It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
'He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by her works."
REFLECTION
'a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
Often we think that the Church is a place where only saints are gathered, but in today’s Gospel, we read that Our Lord shares fellowship with sinners who desire to repent. One of these repentant sinners was St. Mary Magdalene. The Lord said to her: “Your many sins are forgiven because you have loved so much.”
An act of perfect contrition is to be sorry for having sinned because God is infinitely good and sin displeases Him. This is only possible with grace. God said: “Ask, and you shall receive” (Mt 7:7).
Frequently ask Our Lord for perfect contrition, and He will grant your prayer if you sincerely desire to please Him. People who have committed serious sin without repentance are in danger of dying in that bad state and being lost. However, as result of perfect contrition, all mortal sins are immediately forgiven (one must also intend to confess his sins later).
Reflect for a moment on the bitter sufferings of our Savior, and consider the ingratitude that we return to God who loves us so much. “O my God, I have offended you. I am sorry for doing so because You are infinitely good and sin displeases You.”
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