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Text Box: CONSTANT REPENTANCE IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION Constant repentance is necessary for those who have attained the age of reason to attain salvation. Think of a place which floods easily, such as New Orleans. When a very light rail falls, there is little possibility of flooding, but even a person accustomed to wet surfaces could easily fall and be injured or even fall in such a way as to drown or sustain sever injury. A person not accustomed to wet surfaces would be more susceptible to such injury. A heavy rain, or a storm driven tide, could easily cause deadly flooding; flooding which can kill. New Orleans has very large pumps which usually drain excessive rain and storm driven tides, keeping the population safe. But an unusual rain or very strong storm can cause flooding which the pumps can not quickly drain. If this occurs or is likely to occur in New Orleans, as recent history has shown, most of the people who live in the city must evacuate, they must leave the city to avoid drowning. Sin is very much like unwanted rain or dangerous storms. Minor temptations are similar to a light rain. A person can usually ignore both. But if a person commits little sins, that person is spiritually damaged just like a person who can not avoid a light rain. If you do not have protection from the rain, even a light rain will make you wet, will soil your clothing, may damage your clothing, and will at least make you look less attractive then you wish. Even a little sin does the same to your soul, and many little sins cause many little damages. Just as many small rain drops can ruin your clothing, or cause you to slip and injure yourself; so too can many little sins ruin your soul or cause you to fall into greater sin and severely damage your soul.

Text Box: When the rain makes us wet, we dry ourselves and dry our clothing. We should do the same when we sin - we should repent. We can think of the Sacrament of Absolution, of Confession, as being a cure for the rain of sin on our souls, and as a form of protection against sinning in the future much like an umbrella and rubber boots. If used properly each will give us some protection and will prepare us for a heavy rain or flood of temptations. If we fall during a heavy rain of temptation and commit severe sin, but have made repentance a part of our life, then the practice of repentance will be much like a boat or a raft to which we can cling until we are rescued by Our Savior Jesus Christ God. It must be that the Good Thief was very much aware of the evil he practiced and did not desire to engage in evil even though he did engage in evil. Perhaps the other thief did not care about his sins and therefore did not cling to the boat Our Lord and Savior sent to him. We can only hope the other thief grasped salvation before the flood of death took him away. If we think of our spiritual situation as much as we think about being safe from hurricanes and strong storms, if we each make good plans to protect our physical life and our spiritual life, then we will have an umbrella in our house and a Priest life boat from whom we will constantly seek and receive absolution. Ref: Isaia 59:1-4; Luke 23:39-43 +

Text Box: FOLLOW THE KING’S EXAMPLE There really is only a limited number of sins. But technology has increased the opportunities to encounter near occasions of sin. Jesus Christ is the just and merciful King. He gives us His life as the one and only example of how to live our lives, and why to live them in that manner, if we are to attain eternal happiness with Him in Heaven. Just as the King forgave the greedy servant when the greedy servant prayed for forgiveness of his debt, so too will God forgive us of or debts if we pray for that forgiveness. But just as the king withdrew his forgiveness when the greedy servant did not show mercy to his fellow servant, so too will God withdraw His forgiveness if we do not show mercy to our fellow humans. In this we should have great hope, for what God asks of us is not difficult. For most of us He does not ask that we endure severe hardship, torture, suffering, pain and sorrow. And to those of whom He does ask such things, He gives the means to not only endure them, but also to succeed in the endeavor. But to most of us He simply asks that we live decent lives for the sake of He Himself - for the sake of Jesus. And there really is nothing difficult in leading a basically decent life. The difficulty comes in some few of the details as they apply to each individual. There are only a limited number of sins, and a limited number of basic ways which we can sin. Technology seems to increase the near occasions of sin, the instances of temptation and the types of temptation, but it does not increase the types of sins. Because of this most of us are familiar with the basic sin situations - and these sins and sin situations have not changed throughout the history of mankind. When we are tempted, if we can resist

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