If there is one thing that all of humanity has in common, it is making mistakes and poor choices. Some people have completely abandoned the road to Heaven and have chosen a path that will ultimately lead to destruction. Others, are trying to do the right thing, but continue to slip up over and over. However, one more thing that we all have in common is that we are children of a very loving God who wants to see us all in His house in Heaven.
The severity of the mistakes that people make varies, but there is only one sin that is unforgivable. The one sin that Jesus says is unforgivable is the sin against the Holy Spirit. This is when a sinner refuses the mercy of God and doesn’t seek forgiveness. People fall into despair all the time because they did something bad and they feel like they aren’t worthy of forgiveness. They may think that their sin is too great or they may doubt in the mercy of God. Judas would’ve been forgiven if He just asked Jesus for forgiveness. Instead, he let despair take over and refused to even seek forgiveness. As long as we are sincerely sorry for our sins and go to Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation, we can be assured of our forgiveness. It doesn’t matter what we do wrong. There isn’t a sin too big to be wiped away by the mercy of God.
It is very important to seek forgiveness as soon as we find ourselves in sin. Just as we take care to keep a nice white shirt that we are wearing clean, we should also try to keep our soul clean as well. Once our soul is dirty, it’s easier to stay dirty and roll around in the mud. When our soul is clean, we are more likely to be careful and keep it clean. Even if we continue to fall into the same sin every week, we need to continue to go to the sacrament of reconciliation every week as well. The priest will not look down on the sinner, but will look up to the repentant sinner and be thankful like the shepherd who found his lost sheep.
I don’t know any loving father who would be upset if one of his children returned to him after doing something bad. I know I would be excited. I might not kill the fattened calf, but I might go out for some premium ice cream. God, in His infinite love, will be even more happy. So, let’s all keep our souls clean and always be willing to get them deep cleaned when they become dirty.
