“Before You Ask Him” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
From all their distress God rescues the just. (Psalm 34:18b)
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7-15)
Piety
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Study
It’d weighed on me for four and a half months, a sin of impulse that had hurt no one but me. But I’d been without a spiritual director for going on three years, and it wasn’t something I wanted to plop on a priest I knew. Yes, I knew they'd heard it all and generally forget everything they hear in the confessional (what a charism!), but I kept finding excuses. And so the sin took up more and more space in my head and my soul. I was ashamed. I was embarrassed. I didn’t know how to explain what I had done without a lot of context, back story, and, well, excuses.
Then I ended up at an out-of-town conference that offered confession from a bevy of priests, only one of whom had any idea who I was. I walked into a little room. The priest’s back was to me. And in that holy space, I managed to articulate my error in about a hundred words. His absolution and assignment of penance took only a few more words than that. One Our Father later, I was free.
And as I said that Our Father, I thought about how silly I’d been. I’d thought I needed words, a lot of words, a self-damning but beautifully told narrative to receive the Lord’s forgiveness. I didn’t need to explain; He already knew what I needed. All I had to do was ask.
Action
Go to confession. Seriously, go to confession, even if you just went yesterday or haven’t been for years. You’ll be glad you did.
Image by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay
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