You probably heard or read about the events that transpired at a concert in the US a few weeks ago, where the marital infidelity of two individuals was publicly exposed to the world.

Much has already been written and said about the unfortunate series of events. But, for people of faith, there is perhaps a little more worth reflecting upon than the sad facts of the matter.

In Scripture, Jesus reminds us of God’s omniscience, His power to know all things:

“Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3).

This attribute of God shouldn’t be perceived as a type of big-brother surveillance, or a 24-7 CCTV camera operating in every corner. But it should alert us to the fact that we will have to answer for all of our words and deeds – even those done in secret.

Those individuals whose failures were very suddenly made public have no doubt experienced some significant ramifications for their actions. But what about you and I? We’ve also made mistakes in our lives – some bigger than others – which have not been publicised to the entire world.

If a simple list of our failings was displayed on a large screen for the world to see, we too would hide our faces in shame and embarrassment.

Yet, despite the guilt and shame of our weaknesses, we have great hope. We read in the first letter of St John:

“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

God, “who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1489) can heal and restore us. He does this in a particular way in the Sacrament of Confession. In this Sacrament, we experience God’s merciful forgiveness and receive strength to change our ways.

I was once given a good rule of thumb – if you’re doing something that you would be ashamed to tell your grandmother about, then you probably need to stop doing it. If there’s something in your life that you know needs to be rectified, take steps to do so. Then join the queue for Confession at your local parish and be renewed by God’s healing and grace.

Further Reading

Pope Francis’ Catechesis on Jesus Christ our Hope (26 March, 2025)

The hope of the leper (Archdiocese of Brisbane)

Image: Lightstock
Words: Matthew Biddle