< <  

Friday, March 16, 2012

  > >
Hosea 14:2-10
Psalm 81:6-11, 14, 17
Mark 12:28-34

View Readings
Similar Reflections

guilty as charged

"Return, O Israel, to the Lord, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt." —Hosea 14:2

Guilt, sad to say, makes the world go round. Guilt is possibly the principal motivating force behind our economic system. Guilt dictates how we spend our time and money. Guilt rules supreme in our society. Our guilt will crush us; we will collapse under its weight unless we turn to Jesus. The Lord wants to stomp on our guilt and drown it in the depths of the sea (Mi 7:19). Jesus shed His precious blood and died on the cross to wash us thoroughly of our guilt and cleanse us of our sins (Ps 51:4).

If we confess our sins to God and one another, we are forgiven, healed, and set free from guilt. Sometimes we go to Confession and still feel guilty, especially in the area of sexual sin. This may indicate that we are trying to take control of our lives. For example, children, simple folk, and the poor rarely have excessive guilt because they live in situations where they cannot control but must trust. Those who feel compelled to control, those who have to understand everything, those who have planned for their retirement and insured their insurance policies — these people are prime candidates for crushing guilt.

Give up guilt for Lent and for life. Give the Master charge of your life.

Prayer:  Father, let it be done to me according to Your Word (Lk 1:38).

Promise:  "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." —Mk 12:29-30

Praise:  For several decades, Rico has read the Bible daily — on his knees.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape on Guilt, Guilt Trips, & Scrupulosity on audio AV 105-1 or video V-105.)

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 29, 2011

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.