Psalm Reflection: The First Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)

“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.” - Psalm 51

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis, he was asked in an interview, “who is Jorge Bergoglio?” Pope Francis simply replied, “I am a sinner.”

He got it. 

He understood the whole purpose of the Church, His role, and every role within the Body of Christ: to recognize our sin and our need for a Savior.

Unfortunately, I think many Christians unintentionally feel they need to strive for the antithesis: the idea that a Christian becomes so “like Christ” that they become perfect. 

I am here to tell you as your brother in Christ that this is a sly, sneaking and creeping lie of the Devil cloaked in Christian language. 

You will never be free of your sinful nature on this side of Heaven. God willing you will become a better version of yourself and avoid serious sin, but you will never be perfect this side of Heaven. And guess what? God is not expecting you to be. If you were perfect, what need would you have for a Savior? The saints never stopped going to confession, so who are we to mistakenly abandon our identity as sinners?

Jesus did not die for your sins so you could save yourself; that is a belief of the enemy. The Devil was shown God’s redeeming plan for humanity and rejected it out of his own pride. When we pretend like we have it all together or project a “holier than thou” attitude as Christians, we are doing something so anti-Gospel it sets us on an inwardly-focused path of self-righteousness and self-reliance that fuels our own pride.

The one thing that is asked of every Christian in every single Sacrament and in every authentic expression of our faith is to admit we cannot do it on our own. We choose to be set apart for something greater because Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves. To be holy means to be “set apart,” but not set apart as someone better than everyone else. It is a recognition that we walk a path that is set apart from ourselves and the self-seeking narrative of the world.

So, this Lent, how is that lived out in your heart? How do you need Jesus? What area of your life is in need of redemption? The first step to transformation is admitting that we need it, that we are sinners in need of salvation. Praise God that our salvation has already been won for us, we simply need to accept it, let it transform us, and live joyfully in response to that beautiful gift of undeserved mercy.

This week, consider what that would look like for you and how you can enter into Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in such a way that would radically transform your life as a sinner running toward your Savior.

We are praying for you this week.

See you in the Eucharist.