Today we must learn once more how to acknowledge guilt, we must
shake off the illusion of being innocent. We must learn how to do
penance, to let ourselves be transformed; to reach out to the other
and to let God give us the courage and strength for this renewal.
Today, in this world of ours, we need to rediscover the Sacrament of
Penance and Reconciliation. The fact that it has largely disappeared
from the daily life and habits of Christians is a symptom of a loss of
truthfulness with regard both to ourselves and to God; a loss that
endangers our humanity and diminishes our capacity for peace.
Saint Bonaventure was of the opinion that the Sacrament of Penance
was a sacrament of humanity as such, a sacrament that God had
instituted in its essence immediately after original sin through the
penance he imposed on Adam, even though it could only take on its
full shape in Christ, who is the reconciling power of God in person
and who took our penance upon himself. In fact, the unity of sin,
repentance and forgiveness is one of the fundamental conditions for
being truly human: these conditions find complete expression in the
sacrament, yet in their deepest roots they are part of the experience
of being human persons as such.
-Benedict XVI, Address to Roman Curia, 21 Dec 2009
Confession makes us more human
Have the courage to be sincere
Who among us has not experienced insecurity, disorientation, and even doubt along the path of faith? We have all experienced this; I have too, it forms part of the path of faith, the path of our lives. None of this should surprise us, because we are human beings, marked by our frailty and limits. ... We are all fragile, we all have limits. Do not be afraid. We all have them. Even in these difficult moments, it is necessary to trust in the help of God, through filial prayer and, at the same time, it is important to find the courage and the humility to open ourselves to others."
--Pope Francis, Wednesday Audience, 27 Oct 2013
http://www.romereports.com/palio/pope-in-general-audience-be-humble-enough-to-ask-for-help-when-you-have-doubts-english-11474.html#.UnGwJ3BkN8E
Face problems squarely--they are sent by God
Reflecting on the liturgy of the Word on the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Pope drew a lesson from an episode in the life of the early Christian community. The passage describes the Greeks and Jews arguing over practical necessities: in particular, the aid to be given to widows.
Pope Francis commented that, rather than openly address the problem, their first reaction is one of whispered criticism and gossip.
“But this does lead to any solution, this does not give solutions. The Apostles, with the help of the Holy Spirit, responded well: they summoned the group of disciples and spoke to them. And this is the first step: when there are difficulties, we need to look closely at them, and confront them and speak about them. But never hide them”.
Pope Francis noted this is what the Apostles did: they did not hide the problem, but assessed it, made a decision without equivocating. Having understood that their first duty “was prayer and ministry of the Word”, they appointed deacons who would assist them in the ministry of service.
The Holy Father continued this theme, referring to the Gospel of the day in which Jesus rescues the disciples from the stormy lake:
“We must not be afraid of problems: Jesus himself said to his disciples: ‘It is I. Do not be afraid’. In life’s difficulties, with problems, with new things that we must face: the Lord is always with us. We may make mistakes, certainly, but he is always with us and says: ‘You made a mistake, now get back on the right path (…) Masquerading life, disguising life, is not a very good way to behave: no no. Life is what it is, that’s the reality. It’s exactly as God wants it to be, or as God allows it to be, it is what it is, and we have to accept it as it is. And the Spirit of the Lord will give us the solution to our problems.”
“It is”, the Pope said, using an effective metaphor that is dear to him “a little like the goalkeeper of the team, isn't it? He grabs the ball wherever it comes from. This is the reality.”
Pope Francis repeated the words of Jesus to his disciples: “It is I, do not be afraid!” In our darkest moments, when we don’t know what to do, we must always remember these words of Jesus. Thus, concluded Pope Francis, we should learn to take life as it comes with the help of the Holy Spirit. “In this way we can move forward, certain of being on the right path”:
“We ask the Lord for this grace: to not be afraid, to not falsify life, to take life as it comes and look to resolve problems as the Apostles did, and also seek out the encounter with Jesus who always at our side, even in the darkest moments of life”.
-http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/13/pope_francis:_learning_to_take_life_as_it_comes,_the_good_with_the_bad/en1-682625
-http://www.news.va/en/news/no-gossip-no-fear
4 ... Qui autem iudicat me, Dominus est!
5 Itaque nolite ante tempus quidquam iudicare, quoadusque veniat Dominus, qui et illuminabit abscondita tenebrarum et manifestabit consilia cordium; et tunc laus erit unicuique a Deo.
4 It is the Lord who judges me.
5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God.
(I Corinthians 4:4-5)