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How to Effect a
Conversion
Non-Fiction by
Claire A Lacroix
"I know what
my sins are," a young, eighth-grader in my CCD class once said to
me in desperation. "I do the same ones all the time.
Don't tell me not to lose my temper. Show me how!"
She was
truly sorry for her sin of anger, so sorry, in fact, she wanted to
correct herself - but alone she could not do it. How many times
had she confessed that sin, been given absolution and never advised
how to overcome her problem!
"Show me how!"
I
looked into that desperately sincere face and I could see
myself. I had fought the same battle for 20 years and I had won
- only a few years ago.
I
could not answer right away. I went through my thoughts, my
feelings. To effect a conversion you must know how the mind
works. It's like a computer. It stores knowledge, it
remembers everything it sees and hears, every sound, every feeling and
experience it has. The mind easily remembers the things you
like, the events that have brought on feelings of love, pleasure,
sorrow or fear.
The
way I effected my conversion was to see myself overcoming my old
sinful habit. In other words, I didn't stay stuck on the
problem, I thought out a solution. I would picture myself
winning out, playing the role so well that I almost won an academy
award.
"Show me how to control my temper!" she begged again.
I
had to answer this time. "If I threw a rock at you, what
would you do?"
"Throw one right back at you," came the quick answer.
I smiled - that used to be me.
"No, no. First, what would you do? So the rock will
miss you."
My pupil was insistent, fists already clenched. "Throw a
barrage of rocks."
"Hold it, hold it," I said and flagged out both hands.
"Wouldn't you have to duck and let the rock go over your
shoulder. You'd have to make an effort. Just a little one,
like this" - I swayed a little and let an imaginary rock go over
my shoulder. "It's the same way with words - move over a
little. Let the words go over your shoulder." I
helped the words with my right hand flow over my left shoulder.
"If your friend got angry at your joke, if your pal did not react
the way you expected then two things could have happened. What
you said did not come out the way you meant it or your friend
misunderstood you. Or maybe your pal didn't sleep well last
night. Something is bothering your friend. Did you notice?
"Slow down your reaction - hold off with the temper. Answer
this way: 'You must have misunderstood me. I didn't mean to hurt
you. I meant to make you laugh.' You'll be able to start
over again, to continue your friendship. You will have reacted
kindly, lovingly to the pleasure of all concerned."
"When your friend, or maybe your parents pick you up for one of
your faults, slow down your reaction, ask yourself: 'Why did my mother
tell me to comb my hair?' Why? You'll get the
answer. 'Because she wants me to look my best. She loves
me.'
"And a warm glow will come over you. You'll say: 'thanks
mom.'"
"Start tonight, before you go to sleep. Take only one sin
per week. Picture yourself, play out, relive your problems but
give them a happy, peaceful ending. Be sure that with
God's help you will succeed, your mind will absorb your new (acting)
conversation, your new style of reacting. When tomorrow comes
you will know what to do, you will have practiced it the night
before."
To me the PENANCE for our sins is to effect a cure. The mere
fact of going to confession expresses an "intent of
conversion." I wholly endorse Father Sirois' and Father
Morin's new method of confession, the private personal encounter,
talking out the problem. This shifts the responsibility of a
successful conversion from being entirely on the shoulders of the
erring penitent. A balance then falls on the
Confessor-Teacher. He can then advise, but more important SHOW
the penitent how to overcome his sin. If the penitent cannot
find his own solution, the Confessor-Teacher can then give two or
three examples. And maybe this is what the penitent needs.
I know the above method works. Do you think it's worth a
try? Let me know how you effect your conversion.
Claire Lacroix
Copyright 1970 Claire Lacroix
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