We all carry the burden of sin with us. That weight is often increased by regret and shame after we have made a choice we wish we did not make. This weight increases in our soul and can drag us down. We are no longer nimble, but instead we can feel sluggish and encumbered by our past choices. Jesus urges us to give him these burdens today. Yet despite this offer, many of us choose to continue to carry the extra weight. Even though we are weighed down by our sins of the past, we have become so used to carrying this burden that we often feel uncomfortable without it.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us the opportunity to hand over this burden of sinfulness to the Lord. However, fear, anxiety and our past choices can still keep us from giving over this personal burden to Christ.
What steps can I take this week to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and hand over my personal burdens to Jesus?
—Brother Pat Douglas, S.J. lives and works at Creighton University, Omaha. He is also vocation promoter for the Wisconsin Province Jesuits.