Quinquagesima

The transitional deacon at my parish gave a wonderful homily this morning in line with the pre-Vatican II observance of this last Sunday before Lent being Quinquagesima Sunday. St. Telesphorus is credited with the institution of Shrove Sunday to encourage Christians to prepare for Lent. I appreciate the retention of these observances as they contribute to the continuity of the liturgical seasons (even if it was unintentional).
Deacon K preached on the importance of sacramental confession and told recounted one of my favorite analogies for sin and repentance. Archbishop Fulton Sheen told it this way:

"Suppose that I told one of these little children that every time they did anything wrong they were to put a nail into a board. Can you imagine that? Every time you did wrong, disobeyed your mother, for example, you were to drive a nail into the board. Then every time your mother forgave you, and you said you were sorry, the mother would tell you to pull the nail out. Is there anything left? What is left? A hole is left. That is the effect of sin.
Even though the sin is forgiven, we have to make some reparation for it and that is the reason you are given a penance in Confession, to fill up the holes. And to help us make adequate reparation for sin, we have the intercession of the Saints and the mercy of our Blessed Lord."

This description is so concrete and clear. I use it with my third graders to explain why one should want to go to Confession. They're often apprehensive about making their second confession and need encouragement just like the adults who have either fallen out of or never developed the practice of frequent confession.
Jesus is waiting to forgive us. Let us not refuse his generous offer.