Thank God for mercy and put regrets behind you

Published: November 18, 2023

By Paula Standridge
St. John the Baptist Church, Hot Springs

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.” (Psalm 103-12)

“None of the crimes he has committed shall be remembered against him.” (Ezekiel 18-22)

If these Bible verses speak the truth — which they do — then why do we sometimes go back and dwell on our past sins? Why would we think back and make ourselves miserable by ruminating on all the wrongs we have committed against such a loving God?

If we have made an honest, sincere confession of these sins, then they are metaphorically wiped from God’s memory but not always ours.

A major source for this uneasiness is, of course, the devil. Satan, being an excellent fisherman, baits his hook accordingly; he uses whatever will “get to” each particular person to disturb their peace.

So what is the remedy for moving forward and putting these thoughts behind us?

I remember going through diaconate classes with my husband years ago, and while I don’t recall the subject we were being taught, I do remember Father Jerome Kodell telling us “we need to quit hoping for a better past.” This statement is humorous but entirely true.

Since we can’t change our past, one remedy for relieving the anxiety would be to thank God for his mercy every time past sins occupy your mind. Think of the ways he has worked in your life to bring about the change and conversion in you.

St. Pio addressed this subject when he said, “One must certainly regret one’s failures, but with a peaceful sorrow and always trusting in divine mercy. One must be aware of certain reproaches and remorse against oneself which most of the time comes from our enemy who wants to disturb our peace in God.”

In the spiritual classic, “The Cloud of Unknowing,” (written by an unknown mystic of the 14th century) the author gives this advice: “If the memory of your past sins or the temptation to new ones should plague your mind, forming an obstacle between you and God, crush them beneath your feet and bravely step beyond them. Try to bury the thoughts of these deeds beneath the thick cloud of forgetting just as if neither you nor anyone else had ever done them.”

Father Donald Haggerty, who is currently serving as pastor of St. Patrick Cathedral in New York City, also covered this very topic in the September issue of the Magnificat monthly prayer magazine.

“A persistent feeling of guilt for past failures even after repentance keeps some people permanently oppressed in soul. … Perhaps this overly sensitive remembrance of past sin is a form of self-conscious unworthiness that appeals to certain souls. But it misses a truth about God and is an obstacle to serious relations with him. God certainly does not cling to the past, as souls at times do.

"He does not examine our past sins over and over again. On the contrary, he wants the remembrance of any former sin simply to compel our soul to a clear recognition of mercy. And that awareness is meant for one thing: to make our soul uniquely fortified for the effort of seeking the conversion of other souls in need.”

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” (Isaiah 43:18), lest we miss the new thing God is doing right in front of us.

Paula Standridge is a member of St. John the Baptist Church in Hot Springs. In 2012, she completed the diaconate formation training with her husband, Deacon Robert Standridge. This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic Nov. 18, 2023. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.