God Gives Depth in a Two-Dimensional World

On July 23^rd, our tenth child made his first confession. As he sat at the pew waiting for his turn, my son was quiet but calm. He was a little nervous, he said, because he had never done this before, but he was not scared. I was grateful for this, especially elsewhere in the church, there were a few other parents who had been struggling with their own children. There was crying, a lot of fear, and some shushing. The sacrament of reconciliation had become the spiritual equivalent of a dental visit or getting a shot.

As with anything, the imagination gets involved in, overthinking and an exaggeration of possible outcomes or consequences. Many times, it is difficult to see things clearly when one is wrapped up in oneself. Nothing else matters. There is just what one feels and what one wants or does not care for. Me, me, me. The problem with this way of thinking is that it leaves only the length and width of one’s like taking away the depth. It is God, after all, Who gives meaning and purpose to who we are and all that we do.

Why Confession?

In preparing for his first one, my son and I discussed the “why” behind confession. It is a sacrament and established by Jesus Himself, Who told His disciples:

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained (John 20:23).

To be able to sincerely ask for forgiveness, one must truly be sorry for one’s sins. As different and unique as all of us are, we all have the common need to take clear ownership of our wrongdoings. The act of saying our sins to someone else is to admit to our faults. More than God “needing” our confession, it is we who truly need and benefit from this beautiful sacrament. It is the first step to repairing and strengthening our relationship with God.

Why Forgive?

“Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;” (Mt. 6:11-12) It is easier said than done – forgiving others, that is. Yet, it is something which reflects the loving mercy of our Father God, more than any material possessions or sweet words ever could.

It is also an exercise in humility. To forgive others is to accept that everyone can make mistakes – including ourselves. How easy it is to forget this! For many, it is far better to simply gloss over our mistakes and errors, while calling glaring attention to those of others. This runs contradictory to what God wants us to do. In the “Our Father”, we pray to God to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Do we realize what this really means? If we took this to heart, perhaps we would be less angry and irritated with others, and more willing to forgive. Mercy allows us to love with the heart of God.

Why Trust?

We trust because we love. We trust God because we love Him, but more importantly, He loves us unconditionally and beyond measure. He is faithful and true – are we the same with Him? Are we this way with others?

Too often, we want what we want, when we want it. God is an afterthought, if that, best considered when things are really going well. But trust is like a muscle – only becoming stronger when it is exercised and put to good use. This is so even and especially when things are not going as planned. When we are tested in our faith, hope, and love, when what we believe in fails us – this is when we must trust in the providence of Him Whom we call Father. It is not enough to say it. We must act on this trust as children do with their parents.

“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

In our family, we see the hand of God in everything, for the most part, because we are very much aware of our own limitations and defects. We know how much we lack, or at least we know as much as we can see and understand. Where human reason and logic fail to understand divine Providence, our Father God’s love washes over all the doubt and fear. We live and love by the grace of God.

What is the Point?

We love because God loves us. He loved us first. He loves us without merit. He simply does. To love Him is to trust in Him and love His will, even when we do not understand it. To love our Father God is to love others with His arms.

We take on His vision of the world and the people all around us. Suddenly, the world is sharper, brighter, and multi-faceted. What may have once been two-dimensional is now shown to have depth. Yet He is not distant or removed from us. He is ever-present and ever-attentive, even when we ignore Him. God gives meaning and value where once there was doubt and confusion and selfish interest.

But the name Joseph, in Hebrew, means “God will add.” God adds unsuspected dimensions to the holy lives of those who do his will. He adds the one important dimension which gives meaning to everything, the divine dimension. To the humble and holy life of Joseph he added — if I may put it this way — the lives of the Virgin Mary and of Jesus, our Lord. God does not allow himself to be outdone in generosity. Joseph could make his own the words of Mary, his wife: “He has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid… because he who is mighty, he whose name is holy, has wrought for me his wonders (St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By, “In St. Joseph’s Workshop”, No. 40)