Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

It struck me tonight at Compline how utterly deathly those words are to the old Adam. We stand before each other AND before the whole company of heaven and we confess that we have sinned. Real sins of thought, word, and deed. But here's the nail in the coffin of the old Adam: we don't excuse the sins. Yes, I've sinned in thought, word, and deed, BUT... You know the routine. It's natively bred into us. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault. But the Confiteor will not let us get away with that. We stand and confess not merely that we have sinned, but that it is "by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault." It's MY doing. None other's. It is the exact opposite of Adam and Eve's blame game in Eden. I sinned, and no one is to blame but me. What utter freedom there is in such a confession! How wise the Church to hand it onto us to become our own prayer and words. Once again, the liturgy puts truth into our lips.