Ave Maria Meditations
We have in the Jewist teachings all the necessary preparation for the Christian Gospel, which is a Gospel of Penance. Penance in the borad sense is a process that reverses the habit of sin in individuals and moves one toward a deeper conversion to God. Penance also reverses the consequence of sin, which is separation from God. Penance consists ofprayer, sacrifice, and suffering, all done with a amind to Christ
Sacrifice refers to substituting God’s will for mine, and suffering consists of accepting all suffferings that come in the course of fulfilling my God-given duty in life. Prayer may be:1) adoration of praise, 2) thanksgiving, 3) repentance, and 4) petition. Prayer may use words or be the silent prayer of a simple and pure love of God.
All types of prayer reverse the habit of sin. For example, praising and thankng God are expressions of love for God, precisely the reverse of sin, which is the exclusion of God and God’s will out of self-love.
In this view of penance our eye is on God: I am praying to God, making little sacrifices of my will ot God, and accepting my sufferings with an eye on God without dwelling on those sufferings. More and more, I am forgetting my selfish interests and falling in love with God. Penance yields a deeper and deeper conversion of heart.
Br. Anthony Josemaria FTI
