sins of omission
“When a man knows the right thing to do and does not do it, he sins.” —James 4:17
Sins are not just what we commit but also what we omit. We will be judged not only for what we say (Mt 12:36) but also for what we don’t say (see Ez 3:18; 33:6). We will be judged not only for lending our presence to things that do not glorify God (see 1 Cor 10:31) but also for our absences from the assembly of God’s people (Heb 10:25) and from other works of the Lord.
Before we were created, the Lord prepared a life of good deeds for each of us to do (Eph 2:10). He holds us accountable to do all of these deeds. For example, Jesus warned the church of Sardis: “Wake up, and strengthen what remains before it dies. I find that the sum of your deeds is less than complete” (Rv 3:2).
If you are sinning by omission, repent and cry out for the Lord’s mercy. “He is an Offering for our sins” (1 Jn 2:2). The Lord will forgive. By His grace, we will do the impossible. We will do all that He asks of us. Live your life for Jesus to the full (see Jn 10:10).
Prayer: Father, I put my life in Your hands.
Promise: “Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God; too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough to remain alive always and not see destruction.” —Ps 49:8-10
Praise: St. Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. He was also friends with St. Ignatius of Antioch and taught St. Irenaeus.May we never take for granted the richness of our Catholic faith.
Reference: (Lent begins in a week. Consider reading the Bible daily. To help you get started, view, download or order our leaflet A Prophetic Lent on our website to help you.)
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