Spiritual Reading:
Handbook Chapter 32, Section 23, Page 300
There Need Never Be Discouragement
There Need Never Be Discouragement
Allocutio
By Edson
We have all been there: You committed a sin. You feel guilty.
You know what you did, or did not do, or thought, or felt, is wrong. You feel shame.
Your conscience bothers you—and rightfully so.
So you start hating yourself. You feel extremely unworthy. You fall into despair.
That guilt, however, is not helping you, for it might be turning you away from God even more.
Your despair might be causing you to sin.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says: “By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice—for the Lord is faithful to his promises—and to his mercy.” (CCC 2091)
In his homily on 16 June 2017, Pope Francis underscored the importance of shame in protecting us from hypocrisy.
Shame can help remind us that: “All of us are vulnerable, fragile, weak, and we need to be healed.”
But in a world full of hatred, where many are quick to judge, where the pressure of perfection can be unforgiving, sinners often face discouragement rather than mercy.
When we feel discouraged, when we feel despair because of our sinfulness, we can turn to these words from St. Maximilian Kolbe:
Our guilt, our shame, should bring us closer to the Lord by reminding us of our weakness and of God’s infinite mercy.
Our shame should bring us closer to Mother Mary, make us turn to prayer, drive us to hope for God’s graces through confession and mortification, and encourage us to also never discourage other sinners.
beautiful! thank you. in JMJ