Especially in Holy Week, we may become deeply troubled. We are troubled by other people — by Judases who betray the Lord and us, and by Peters who deny the Lord and us after promising never to do such a thing (see Jn 13:21ff, 38). We may also be troubled by the seeming uselessness of our lives. We may feel as if we have "toiled in vain...for nothing, uselessly" (Is 49:4). Moreover, we may be troubled even by the Holy Spirit, Who points out that we are not only victims of people like Judas and Peter but also the victimizers. We are very troubled to think that we are and have been like Judas and Peter at their worst. We are troubled to think that our uselessness and fruitlessness may not be a mirage but our own fault and the wages of our sins (see Rm 6:23).

However, the Holy Spirit not only convicts us of our sins (see Jn 16:8) but also convinces us of His mercy. The Lord "makes all things work together for the good of those who love" Him (Rm 8:28). Repent! We don't have to end like Judas in the desperation of suicide. We can repent like Peter and from this moment on live a life of glory in the Holy Spirit. Repent now!

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, July 23, 1998

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 27, 1998