Lenten Journey 2014: The Friday before Holy Week

Good evening, Internet. This evening I would like to talk about repentance. It's a pretty important theme in Lent, I mean, after the passion of Christ, repentance is one of the central themes in the season of Lent. I want to look at a well-known prayer of repentance found in the Scriptures. Psalm 51 (50 in the Latin Vulgate), is King David's most well-known Psalm, having to do with his repentance and detest of his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.

Traditionally, this Psalm has been referred to as the Miserere, taken from the opening words of the Psalm in Latin: Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. This prayer has been a source of consolation and contrition for millions of Christians in the entire world, for it deals with something that we as humans know all too well: sin. This Psalm strikes to the heart of our issue and forces us to accept something we wish were not true; namely that we will never be perfect in this earthly life. From the time we are born, we are destined for judgment, for we are born sinners (Ps. 51:5). When we sin, we offend God with what we have done, and have two options. Either we can remain in our sin and live in rebellion to God, or we can acknowledge our sin, and repent for having commited it. It really is up to the person. Scripture is filled with warnings and admonitions for both of these outcomes.

Let's take a look at both scenarios, one by one. Let's say that you, a Christian, commit a sin. You know full well that what you have done has offended God, but you are unwilling to repent and turn away from your sin, instead choosing to live a life in rebellion to God, continuing in a sinful lifestyle. What is the outcome? The author of Hebrews gives us this sombering admonition: "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31) But let's say that you, after having commited the sin, recognize what you have done, feel contrition for your actions, and repent to God, asking for His forgiveness and mercy. What can that person expect? The apostle St. John, in his first letter, gives us this assurance: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Repentance. It is a scary thing, for it forces us to have to deal with the monster that dwells within us, sin. And sin always brings death and separation from God. How much more blessed our lives could be if, when we commit a sin of any kind, realized that we have sinned against almighty God Himself, and pray for His mercy and forgiveness? So, as the days dwindle down until the beginning of Holy Week, let us remember the wonderful Gospel message: that Christ died to bring forgiveness of sins and everlasting life to all who would receive it. Christ died for you, dear reader, to forgive you of your sins. There is not one sin that Christ did not die for.

God bless,
Manny Tovar

(Here is a link to the Latin Vulgate's translation of Psalm 51: Psalm 50 in the Latin Vulgate)

         (Here is a beautiful rendition of Psalm 51 set to music)