Q: When we repent and stop sinning, how long does it take Jesus to cleanse us of our sins? – L.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: Your question is actually quite complex.
If we make a perfect act of contrition — that is, an act of sorrow for our sins based purely on love of God — then Jesus could choose to forgive us immediately.
If a Catholic has sinned mortally, this perfect act of contrition should be followed by his going to the sacrament of reconciliation and confessing the sins. If he doesn’t go to confession out of neglect, that act of contrition won’t be enough to take away the mortal sin. His soul would be at risk.
When you say “stop sinning,” you probably mean that as a relative term. Aside from those on the brink of death, very few people stop sinning totally after repenting and going to confession. Because of our fallen human nature sin will likely occur again.
This doesn’t mean that we are doomed or that Jesus has given up on us. It’s just that sin, at least venial, will likely be a part of our lives till the end.
So when it comes to being “cleansed of our sins” by Jesus, we shouldn’t be shocked if we have a relapse.
Moreover, cleansing can have various meanings.
If we mean simply forgiveness, that can be instantaneous.
If we mean being freed of all tendency to sin, that is unlikely, given the aftereffects of original sin. In fact, spiritual growth is a constant process by which these tendencies are purified and new tendencies (virtues, gifts of the Holy Spirit) take deeper root and develop.
But even the saints bear witness to the simple fact that spiritual battle (which involves resisting sinful tendencies and temptations to sin) continues until the very end of our earthly lives. The good news is that if we truly make efforts to grow spiritually, we get better at battling, and our victories spread God’s grace not only into our own lives, but also into the Church and the world around us.
Going back to the concept of “cleansing” from sin: If we mean that we are cleansed of all temporal punishment due to sins we have committed, even those already forgiven, that can vary.
If we are fortunate, we might receive a plenary indulgence right before our death and be spared purgatory. If not, we will need to pay the debt of the temporal punishment through suffering in purgatory. To better understand what “temporal punishment” means, you might find the conference from this Retreat Guide useful: Fire of Mercy: A Retreat Guide on All Saints and All Souls Day.
The important thing is to repent for whatever sins we have, sooner than later, and try our best to stay on the right path. For that we can turn to prayer, the sacraments, acts of charity, and the intercession of the saints.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of technology in education. At this year’s annual ISTE conference, two groups of students from Regnum Christi schools in Mexico made award-winning presentations that they developed as school projects. The conference was attended by 22,000 people, including many from Regnum Christi schools in North America.
Cumbres Alpes, Querétaro
María Elena Urbán, a science teacher at Instituto Cumbres Alpes (Heights and Alps School) in Querétaro, Mexico, accompanied students from her school to the ISTE conference. She noted that the students were fascinated by the idea of applying technology to their life.
Ms. Urbán explained how her students got involved in the conference: “In August or September 2017, they invited all the teachers in all the schools to participate by submitting innovative ideas for using technology. The best got to participate in the annual conference in Chicago.” After proposing the concepts for their projects early in the academic year, students started developing the projects in December.
Two groups of students from Ms. Urbán’s school, one from the middle school and one from the high school, were invited to present their projects at the conference.
The high school students created a video that allows viewers to experience the independence of Mexico in 1810 through virtual reality lenses. They filmed in historical locations connected to the event, with the help of a history teacher. Ms. Urbán said this provided a good interdisciplinary learning experience, as the students presented it in English. The resulting video makes viewers feels like they are part of history, because it allows the viewer to pan 360 degrees, creating a VR effect.
The middle school students’ project had to do with robotics and green cities. They simulated a city and a robot that detects which citizens are recycling garbage and awards them points for it.
Ms. Urbán said the students really seemed to enjoy the experience of presenting at a big international conference. “I think that they will return to Mexico very satisfied with the work they’ve done over these six months,” she said. “They’ve learned vision, commitment, patriotism, et cetera.”
Visitors to the students’ booth responded enthusiastically. “It was a very informative project,” noted one woman. Another said, “The video you guys made is really amazing, and we can’t wait to take it back to the schools we work with to show it to them as an option for their curriculum.” Greg from Riverside California said, “It was great to see the students not only act and put it together, but they did everything – the costumes, the history. The videography was amazing, and it was pleasant to watch.” One woman said, “It’s like a field trip without paying for it. I would recommend it to anyone to use in the classroom.”
Anánhuac Prep, Monterrey
Anáhuac Prep in Monterrey, another Regnum Christi school, also presented a project to promote social action. Four of the students involved were able to attend the conference.
The Anáhuac prep students created a website called Trasciende (“transcend” or rise above) that invites other young people to engage in charitable social action. Teacher Francia Almaguer said the concept for the project came from their social action class, which encourages students to help their neighbors. Students engage in activities such as catechesis, providing wheelchairs, building houses, helping those in low-skill labor, visiting the sick, and missions. “What they did with technology,” Ms. Almaguer said, “was to put all that they did at a level [so] that other young people their age could understand such service and join with these social action teams or make new ones.” Check out the Trasciende website here.
Ms. Almaguer said, “They were very content and very proud of their project and how they shared experiences with other young people. They are looking forward to participating again next year.”
RC Education Conference
The same week as the ISTE conference, which ran June 24–27, was the RC Education Summer Institute in Chicago. Sixty-two individuals from 11 Regnum Christi schools in the territory participated.
One focus of the institute was curriculum improvement. The event launched the RC Education online professional development course, which explores Integral Formation as the RC educational model. Summer Institute participants spent most of the week at the Carmelite Spiritual Center, but also visited Everest Academy in Lemont as well as the ISTE conference.
Loveland is a pretty little town in Southwest Ohio, serving largely as a “bedroom” community for folks who work in the greater Cincinnati area.
It developed in the late 1800s, mostly as a resort area. That earned it the nickname “Little Switzerland of the Miami Valley.”
Loveland’s 12,000 residents enjoy nice schools, parks, bike trails, a library, and a roller rink. It is known more for being peaceful than being party central.
On Summers Pond Drive is a place where the spirit of Mary of Magdala has set down strong roots. It is the home of Regnum Christi member Lisa Cusmano, who feels especially close to one of Christ’s closest collaborators, who more than most people learned the meaning of true love.
You never can tell when and where a saint may appear. Here in Loveland, Magdala House dwells in the Cusmano home.
Inspired by the life of Saint Mary Magdalene, Magdala House offers a place of inspiration for women seeking God to come away and rest awhile to discover anew the unique and particular love God has for each person.(Mark 6:3)
Retreats are based upon the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius and are designed to provide a personal experience of Jesus in a small group setting of peace and beauty with reflective prayer, music, art and all things beautiful. Through the experience, participants can discover the personal, holy and passionate relationship that Jesus desires to share with every woman.
It’s not a bible study…It’s not a prayer group…It’s an experience designed for a personal encounter with Jesus.
Lisa can’t point to a single inspiration for Magdala, but as she grew in her knowledge of the faith through Regnum Christi – including various courses and retreats – she realized most women she encountered didn’t have the opportunities that her vocation to Regnum Christi had given her. Determined to find a way for those women to encounter Christ as she had, Mary Magdalene became her inspiration.
Upon the elevation of her liturgy to that of a feast (June 2016 by Pope Francis), Lisa began a search for the importance of such an honor for the saint who loved much. However, it didn’t take long to exhaust the resource of good, solid exegesis and commentary about Mary Magdalene.
Inspired to tell the story of Mary Magdalene, the story of a redeemed woman so passionately in love with Christ, she observed that the great saint “had lived the Ignatian exercises every day of her life after encountering Christ.” How could Lisa bring that experience to women in 2018?
Her answer was Magdala House. Following a year of intense study, she developed the Mary of Magdala. At His Feet materials to offer a “retreat” that meets for half a day, one day a week for five weeks. And there also are single sessions for people who just want to get started on the journey. During Lent of this year, Lisa ran a pilot retreat with a team of experienced Regnum Christi women. Since then an additional 18 women have “retreated” at Magdala House, and two Mary of Magdala At His Feet retreats begin in August and September.
“But my target group for this isn’t necessarily members of Regnum Christ,” Lisa explained. “I’m more interested in reaching women who do not have the opportunities for small groups and retreats to encounter Christ that we Regnum Christi members do. God has blessed that desire, and I have participants who have fallen away from their Catholic faith – and some who are not even Catholic to begin with.”
Lisa has an extensive academic background, none of it in areas that suggest she would be qualified to develop spiritual retreats. But having been blessed to experience a rich formation in the Catholic faith, she takes seriously the call to apostleship. She is also grateful for the prayerful support and encouragement from her spiritual family who prays intentionally for the apostolate and the intentions of the women who attend.
What sort of person launches an apostolate such as Magdala House? Lisa took time to respond to a few questions that go far toward the answer…
How was the faith live in your family as you grew up?
I grew up in Jamestown, Kentucky, in the southern part of the state that’s still considered “mission” territory of the Church. Our parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, had just 43 families back then. I was baptized Catholic and entered Church just before 13th birthday. My earliest memory of grownup faith was Fr Dave Stoltz talking to me once and I remember his voice so clearly still… “You know, Lisa you can choose” he said in relation to my church going at the time. So, choose I did, nothing remarkable really, just where I’d always felt most “at home”.
Today, I’ve been married to my husband, Cory, for 24 years. We have three sons: Evan, 20, and twins Adam and Brandon, 18. Though I’ve lived in Cincinnati now more years than not, I still consider Kentucky “home sweet home”.
My undergraduate degree is from Eastern Kentucky University, in mathematics; my masters from the University of North Carolina, in biostatistics. I worked for Procter & Gamble as a statistician in pharmaceutical research – but left in 2005 to spend more time with my family and Regnum Christi. Most recently, I’ve worked as a parish pastoral associate.
How did you get involved in Regnum Christi?
I was introduced through the Familia apostolate… my team was the first “graduating” team from Cincinnati, 2000-2004. I’d never even heard of papal documents, let alone read them, and was curious about “who” had developed such a study. That’s when I met Melanie Wieck, Fr Matthew van Smoorenburg, LC, and Fr Eamon Kelly, LC.
Who were the people most influential for you in Regnum Christi?
There were many, but the one who stands out is Melanie Wieck. When I first joined RC, there were no teams that met during the evenings and I was still working at P&G. She was the group leader at the time, the first one in Cincinnati; she’s a founding member. Since there was no team life available to me, she met with me often… talk about personal one-on-one formation! It was given to me, and boy did I ever need it, I didn’t know the difference between a Holy Hour and a Happy Hour! I “hit the books” during Familia when I realized the wealth of what was available to study. I’d given 80 hours a week to statistics for the better part of a decade, so it was time to study my faith with the same zeal.
Melanie was everything the “woman of the Kingdom” means to me… she was in love with Jesus, her husband, her family… She was charming, delightful, joyful, calm, serene, bold, courageous. She was smart, loved learning and no matter what, she always had time for others. She loved me no matter what, and what grace she had to hand over RC leadership to me. I was so different than her, and she had to watch me change things, mess things up… But she always supported my choices. She’d say, Jesus was counting on me and she knew I could do it. Yes, we were best of friends, but she was a spiritual mother too.
Her death from colon cancer in March 2014 was hard. She was only 50! I turn 50 next year… The suffering was fast and she was gone quickly. Her death brought together so many women who had left after the scandal and subsequent difficult years. Relationships began to reestablish and the laity renewal began that year as well. I found myself not just thinking of her, but being her, trying my best to give what I had received.
Why did you start Magdala House?
To give back what I’ve received basically…The thought and inspiration for a real place where women could come away and rest awhile has been on my heart for a long while. Women simply don’t have the opportunity to do that… Women don’t even give themselves permission to do that. We don’t even know we need it!
Who am I to do something like this? To think that I have enough knowledge and know-how to put together a retreat and preach it? Well… I asked God and He in turn asked me “who else is gonna do it, Lis?” And then after the usual procrastinations, God finally just asked me “what are you waiting on? An invitation… You don’t need one, Lis… You have a home, you have women who come to you for guidance, you have this desire to love through preaching. What are you waiting on?” When God is that direct, it’s time to do something!
Why Mary Magdala?
In the years of the Regnum Christi renewal, I’d been asked to do much waiting. Saints in similar situations to ours are the best go-tos, right? And no one waited better than Mary Magdalene, by the tomb, she waited for the promise of the Resurrection. Both the scandal and the experience of a priest friend dying of cancer felt much like death sometimes, and I was waiting on resurrection that I knew God promised, just like she waited. During those years she waited with me, and I learned from her.
How is your apostolate influence by Regnum Christi?
I guess the question that would be easier to answer how is it NOT influenced by Regnum Christi… the charism finds it’s expression in me personally through how all this has even come about; attention to personal formation, knowing Jesus personally, the desire to “do something”, intentional efforts open to inspiration, recognizing a need and trying to meet it with talents God gifted to me, the spiritual family in support. Don’t all those things sound familiar?
And lay people are called to be Jesus’ beloveds, but we often associate that with religious. It is not true! As much as I equally have reception of our charism, I hold equal reception of Our Lord’s desire that I be His beloved. It isn’t reserved for religious. Jesus desires it for everyone! My life in Regnum Christi has taught me this truth and provided an opportunity to live this reality in everyday secular life. Like the spiritual family supporting me and this apostolate, it’s really the whole family’s faithfulness to our charism that supports my efforts toward this piece of mission God has given me. So one might say it has Regnum Christi written all over it.
Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.
In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.
Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.
From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.
Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!
Lisa can’t point to a single inspiration for Magdala, but as she grew in her knowledge of the faith through Regnum Christi – including various courses and retreats – she realized most women she encountered didn’t have the opportunities that her vocation to Regnum Christi had given her. Determined to find a way for those women to encounter Christ as she had, Mary Magdalene became her inspiration.
