Perfect Contrition
March 21, 2008

Readings for Good Friday of the Lord's Passion

Reading 1: Is. 52:13–53:12

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 31:2, 6, 12–13, 15–16, 17, 25

Reading 2: Heb. 4:14–16; 5:7–9

Gospel: Jn. 18:1–19:42

Link to Readings

Go to the Holy Thursday homily.

By Father Paul Hrezo

What will it take for us to convert? What kind of message from the Lord do we need in order to surrender more completely to the grace of conversion?

Sometimes we are moved by a clear-blue sky on a cold winter day that renews us with a sense of the refreshing goodness of God. At other times we are moved by the power of a bolt of lightning or by the sense of judgment we feel in the face of ominous dark clouds. These can strike fear in us. Yet again, sometimes a colorful sunset with rays of sunlight and varying pastel colors can stir us to consider the kindness and providence of God.

The life of Jesus, more importantly, also has a range of messages. None are as poignant or as difficult to face, sometimes, as today’s messages. None are as loaded with meaning as the events of His Passion and death. Yes, the Resurrection has occurred; we know that and we believe that. These events of Jesus’ Passion and death would be tragic and pointless to recall without the Resurrection. Nevertheless, we have today for considering these events in particular and drawing from them the powerful messages that they are meant to convey.

What kind of messages are to be found in today’s events, and in what way can they awaken us to conversion and, in particular, to an act of perfect contrition?

More Than Fear

We do well to consider the teaching on contrition within the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Perhaps most often we think of perfect contrition as referring to moments when, in the face of the awesome power of God, we are overwhelmed by Him to the point of no longer wanting to sin. Our fear of eternal punishment awakens us to conversion. We think of perfect contrition as a moment of being “scared straight,” in other words. “Contrition of fear,” however, is seen as “imperfect contrition” according to the Catechism (no. 1453). Perfect contrition, on the other hand, is linked with contrition of charity. Perfect contrition flows more from love; it is more a matter of charity than it is of fear. In fact, “perfect love casts out all fear,” as St. John reminds us in his First Letter (4:18). Perfect contrition, then, is more a matter of desiring to give oneself away for the sake of another.

Yet, is that really the message of today? Is that really the message through today’s scenes of betrayal, denial, violence, and heartbreak? Isn’t today’s message meant to be one by which we are “scared straight” or made heavy-hearted by the gravity of it all? It seems that it is meant to be a message that converts us because of fear.

When we consider, however, the more complete circumstances that led Jesus to His Passion and death, we can see that the message of today is meant to lead us into a deeper and more profound understanding of love and charity. Jesus really meant it when He told us to love our enemies.

“While We Were Still Sinners . . .”

St. Paul stresses this, too, when he notes in Romans 5:7–8, “Only with difficulty does one die for a just person . . . it is precisely in this that God proves his love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God wants us to see His mercy given as compassion even for those who were persisting in their sins and who were His enemies. His extreme death was meant to be an extreme message to help enemies of God to become free from their sins and to become friends of God. Then, God wants us to follow His example.

Jesus wants us to see in His actions that a profound reconciliation both with Him and with our enemies is possible.

We may struggle with persistent sins and wonder if they can ever be overcome. Jesus’ perseverance on the Way of the Cross is meant to be a very clear message of hope. The powerful message of Good Friday can help us grow from being sorry for our sins out of a shameful fear to being rooted in a desire to imitate Our Lord’s way of generous sacrifice.

We often consider each phase of His Passion as being a further setback and loss. As Jesus is humiliated more and more, we too at times want to cry out, though from compassionate hearts, “Save yourself from this” and show them clearly now that you are the all-powerful Messiah. But, rather than being seen as a series of setbacks and losses, we need to see each part of His passion as a further move forward and victory. Having endured all for the truth and having forgiven them at the pinnacle of His agony, Jesus can finally say, like a champion having completed a battle or race, “It is finished!” He has given His all! He wants us to draw upon the hope His perseverance can give us.

Good Friday Graces

Regarding profound reconciliation with others, especially with those who have become significant rivals, here too the Lord wants to apply Good Friday graces. These enemies may have come into our lives by various causes. They may be national enemies or enemies who have wrought true injustices against us, or even those who at one time in our lives were dear friends but who have now become bitter enemies. To all of these we can direct the grace of the saving events of Good Friday.

Soon we will be offering a series of intercessions for a full range of people, starting from the heart of the Church, and then praying for others until all of our human community is prayed for. As we do so, in order to enter into the intercessions more completely, we would do well first to consider our own need for conversion. Then we can be better able to pray for those who we so often vilify, people who are actually very much in need of the grace of Good Friday (and who might be more ready for it than we realize or care to admit). While we were yet His enemies, Jesus loved us. While we were rightly people our Lord could “vilify,” He suffered an extreme death for us. And as we venerate the cross, may our sign of reverence be an expression of gratefulness for the Lord’s love for us and for all of His enemies.

May the graces of Good Friday, then, draw us into the reality of love and charity. May they help us to experience our own trials, especially when they seem to compound in difficulty, as moments of moving forward in grace. Our Lord offered His life while we were still sinners and still His enemies. May He help us to draw closer to Him by being grateful for His generous sacrifice and seeking to imitate His way of offering mercy to others as well. Amen.

Fr. Paul Hrezo, a priest of the Diocese of Steubenville, is currently serving as Spiritual Director for the college seminarians at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He is also the current State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus.

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