100 Days to Freedom (FREE) PDF Workbook


 

Free PDF Version of 100 Days to Freedom



Hard copies may be ordered through Amazon

                  Link to Amazon



Daily audio recordings can be found on The Catholic Journey Podcast with Deacon Pat Kearns starting January 7, 2022

Podcasts from Deacon Pat and Friends (www.TheCatholicJourney.NET)

Deacon Pat's Books

Deacon Pat's Books
Click on book to be taken to the Amazon site.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Going To Jail!

The day has come, someone so very close to me will be going to jail. He didn't murder anyone, he didn't abuse anyone, he didn't even assault anyone. He committed a sin that is also against the law.

His sin isn't so different from sins that you and I have committed, maybe a little larger in proportion, but still the same act.

Luckily, he was able to make restitution to the victim and he will only have to serve 90 days in jail.

But nonetheless, he and his wife were meeting with their young children today to explain that daddy will be gone for awhile. Can you imagine having to explain to young children that their dad was going to jail for an act that he committed...... His private sin now becomes public, not to just anyone, but to his children.

He wrote to me today to let me know that he was going to jail to serve his time. And that he was driving to the jail just after going to the park to have a talk with his children.

After my initial prayer, my response was as follows:



Make sure that you take a bible with you. Think about reading St. Paul's Letters, many of which he wrote from jail. This time in jail could really be used as a time for dying to self and being born again, anew.

How you spend the time is all up to you, and if you are truly trying to grow spiritually, you more than likely will be tempted and distracted to do otherwise, but persevere in striving for holiness. God uses all things in life, especially our mistakes to help us grow in virtue.

Even though God doesn't create hurt and bad things, he allows us to fall by our free will, he then uses those situations and events to help us grow closer to him.

I will pray for you each day that you are in jail that God will hold you close, that you will develop such a close relationship and friendship with Jesus that the two of you will never part.
Always in my thoughts and prayers,
Pat!


We all sin, some of our sins are made public and some are not. Some of our sins we are held accountable for here on earth, and many we are yet to be judged for. In many ways it might be a blessing to be held accountable for sins committed here on earth while we are still here on earth because we still have time to amend our ways, to try and repair what we have done, to stop the sinning, and to stop turning our backs to God.

I have never, only by the grace of God, had to spend any time in jail, so I cannot speak from experience on this matter, but I can imagine that the physical pain of incarceration is not as painful as the emotional pain of feeling that you have let another person down, or didn't act up to the standards that we thought we should be capable of.

In so many ways, we are not unlike those who go to jail. The main difference is that their sins were made know to another human and they have been judged and are now doing penance.
However, every sin we commit is not committed in secrete, God knows, and we will be judged just the same. Yes, God is merciful, but he is also just.......

Think about your actions, are we cognisant that everything that we do is apparent to God, nothing is done is secrete.

My dear brother in Christ, I love you, always will, and will look forward to better days, and more especially eternal life in heaven...... The hurt we experience, when experienced in and through the Lord, is hurt that is purifying and we cannot help but come out of it a better, holier, stronger, and more humble person.

All will be OK, you love the Lord and He loves you. He loves you more than you know and will love you forever, no matter how many times we fall, as long as we always ask for his hand to help us up.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. You've written a touching and caring post for the friend who will be going to jail, feeling empathy for him and his family, but isn't someone left out of the equation here? The victim. What about empathy, sympathy and justice for someone who was hurt enough that the legal system had to step in and punish your friend. Don't get me wrong, I'm touched by your compassion for the man who will be spending three months in jail. But to make a martyred saint of him, when someone was, apparently, victimized by him, seems, to me, short sighted. It’s moments like this when I wish we had a restorative justice system, but we have what we have. And sometimes the threat of punishment is the only deterrent in our society.

Deacon Pat said...

Thank you taking time to read the post and especially taking the time to comment. I can understand your comment and you are justified to say such.

I am only comforted in knowing that the victum was not persoanlly hurt, just some of his riches were taken and then repaid.

But wrong is wrong, no doubt.

I only know that I want mercy from God for the things that I have done in my past,I cannot control other people's actions, but if given the chance, I hope I can be merciful toward others.

Justice is important, and is godly in itself, as long as it never surpasses mercy!

Thank you again for your comment and helping me see things from additional perspectives.

God be with you!

Deacon Pat

cascade_catholic said...

I thought it was touching myself. It must have been tough to write, especially to a close friend. I see justice having been done here. He's made restitution and now is serving the time whereby completion balances the scales.

I like the way you wrote to lift your friend in hope of a better day.

Peace brother.