Reflections to Strengthen Your Faith
I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Acknowledging that we are sinners is the predisposition for receiving salvation. I like to listen to Peter again and again, the leader and teacher of the Church, as he makes this statement, which has such mystical significance and indicates an experience of salvation. For centuries when we have approached Christ in the Eucharist, the Church has had us repeat the centurion’s saying: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” (cf. Matthew 8:8). Today that house is our hearts. True salvation begins when we understand that we need forgiveness. True prayer is humble. Peter acknowledges that he is a sinner and asks the Lord to depart from him. His confession involves recognizing the holiness of Christ and our unworthiness to receive him. Today’s world has lost a sense of sin. People do not recognize a need for forgiveness, so sin is trivialized. People are unaware of what sin is. Secular humanism and pragmatism consider sin a lack of commitment to social or political projects and a lack of responsibility in growing our bank accounts. There is no longer any amazement at the gifts of God, and there is no longer any openness to forgiveness. Self-sufficiency closes human beings not only to God but also to others. Peter’s thought-provoking statement demolishes the pride that exalts us and that divides us from one another. The gospel is not there to support our demands and our mental, political, and social constructs. It challenges us, instead, to open ourselves humbly to the God who saves and to open ourselves to others, since we are all in need of reconciliation and forgiveness.
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