Br Jordan Albert Paul
Be killing sin, or it be killing you.
—John Owen, The Mortification of Sin
Therefore, one who chastises does so to keep them from evil. And because our senses and thoughts are prone to evil (Gen 6:5), the Lord chastises us to draw us back from evil: the Lord chastising has chastised me; but he has not delivered me over to death (Ps 118:18); you have chastised me, and I was instructed as a young bullock unaccustomed to the yoke
Jeremiah 31:18—St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Friends,
In discussions about sin (to the extent that they happen in the mainline), sin itself is often the boring part. The more exciting part is the forgiveness—freely and liberally given—through Jesus Christ. Alas, it is sometimes necessary to talk about the boring part.
I won’t hash out specific sins here but a general idea of what they are and their variety is helpful and I would commend you to the examination of conscience in St. Augustine’s Prayer Book to get started. Only then can you, in the words of St. Thomas, begin to let God draw you back.
We have all sorts of excuses for sin—our specific disposition, an inclination to wallow, because we enjoy it, etc. The first step is recognizing our particular excuse. On some level that will require an acknowledgement of weakness. But that acknowledgement is not enough. The second step is crushing it (with God’s help)!
Despite our weakness, God has given us an example through Jesus Christ. An example of someone who “lived as one of us, yet without sin.” And yet not just an example, but a path to redemption and forgiveness.
Yet we must not let Christ’s forgiveness—again, freely and liberally given—prevent us from struggling with our own sin, not giving in and letting it swallow us, and becoming ever more obedient to God. As St. Paul continues after the end of today’s reading: “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”
In Christ,
—Br Jordan Albert
P.S. You may have noticed the new name! In January, I became a novice friar in the Order of Christ the Saviour, a Christian Community (aka religious order) in the Anglican Communion. We are Thomists and have a broadly Dominican spirituality and charism.
I added Albert to my name after St. Albert the Great, a 13th century Dominican friar. While I have the title Brother, I don’t have the title Father as I’m what we call a cooperator brother (aka I’m not ordained) as I’m not currently nor am I intending to be a priest (despite the fact that you’ll now almost always see me in a habit at church that looks priest-like). I’d love to talk to you more about it!