The greatest sinner I know.

That was the title of a sermon preached by one of my favorite priests years ago. The greatest sinner he knew was himself. (This from a man who had heard confessions for decades.)

And the greatest sinner each of us knows is...well, I'll let last Sunday's readings give you a hint.

Isaias 6:1-2, 3-8

6:1. In the year that king Ozias died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated: and his train filled the temple.
In anno quo mortuus est rex Ozias vidi Dominum sedentem super solium excelsum et elevatum et ea quae sub eo erant implebant templum

6:2. Upon it stood the seraphims: the one had six wings, and the other had six wings: with two they covered his face, and with two they covered his feet, and with two they flew.
Seraphin stabant super illud sex alae uni et sex alae alteri duabus velabant faciem eius et duabus velabant pedes eius et duabus volabant


6:3. And they cried one to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory,
Et clamabant alter ad alterum et dicebant sanctus sanctus sanctus Dominus exercituum plena est omnis terra gloria eius

6:4. And the lintels of the doors were moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Et commota sunt superliminaria cardinum a voce clamantis et domus impleta est fumo

6:5. And I said: Woe is me, because I have held my peace; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people that hath unclean lips, and I have seen with my eyes the King the Lord of hosts.
Et dixi vae mihi quia tacui quia vir pollutus labiis ego sum et in medio populi polluta labia habentis ego habito et Regem Dominum exercituum vidi oculis meis

6:6. And one of the seraphims flew to me, and in his hand was a live coal, which he had taken with the tongs off the altar.
Et volavit ad me unus de seraphin et in manu eius calculus quem forcipe tulerat de altari

6:7. And he touched my mouth, and said: Behold this hath touched thy lips, and thy iniquities shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be cleansed.
Et tetigit os meum et dixit ecce tetigit hoc labia tua et auferetur iniquitas tua et peccatum tuum mundabitur

6:8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send? and who shall go for us? And I said: Lo, here am I, send me.
Et audivi vocem Domini dicentis quem mittam et quis ibit nobis et dixi ecce ego sum mitte me


1 Corinthians 15:1-11

15:1. Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received and wherein you stand.
Notum autem vobis facio fratres evangelium quod praedicavi vobis quod et accepistis in quo et statis

15:2. By which also you are saved, if you hold fast after what manner I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.
Per quod et salvamini qua ratione praedicaverim vobis si tenetis nisi si frustra credidistis

15:3. For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures: Tradidi enim vobis in primis quod et accepi quoniam Christus mortuus est pro peccatis nostris secundum scripturas

15:4. And that he was buried: and that he rose again according to the scriptures:
Et quia sepultus est et quia resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas

15:5. And that he was seen by Cephas, and after that by the eleven.
Et quia visus est Cephae et post haec undecim

15:6. Then was he seen by more than five hundred brethren at once: of whom many remain until this present, and some are fallen asleep.
Deinde visus est plus quam quingentis fratribus simul ex quibus multi manent usque adhuc quidam autem dormierunt

15:7. After that, he was seen by James: then by all the apostles. Deinde visus est Iacobo deinde apostolis omnibus

15:8. And last of all, he was seen also by me, as by one born out of due tine.
Novissime autem omnium tamquam abortivo visus est et mihi

15:9. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Ego enim sum minimus apostolorum qui non sum dignus vocari apostolus quoniam persecutus sum ecclesiam Dei

15:10. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace in me hath not been void: but I have laboured more abundantly than all they. Yet not I, but the grace of God with me:
Gratia autem Dei sum id quod sum et gratia eius in me vacua non fuit sed abundantius illis omnibus laboravi non ego autem sed gratia Dei mecum

15:11. For whether I or they, so we preach: and so you have believed.
Sive enim ego sive illi sic praedicamus et sic credidistis


Luke 5:1-11

5:1. And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,
Factum est autem cum turbae inruerent in eum ut audirent verbum Dei et ipse stabat secus stagnum Gennesareth

5:2. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Et vidit duas naves stantes secus stagnum piscatores autem descenderant et lavabant retia

5:3. And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting, he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
Ascendens autem in unam navem quae erat Simonis rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum et sedens docebat de navicula turbas

5:4. Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught.
Ut cessavit autem loqui dixit ad Simonem duc in altum et laxate retia vestra in capturam

5:5. And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have laboured all the night and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.
Et respondens Simon dixit illi praeceptor per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete

5:6. And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
Et cum hoc fecissent concluserunt piscium multitudinem copiosam rumpebatur autem rete eorum

5:7. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.
Et annuerunt sociis qui erant in alia navi ut venirent et adiuvarent eos et venerunt et impleverunt ambas naviculas ita ut mergerentur

5:8. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Quod cum videret Simon Petrus procidit ad genua Iesu dicens exi a me quia homo peccator sum Domine

5:9. For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
Stupor enim circumdederat eum et omnes qui cum illo erant in captura piscium quam ceperant

5:10. And so were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Similiter autem Iacobum et Iohannem filios Zebedaei qui erant socii Simonis et ait ad Simonem Iesus noli timere ex hoc iam homines eris capiens

5:11. And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.
Et subductis ad terram navibus relictis omnibus secuti sunt illum

Not only did Isaias, Peter, and Paul know they were unworthy, they proclaimed that fact to God Himself. Yet not only were their sins forgiven, they were made instruments of His will by the One True God whom they had defied and offended.

Such grace is available to all men, regardless of how great their sins may be...