Fr. Adolf Washington –
A Sunday-school girl just baptized was asked by the Pastor “Who were you before Baptism?” The Child answered “I was a sinner”. He then asked “What are you now?” The girl replied “I am a sinner”. Surprised, the Pastor asked “Then what is the big difference?”. The girl quipped “Before I was a sinner running after sin and now I am sinner running away from sin”.
There are turning points in our lives. The turning points often occur after a breaking-point. We need to look back with regret but look ahead with hope in God. God’s Grace is more abundant upon the sinner in need of forgiveness but we need to respond to Divine Grace. Saint Paul reminds us “Where sin increased, Grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20b). Saint Paul also reminds us that every individual is in need of Grace according to our transgressions; ‘All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God but are Justified through His Grace’ (Romans 3:23-24).
Our lives cannot experience the light of Divine Grace if we do not charter our lives on a journey from sinfulness to saintliness which implies quitting a shoddy past and moving towards a meaningful future marked by repentance.
At a Bible school the teacher asked what the word ‘Repentance’ meant. A little boy answered “It means being sorry for your sins”. Another boy disagreed, adding “It is being sorry enough to quit”.
Jesus reminds us in the parable of the Lost Sheep that “there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine who do not need repentance” (Luke 15:7) . Dieter Friedrich and religious leader explained this saying “The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but more with those who recognized that they were off-course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.”.
We may look back with regret and repentance but if we don’t look ahead for transformation we will remain in regret forever. The Grace of God promise hope for change. The Lord promises “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. (Isaiah 1:18).
So, seek repentance and Grace, there’s hope ahead.