READ: WEEK 16 | BE MY WITNESSES w/ BISHOP BOYEA | PRAYER: PENANCE, FASTING AND CONVERSION: Bishop Boyea writes this week:
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
A blessed Good Friday to you and your loved ones. Welcome to week sixteen of BMW, Be My Witnesses. If you are newly joining us, welcome. This is a good time to start. We are beginning for the third time a cycle of reflections which will lay a foundation of prayer, some learning, and knowing that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. Finally, we will spend a few weeks challenging ourselves to go on mission. Let us get started with the call to penance, fasting, and conversion.
Prayer: Penance, Fasting, and Conversion
This is an easy reflection for us Catholics. We know that we are called to daily conversion. We know we are sinners, and that Jesus sends us forth knowing we are sinners. That is why he calls us to convert, to change our hearts and our ways every day so that we will be better followers and thus better witnesses. The very first words of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel are: “this is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). This must be our starting point as we begin each day in prayer. As the Psalmist says: “Turn from evil and do good” (34:15).
Penance is the main way in which we carry out this process of daily conversion.
Penance comes from the word, “repent.” There is both inner penance to be done and external penance. Reflecting on God’s great love and mercy should drive us to regret our sins, to be sorry for them. Some of the saints have called this attitude a prayer of tears. It is very good for our growth in discipleship to meditate on the great contrast between God’s goodness and our failures. Unfortunately, we can become quite content with the way things are. Jesus cited Isaiah’s prophecy to decry this attitude: “Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears…and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them” (Matthew 13:15).
Even St. Paul noted this reluctance, “Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).
So, without wallowing in misery, we do have to nourish a healthy sorry for our sins, especially in the face of the knowledge that God loves us deeply always, even as we are sinners. The aim must always be to seek healing from the Lord and a purity of life.
Penance must also be external. This often makes it real for us so we do not become lost in our heads or even in our hearts. This is where the classic forms of penitential acts can fit in, particularly fasting and alms giving.
However, there may be even more direct ways to attain external healing. This has been traditionally called atonement, doing something that seeks to make up for our offenses so as to achieve harmony and peace. The simplest form of atonement is to apologize, either to God or to someone we have offended.
Perhaps, there are other ways for us to make up for how we have caused division or unrest in our relationships. This we should seek to do. Daily conversion takes place in our hearts and minds but also in our actions toward God and others.
My Challenge
So, for this week’s challenge, pray first to know your own sins, pray for forgiveness, and pray for the courage to right a wrong that you may have caused.
Until next week, may God Bless you.
I am sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of LansingP.S. Below is a video version of this week’s Be My Witnesses. Please do share with family and friends. Thank you. God bless you.
