Your faith has saved you; go in peace. - Luke 7: 50

Men are sinners. We are all sinners. In the 1st reading, King David sinned against his wife and against the Lord for taking another man’s wife. Sin always destroys something good. Sin is ugly. It doesn’t only hurt people but by doing so, we also hurt God the most. Like David, sometimes we commit sin because of our own desires. We always think of ourselves and then on we tend to forget God’s love to us. Moving on, after King David’s dishonesty, there is one thing I hope that we would admire about him, he was honest enough to admit his wrongdoings. “I have sinned against the Lord.” David’s admission of guilt was simple and straightforward. Because sin is ugly, there would be times that we would rather hide it. Sometimes we hold back in admitting and confessing our sins and even refuse to recognize it as a sin. We don’t feel worthy to go to Church anymore but Let us not draw ourselves down and rather be like David - closer to God. The second reading teaches us that the law of God will help us see the light and avoid sin. Some of us think that political laws, medicines, and prescriptions can save us. But can they really alone save us? One Jesuit priest told a story about a nurse and a patient. “Wake up, sir,” said the nurse, shaking the sleeping patient. “What’s the matter? What’s gone wrong?” asked the startled patient. “Nothing. I just forgot to give you your sleeping pill.” The nurse remembered only the prescription not its purpose- the patient was already sleeping and then what’s the purpose of waking him up for a sleeping pill… and so the prescription served only to burden the patient more.

The law of God too has a purpose. God’s way is he let us see light from total darkness when we sin and the best way that God has given us… is Jesus Christ. Therefore we must believe that laws are to guide us but it is through Jesus Christ alone that we are saved. “Knowing that a man is not justified by legal observance but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16). It is our faith in Jesus that breaks us from sin and leads to repentance. In the Gospel, Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to dine with him. A woman known as a sinner, repented before Jesus by her act of homage. Immediately, Simon judged her, that because she was a sinner, she is somehow not worthy of the presence of Jesus. Like Simon, we judge immediately. We label others. I am too is guilty of labelling others. We have a very rich family friend. My first impression on them was lain ni sila kay dato. Baka hambog. When i got to know them, they were totally the opposite. They were one of the kindest and most humble family I ever met. When we label others and pangunahan kung sino sila, we could be blinded to see things as they truly are. Kahit grabe pa yan sila ka makasalanan, we shouldn’t label them as to their wrong actions instead we let go of all the labels and accept them, give them the chance to repent to have a new life just like the woman in the Gospel. It is a fact that we are no strangers to sin. Even the Pharisee, sinned. Even the best of us are no way strangers to sin. Kahit na nasa Youth Ministry na tayo, we commit sin. But the wonderful thing is God is forgiving. God always forgives. He never grows tired of forgiving. Jesus reminded us in the gospel that such uncleanliness is not important in God’s eyes, when a sinner seeks forgiveness. Remembering, God would still forgive us seventy times seven or even countless more. The whole scripture we’ve heard today from the first reading to the Gospel, God had always and repeatedly remind us the importance of repentance and forgiveness. It always starts with acceptance that we have sinned “I have sinned against the LORD.” and then on to the act of saying sorry for our sins. “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.” And of course looking forward for a new life through believing that God will always forgive, “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.” In my own experience, before, I find it hard to confess my sins to a priest because I was ashamed of it. Eventually, I found it in my heart to confess and then, grabe kasarap sa feeling. I was relieved and felt at peace. That is the beauty of the sacrament of Reconciliation. When we find it in our hearts to repent and do penance and also trust in the mercy of God, we can experience His great love for us. We are blessed to be given the sacrament of Reconciliation. Despite our sinful ways, we can proclaim that God is good and truly a merciful God. All God requires from us sinners is faith and repentance. All of us are in need of God’s forgiveness, sometimes even without asking for it, God had already forgiven us but what more when we ask. Do not repent because of fear of punishment; but believe that God is a merciful God. Let us believe that whenever we see Jesus on the cross dying for our sins, it’s with great joy that our God is a forgiving and loving one. Let us all learn to repent, forgive with love and how to live with faith in Christ. Remembering God’s Promises today. “Christ did not die for nothing.. The LORD on his part forgiven your sin: you shall not die.” “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” AMEN.

- Iana Navarro