In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that as sin entered the world through Adam, so Jesus, the new Adam, destroyed the power of sin once for all through his death and resurrection. How dominant is the power of sin in our lives today?
            We are sinners. This is the ugly truth that we sometimes avoid. In the past, we placed too great an emphasis on the sinfulness of our humanity. We had such a profound sense of our own sinfulness that we thought salvation was only available to a very select group of individuals. In essence, we decided for God that the majority of humanity was beyond salvation! We know, however, that his is not the case. God wills the salvation of all persons. But our salvation is not guaranteed. Jesus emphasized this point throughout the Gospels. He continuously reminded us that we did not know the day nor the hour when we would be held accountable for our lives on this earth. This is why we must have a sense of urgency each day in living our lives in fidelity to his values of compassion, mercy, generosity, service and faithfulness to God.
            When you look at your life today, are there habits of sin that require the mercy and forgiveness of God as well as God’s liberating grace? Is there a habit of gossip? Is there a habit of judgment or prejudice? Is there a habit of using strong language? Is there a habit of infidelity in your relationship with your spouse – either in action or thought or both? Is there a habit of dishonesty in your life? Do you have the habit of not treating all persons with the same respect? Do you have the habit of withholding forgiveness from other persons? Do you have the habit of neglecting your relationship with God and your fidelity to the ways of God? What the habits of sin in your life that require the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God?
            The wonderful truth is that our confession of our sinfulness is a source of liberation! Through the grace, mercy and forgiveness of God, we can be liberated from the habits of sin in our lives and so live in the confident hope that one day we will enjoy the gift of everlasting life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J