St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote this in his catechism (my translation of the Italian text I use):
The present time is a time for conversion. Confess what you have done in word and deed, whether in the day or in the night. Convert in the favorable time, and on the day of salvation you will receive heavenly treasure. Clean once again the vessel of your soul so you may receive grace in abundant measure. In fact, forgiveness is given equally to all, but sharing in the Holy Spirit is given in proportion to the faith of each person. If you have labored little, you will receive little; if however you have done much, much will be the award. ” St. Cyril of Jerusalem
My homily next weekend will be about returning to the Lord. As St. Cyril reminds us, now is the time for conversion, for returning to the Lord. Our turning, our journey back, our approaching of the Lord once again begins with confession — confession of our sins and confession of our faith. The Lord assures us of complete forgiveness. We are all forgiven completely when we ask for this forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The real question is, how open, how receptive is our soul to the workings of the Holy Spirit, to grace? How disposed are we to receive in abundance the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in our lives? We are more and more disposed, open and receptive, the more we dedicate ourselves to the works of Jesus in our daily lives.
Let us return to the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. Let us once again love with the Lord!
