Fr. Jim's Jots - Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, 6.14.2020 - Examination of Conscience

FR. JIM'S JOT

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

A Look at Myself in the Mirror

Conscience is the "core and sanctuary" within us where we are alone with God and hear his call to "love good and avoid evil" and "do this, shun that." Let us examine our conscience in light of the sin of racism, asking ourselves:

1.  Have I fully loved God and fully loved my neighbor as myself?

2.  Have I caused pain to others by my actions or my words that offended my brother or my sister?

3.  Have I done enough to inform myself about the sin of racism, its roots and its historical and contemporary manifestations? Have I opened my heart to see how unequal access to economic opportunity, jobs, housing, and education on the basis of skin color, race, or ethnicity has denied and continues to deny the equal dignity of others? 

4.  Is there a root of racism within me that blurs my vision of who my neighbor is? 

5.  Have I ever witnessed an occasion when someone "fell victim" to personal, institutional, systematic or social racism and I did or said nothing, leaving the victim to address their pain alone?

6.  Have I ever witnessed an occasion when someone "fell victim" to personal, institutional, systematic or social racism with me inflicting the pain, acting opposite of love of God and love of neighbor?

7.  Have I ever lifted up and aided a person who "fell victim" to personal, institutional, systematic or social racism and paid a price for extending mercy to the other?  How did I react?  Did my faith grow?  Am I will to grow even more in faith through my actions?

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.  Amen.

SEEKING FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION TO ACT JUSTLY

I recognize that racism manifests in my own individual thoughts, attitudes, actions, and inaction.  It also manifests in social structures and unjust systems that perpetuate centuries of racial injustice.  For my individual actions and my participation in unjust structures, I seek forgiveness and move towards reconciliation.  I look into my heart and ask for the will and the strength to help contribute to the healing of racism in my time.

It is written in Ezekiel 36:26:

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  

Pope Francis reminds us that the Lord "calls each of us by our name: he knows us by name, he looks at us; he waits for us; he forgives us; he is patient with us."  Receiving God's grace and forgiveness requires a response.  Pope Francis encourages the believer:  "Whoever experiences Divine mercy is impelled to be an architect of mercy among the least and the poor."  Now let us do what God requires:  "Only to do justice and to love goodness and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

May we all examine our consciences and love one another as brothers and sisters.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

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