20110612: Homily on Confession IV
This Sunday, Fr. Anthony concludes a series of homilies designed to help prepare the First Confession class for their “Second Baptism.” This week presents three images that help explain the relationship between Pentecost (and especially the Holy Spirit) and Confession.
- Acts of the Apostles: 2:1-11
- St. John 7:37-52;8:12
Introduction
Pentecost and Confession – three images show how they are related.
The Image of Living Water
It comes in and cleans out the filth. This is Confession. Then we need to keep our hearts empty of sin so that they can be vessels for it forever.
The Image of God at the Door
St. Seraphim of Sarov (On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit). God is knocking. Invite Him in – then stop inviting Him and develop a relationship with Him.
Many of our hearts are like the homes in “Hoarders”. We have filled them up with so much stuff that we thought we needed – but that really just served as so much accumulated clutter – that we don’t have room for God to rest. But if we ask, He will help us clean it and make it into something suitable. Which brings us to the last image.
Our Hearts and Lives as Temples
Today you invited the Holy Spirit in to clean out your heart. It is now a proper temple for the Living God – you have placed a throne in the middle of your life, in the center of your heart. You have invited God to come in and take His place on that throne. That is what we do every Sunday: we make God central to who we are and what we do.
But what happens if on Monday, we turn our back on Him and go about business as usual, with all our time devoted to petty pursuits and no time given to the pursuit of godliness: playing video games, watching television, surfing the internet and no prayer, no charity, no patience. What do you think will happen? When Sunday comes and you finally turn back to the throne, you notice that while the throne is still there, in place of the True and Loving God, you have a pile of silly things sitting there: your video games, your television, your computer. Why has this happened? Because these are the things you have worshipped all week. Not God, no things that will make you holy, but diversions. Things that distract you from being human.
So when this happens, you repent: you take these things off the throne and invite God back into the temple of your heart. And because He loves you, He comes right back in. He always does.
