De Teti-Four: Reconciliation

Saturday for di Wik Five for Lent

Imagine say you spend di whole day dey work hard for garden under hot sun. After that kind work, nothing dey refresh person pass to baff and wear clean cloth. Na so e still be with di soul. After you don work for di field of dis world, whether for your workplace, inside your family, or among people for your wider community, sin go surely stain you—e fit no be serious sin, but at least venial sins and things wey never perfect for your spiritual life. When dese sins turn habit, dem dey stain us even more. And if di sin na mortal sin, di dirt plenty well-well.

God want make you clean. E want make you free. E no want see His son or daughter sink inside dirt and shame. Na why E give us di glorious Sacrament of Reconciliation.

As you don dey reflect on di Seven Capital Sins for dese past days, e fit be say you don dey see your own particular sins more clearly. To admit our sins no be shame. Na to deny and hide our sins dey bring shame. Souls wey humble dey cry to God for mercy, and dem dey readily confess their weaknesses, including their sins, especially di ones wey don turn habit or wey serious.

Lent na time wey we dey seek to become new again for our spiritual life, and nothing fit renew us pass di cleansing power of di Sacrament of Reconciliation. For that sacrament, God dey touch your soul and clean am from everything wey dey weigh you down. E dey bring freedom and peace, and E dey help you start again.

Confession na really where conversion dey start, because e dey wipe away di guilt of sin. But di Church dey teach say even after God don clean di “guilt” of sin from one soul, “punishment wey dey last for some time” still remain. Na why confession na only di starting point for di freedom wey you dey desire.

Punishment wey dey last for some time na another way to talk say sin dey form habits, and unless person change those habits, e fit fall into di same sins again. Person dey change sinful habits through conversion and purification of di mind and will. Dis dey happen through prayer, choices wey follow virtue, grace, and penance. One reason why dem dey give person penance after confession na to remind am say e need go change im ways, now wey im sin don receive forgiveness.

According to tradition, di Church don provide plenty ways to receive indulgence, wey be one spiritual act wey dey bring all di grace wey person need to gain freedom from di “punishment wey dey last for some time wey sins deserve” (see Catechism of di Catholic Church #1471). Indulgence na one way wey God dey guarantee say all di grace wey you need to change completely dey available to you. Whether you go accept and use that grace or not na your choice.

If you never get opportunity to confess all your sins well dis Lent, look inside your soul for di desire wey you get to truly dey free from sin. As you discover that desire, reflect on am again and again. Allow that desire grow inside you and become di thing wey go move you to celebrate God forgiveness for Reconciliation. If you don confess all your sins well and with sincere heart, reflect on di cleansing power of that holy act. Rejoice for di gift wey you don receive, and try correct every bad habit wey still remain, so that your freedom go increase and your joy go plenty.

My Lord wey dey forgive, Your Sacred Heart na Heart of perfect mercy. You no hold anything back from us; instead, You dey give us all wey You be and all wey You get from di overflowing abundance of Your perfect love. Abeg, give me di grace wey I need to humble myself before You, as I acknowledge and confess my sin, so that I go find freedom, peace and joy, and then work to overcome all bad habits and situations wey fit easily lead me into sin. Thank You for Your abundant mercy! Jesus, na You I trust.