Calling a Spade a Spade
Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate. Instead of the usual pleasantries, this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Many legislators in the room walked out in protest over the prayer. But many other Churches asked for copies of the prayer and utilized it for their own prayer worships. This is a reflection of our times. When confronted of the reality of sin, we protest, we walk out, we cry “hypocrisy.”
Today’s Responsorial Psalm is King David’s heartfelt remorse over the sin of murder and adultery he has committed. He had his weaknesses, but he knows his strength as well: hope in the mercy of God. Read Psalm 51 which David composed after his sin. There is no watering down of his guilt. There is no sugarcoating of the malice of his actions: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:3-4).
Would that we have more King Davids — not the sinner but the contrite one!Fr. Joel Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: What area of your life do you justify with rationalizations and excuses?
“Have mercy on me, O God, in Your kindness. In Your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. Amen!”
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