Day 2: Act of Contrition, 2nd Line

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,

Sins are acts of the will. We simply know what we should do, and we chose to do something else instead. We're not even just talking about the act of doing something wrong, either. Sometimes doing nothing at all can be sinful. For example, when someone is in need, and it is within our means to help, but we ignore their need. Or when we feel our spiritual health slipping further into a slothful state, and we do nothing to correct it. This is failing to do good, and we need to repent of that as well.

In a morally permissive society such as ours, it’s easy to make excuses for ourselves and rationalize our decisions so that everything we do is understandable. However, understandable is not the same thing as moral. Christian morality is a standard set by God Himself, and while He does understand why we do the things we do, He also wants us to stop hurting ourselves and each other. That is the ultimate goal of the moral life. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we each develop a healthy conscience to discern what we should do, and a will that is faithful to do just that.

Care to share?

This reflection is a part of By Heart: A Lenten Prayer Project.