Medley Minute with Fr Sam: Today I heard confessions of women in county jail. There was one lady who was the spitting image of a person I know from the same city. This person was valedictorian of her high school class, has a masters degree from a prominent university, and is very morally upright, exceptional you might say. When I first saw her I was astonished. She had the same tone of voice, similar expressions, and almost exactly the same face. In disbelief i asked her name. Although it was an entirely different person, I couldn’t help thinking that this could easily be another version of the same person, who wasn’t given the same gifts of a supportive family, loving friendships, and an excellent education, or maybe she was given a similar kind of upbringing, but just made very bad choices. Nonetheless, there is no reason why that could not be any woman. We are all sinners, and we could have each easily ended up in a similar situation. As St Augustine said, “there but for the grace of God go I.” So thank God greatly for your life, your freedom, and the capacity to choose what is right. Repent, beg his forgiveness for your sins, seeking reconciliation and full accountability before him. For the more we take ownership of our actions, the freer we become even if we would be locked in a jail. Please pray with me now for all inmates, and pray for ministers to share the gospel of liberty with them. “I was in prison, and you visited me.” Mt 25:36