“In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Let me never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, hear me and speedily rescue me. Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Release me from the snares they have hidden for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.” Psalm 31:1-6
This reflection has been on my heart for months. We often pray this Psalm as part of our Liturgy of the Hours Night prayer. Every time we pray it, I see the Confessional.
It seems to me that this would be a great Psalm to prayer as the soul prepares to step through the door of the Confessional.
It is within the Sacrament of Reconciliation that we turn to God, a place of refuge from the shame of our sin. We kneel before Jesus begging His Divine Mercy to be our rescue and refuge. It is in our trust in that Divine Mercy that we find the solid rock to rest upon. It is in this moment when Divine Mercy reaches from Heaven to break the chains sin hold on our soul, it is in this moment that we find our solid stronghold. No matter the depth we’ve fallen or the darkness of our sin, Divine Mercy comes in the moment of repentant confession. Absolution from the priest and the cleansing rain of Mercy doesn’t end in that confessional though. It just begins.
When we rise a new man (or woman), cleansed of all sin, we must change. We can’t come before God’s Mercy Throne, expecting to go back to the sinful ways. We must change! But, how? We’ve asked God to release us from the snares of sin – He has done that. Now, we must turn back to God seeking His guidance to become holy and remain holy. AKA – a saint. From and through His Holiness, we can be holy. But, only if we seek His ways, to become like Him.
Trust in Divine Mercy and that we can be holy is simply saying “Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.”
Needed this today!