Sinner or Saint

What’s different in a sinner from a saint--
that one ends up in hell, the other heaven?
To know that I’m a sinner makes me faint,
to turn to God, I get my sins forgiven.

St. Bernadette said who a sinner is,
not one who sins, but one who loves to sin;
we all fail, yet who hates the sin that’s his
is saintly trying not to sin again.

The saint is one who’s raised good and believes,
who finds his faith and sacraments and grace,
who opens up his heart and so receives
the grace to risk to look Christ in the face.

God offers grace to all, but I must dare
to use God’s grace in faith, good works and prayer.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       10/16/12