Forgiveness of God

St Andrew’s Parish Werribee
Penitential Service
April 7, 2009

Forgiveness of God

A missionary priest on one of the Pacific Islands was surprised one day to see a woman enter his hut carrying a handful of sand, which was still dripping water.
“Do you know what this is Father?” she asked.
“It looks like sand,” replied the priest.
“Do you know why I brought it here?” she asked.
“No, I can’t imagine why?” the priest answered.
“Well, Father, these are my sins,” the woman explained, “my sins which are as countless as the sands of the sea. How can I ever obtain forgiveness for all of them?”
“You got that sand down by the shore, did you not?” said the missionary. “Well, take it back there and pile up a heaping mound of sand. Then sit back and watch the waves come in and wash the pile slowly but surely and completely away. That is how God’s forgiveness works. His mercy is as big as the ocean. Be truly sorry and the Lord will forgive.”

Dear brothers and sisters, we are gathered here this evening for two reasons, first we remember our sins. Our sins may be as countless as the sands of the sea, we remember them all; we feel sorry for them all.

{In remembering our sins, we take time to ask ourselves: What have I done for God in my life? And what am I doing the rest of my life? Am I living a life pleasing to God? Am I making a difference?}

Secondly, and most importantly, we are gathered here this evening because we remember that we have a God, who is forgiving and merciful. We remember that the measure of his forgiveness is beyond measure, his forgiveness is far beyond our imagination, greater than the ocean.

And as we remember God’s forgiveness, we desire for it, we must long for it.

The Psalm reading invites us to want God’s forgiveness, to desire for his mercy more than we desire for gold.

Let us now gently lay down our sins and all our guilt feelings, let us allow our Good Lord to completely wash them away, to purify us, and make us a new and holy people.