Fr. Tommy Lane, a priest who teaches at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, tells the story of another priest, Fr. Steven Schierer.  In October 1985, while traveling back to his parish in Kansas, Fr. Shierer was involved in a head-on collision on the highway.  He suffered terrible injuries: his scalp was taken off on the right side, a portion of his brain was crushed, and his neck was broken.  He was taken to a local hospital, where a doctor sewed his scalp back on and ordered him airlifted to a hospital in Witchita.  Few expected him to live, but he did. He was released from the hospital in December, but he had to continue wearing the halo head support until April.  He was able to return to his parish in May 1986.

One day while reading this gospel at Mass, the words seemed to leap off the page of the lectionary at him.  The experience was so profound that Fr. Shierer had to return to the rectory after Mass.  Then he remembered an experience that had happened while he was unconscious following his accident.  He says that he found himself standing before Christ for the particular judgment.  Fr. Shierer says that prior to his accident, he planned to offer all kinds of excuses to Christ for his sins.  He says that while he went to Confession regularly, he did not allow the Sacrament to change his life – he had no real intention to amend his ways.

When we are confronted with Truth (with a capital “T”), however, it is not possible to deny it.  Jesus took Fr. Shierer through his entire life and showed him how he had failed in his priestly service.  Fr. Shierer found that he could not offer the excuses he had prepared.  All he could do was to say “yes” to everything that Jesus said about his life.  At the end, Jesus delivered His judgment: Hell.  Again, the only response Fr. Schierer could offer was “yes.”

But at that moment, Fr. Shierer heard a woman’s voice that said, “Son, will you please spare his life and his eternal soul?”  Jesus replied, “Mother, he has been a priest for twelve years for himself and not for me.  Let him reap the punishment he deserves.”

“But Son,” she said, “if we give him special graces and strengths then let’s see if he bears fruit; if not, your will be done.”  After a short pause, Jesus replied, “Mother, he is yours.”  And so he has been ever since, with a zeal for the salvation of souls: his own soul and the souls of others.

For those twelve years of priesthood prior to his accident, everyone thought Fr. Schierer was a good priest.  His parishioners admired him; his brother priests thought highly of him.  Jesus does not take a popularity poll, however.  He knows the truth of our lives.

In the commentary on today’s gospel passage in the New Jerome Biblical Commentary, the author writes, “This passage, found only in Luke, teaches disciples that Jesus is compassionate but not wishy-washy.”

Jesus is very plain in this passage, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

Brothers and sisters, NOW is the time for repentance – every day and every moment of our lives.  It does not do to put it off until tomorrow, for we have no guarantee of tomorrow.  We have no guarantee even of the next minute.

In order to be forgiven of our sins, we must be contrite.  This means that we must be sorry for having committed the sin and have the firm purpose of amendment (the desire not to commit the sin again).  Making excuses for ourselves is NOT part of the formula.  In this country, we love the concept of freedom.  We constantly tell ourselves that we are free.  Well, guess what?  We are free – all human beings are free.  God made us that way.  And being free means accepting personal responsibility for what we do and for what we don’t do.  Personal responsibility upholds the dignity of the free human being.

The Church teaches us that there are two fundamental forms of contrition, imperfect and perfect.  Imperfect contrition means that we are sorry because we fear the punishment of hell.  Perfect contrition means that we are sorry out of our love God and our desire to be pleasing to him.

In the sacrament of Confession, either kind of contrition is sufficient to obtain pardon.  But in those times when Confession is not readily available to us, for example at night before we go to sleep, a perfect act of contrition obtains for us complete forgiveness, for venial and mortal sin, so long as we intend to go to Confession at the earliest opportunity.

Examining one’s conscience and making a perfect act of contrition every night before going to sleep is a good habit to get into.  Likewise, whenever we are aware that we have committed a mortal sin, it is good to express immediately a perfect act of contrition to God, along with the intention to go to Confession at the next available time, or, if need be, to call and make an appointment.

The time for repentance is at hand.  Do not delay going to Confession.  Every Friday morning from 8 to 8:15 and every Saturday afternoon from 4 to 4:30, I am back there in the Confessional, ready to help you make it right.  Most of the time, I’m even in there a little early.  If for some reason, you can’t make those times, you can always call me for an appointment.

Brothers and sisters, don’t wait to get the mercy and forgiveness of the Sacrament.  And  the strength.