"OK, Jesus. Got the message loud and clear. Be prepared. How should I do that?"

Paul tells us that Christ crucified is a stumbling block. Instead of trying not to stumble on the Passion, why not move forward and stumble on it? When we stumble upon Christ's Passion, we are forced to ask ourselves the question, "How much must our sin offend God that he had to die for us?"[note]This question is based on a question asked in one of the reflections included in Archbishop Carlson's Pastoral Letter on Confession, "Jesus Christ the Divine Physician"[/note]

In the Office of Readings today, St. Jerome writes, "I bid you not to tend tear your garments but rather to tend your hearts which are laden with sin. Like wineskins, unless they have been cut open, they will burst of their own accord." We rend our hearts when we experience grievance and disgust over our sins and the offense against God that has been committed.

The consequences of sin should grieve us, but they should also show us God's love. As we continue to stumble upon Christ's Passion, after being grieved by the consequences our sins have wrought, another question wells up inside of us: "How much must God love us that he was willing to suffer this Passion for us?"[note]This question is also based on content found in Archbishop Carlson's letter.[/note] God's love is what put our heart and soul back together, allowing us to grow.

In our act of grief, we give God an avenue through which he can love and heal us. Like physical exercise breaks down our muscles, this spiritual exercise breaks down the sinews of our heart and soul.[note]Note that it is not the sin that tears the muscle down. Committing sin would be more analogous to cutting off our leg, not exercising it.[/note] Through our recognition of God's love for us and our subsequent contrition, confession, and repentance we allow God to rebuild our souls. As God love heals us, we become stronger, faster, and more capable in our own love of God and neighbor.

Today's Readings:August 31, 201821st Friday of Ordinary Time1 Corinthians 1:17-25; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11; Matthew 25:1-13