Omission

“And what I have failed to do. . .”
Act of Contrition


Recently I heard a sermon about the reading of the rich man who lost heaven because of what he did not do. Omission. Frankly, every time I am exposed to that gospel reading, I cringe. What a better example of our gifted lives in America and our greatest barrier to obtaining heaven, Omission. The phrase “and what I have failed to do” is haunting. Could we be a nice clean living community that is missing the point? Omission.
If it is a Sunday morning and offertory time and I am there and trying to remember one instance where I worked in the vineyard outside of my immediate family during this past week and I can’t; What do I really have to offer? There is that “Omission” concept again. Surely there was at least one time I could have: volunteered somewhere for three hours, take a cake to someone who could use one, visit a person who doesn’t get other visitors often, assist a child of a friend, a letter that could have been written, or a new parishioner to welcome. Omission. It scares me.