déu ... Qui sigui pobre, famolenc, pecador, caigut o ignorant és el convidat de Crist. —Mateu el pobre, La Comunió d'Amor, p.93

The art of beginning again is really the art of developing an irrompible confiar in the Creator—what we call “fe".

In today’s Gospel, the Master leaves to attain for himself the kingship. Indeed, Jesus has ascended to the Father in Heaven in order to establish His Kingdom and reign en nosaltres. The “gold coins” that Christ has left us are contained in “the sacrament of salvation”,^[2]Catecisme de l'Església Catòlica, n. 780which is the Church and all she possesses in order to restore us to Him: His teachings, authority, and the Sacraments. Moreover, Jesus has given us the golden coins of grace, the Holy Spirit, the intercession of the Saints, and His own mother to assist us. There are no excuses—the King has left us "Tota benedicció espiritual al cel" ^[3]Eph 1: 2 in order to restore us to Him. If the “gold coins” are His gifts of grace, then “faith” is what we return with this investment through confiar i obediència.

Jesús és exigent, perquè desitja la nostra felicitat genuïna. —PAPA JOAN PAUL II, Missatge del Dia Mundial de la Joventut per al 2005, Ciutat del Vaticà, 27 d’agost de 2004, Zenit.org

But when the Master returns, he finds one of his servants cowering in fear and laziness, pity and self-love.

Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man… (Today’s Gospel)

This week, I had an email exchange with a man who has stopped going to the Sacraments because of his pornographic addiction. He wrote:

I am still struggling mightily for purity and my soul. I just can’t seem to beat it. I love God and our Church so very much. I want to be a better man so much, but no matter what I know I should do and learn from others like you, I am just stuck in this vice. I allow it to keep me from practicing my faith also, which is very damaging, but it is what it is. Sometimes I get inspired and think this is the time I truly change but alas I fall back once again.

Here is a man who has lost faith that God can forgive him one more time. Really, it is wounded pride that now keeps him from the confessional; self-pity that deprives him from the medicine of the Eucharist; and self-dependence that prevents him from seeing reality.

El pecador pensa que el pecat li impedeix buscar Déu, però és per això que Crist ha baixat per demanar l'home. —Mateu el pobre, La Comunió d’Amor, P. 95

Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. —PAPA FRANCIS, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 3

If you have to go to confession every week, cada dia, then go! This is not permission to sin, but admission that you are broken. One té to take concrete steps to never sin again, yes, but if you think you can liberate yourself without the help of the Liberator, then you are deceived. You will never find your true dignity unless you let God love you—as you are—so that you may become who you should be. It begins by learning the art of having an Invincible Faith in Jesus, which is trusting that one can begin again… and again and again.

My fill, tots els teus pecats no han ferit el meu cor tan dolorosament com ho fa la teva actual manca de confiança que després de tants esforços del meu amor i misericòrdia, encara hauries de dubtar de la meva bondat. —Jesus a Santa Faustina, Pietat divina en la meva ànima, Diari, núm. 1486

Do not take this love and mercy for granted, dear brothers and sisters! Your sin is not a stumbling block for God, but your lack of faith is. Jesus has paid the price for your sins, and is ready, always, to forgive again. In fact, through the Holy Spirit, He even gives you the gift of faith.^[4]cf. Ef 2:8 But if you reject it, if you ignore it, if you bury it under a thousand excuses… then, He who loved you unto death, will say when you meet Him face to face:

With your own words I shall condemn you… (Today’s Gospel)

I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire
so that you may be rich, and white garments to put on
so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed,
and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.
Per tant, sigueu seriosos i penedeu-vos.
(Apocalipsi 3: 18-19)

Continuarà…

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