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7 Sunday B |
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I was asked to be Chaplin to Religious Sisters for the Sacrament of Forgiveness. I didn’t feel worthy of this mission. I asked a Religious Sister friend for advice. She said ...Go. It will do you a lot of good, and you will meet some saintly people, and don’t go with a ‘puss’ on you I went .A new word had come on board at this time, called Penitential Service. The Sisters asked me to explain. I did my best saying that it was a kind of warm up for the Sacrament of Forgiveness. After the talk there were no questions, which wasn’t a good sign. I suggested that maybe we could have this service at Christmas or Easter. A dear sister in her eighties put up her hand and said, and that would be more than enough...translated meant ..will you stop talking about auld sins...put our your hand and bless us with God’s gracious forgiveness. I am sure that she got her theology from to-days Jesus Story. He says ‘My child your sins ARE forgiven’, and He repeats it a second time. We are forgiven before we confess, and always. God does not remember our sins. There are hints in the story that he was not liked in the community. His friends make a stretcher to carry him to Jesus, but the people would not give way; so they let him down through the roof. The man didn’t even ask Jesus, but Jesus praised his friends, asked no questions, but says ...My child, your sins are forgiven. I think that the children’s Forgiveness Prayer, catches the feel of God awesome mercy and compassion...The Prayer does not begin with my sins....It says ‘Thank You God for loving me. I am sorry for my sins for not loving other s and not loving You. Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
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