John 1:1-14 (English Standard Version)
The Word Became Flesh 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and*** the life was the light of men.*** 5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
A few thoughts:
- In my home in Louisiana…we get those flash-floods from massive and powerful thunderstorms. When those waters come rushing down our red clay dirt roads…they carve in the soil ruts and grooves…some are pretty rough and deep…you can barely walk on them…driving is a slow tedious process. Get the picture?
- Okay, our soul is like that road…even after the rains (all sins)…the flash floods (mortal sins) are gone (forgiven and removed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation–Jesus’ forgiving us through his priest–in persona Christi)…the soul is still heavily cratered by the devastation our sins, especially mortal sins, have inflicted on the soul.
- So going back to the Sacrament more frequently…we allow the Holy Spirit of our Redeemer to get to the root of the sins especially past serious/mortal sins…always rooted in pride, vanity or sensuousness…in some form or another. What we are really doing (always and completely by the graces of God’s Holy Spirit–all we do is be humble and cooperate with the Holy Spirit) is letting the Light of Christ (see John 1: 4-5 above) come into the deepest recesses of our Soul…recesses that we can’t even begin to see or understand because it is a deep darkness…but"… ***the darkness has not overcome it…" ***( “it”–the light and life of Jesus). We must let in the light to get into the deep darkness of our soul for the healing…the Holy Spirit will…(see Romans 8:26 below)
Romans 8:26 (English Standard Version) 26Likewise*** the Spirit helps us in our weakness***. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
- Saint Catherine of Siena says that we should go into the basement of our soul and don’t come out until we have a holy hatred of "self"! I believe that she was getting at this “darkness” which we all have deep in our soul…in some shape or fashion…but hide from it or use platitudes and “Pharisee” type spiritual devotions to “justify” our selves. remember the parable Jesus told…Pharisee and Tax Collector…
Luke 18:9-20 (English Standard Version)
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9 He also told this parable to some
who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but*** the one who humbles himself will be exalted***."
- The great gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the forgiveness of the sin…but the hidden greater gift (where real peace and joy come from)…is when we humble ourselves in total honesty before Jesus–in the person of his priest–owning up to every aspect of our sinfulness–especially getting to confessing the “root cause” of our sinful habits or addictions…the Holy Spirit really goes to work…Let The Healing Begin! Amen!
This has been my experience… and I hope this helps you in some small way.
Pax Christi
