On Friday evening, our Jewish neighbors begin their high holiday, Yom Kippur.

My rabbi friends tell me it is the Day of Atonement, a chance to acknowledge their sins and ask for grace through prayer, fasting and renewal.

What a good example they set for us!

May I suggest that not only our Jewish neighbors but all of us Do you need such remorse?

The world certainly does; America needs it; you are doing; and I definitely do.

As a priest for almost 49 years, it bothers me that we Catholics have lost some enthusiasm for this biblically based tradition of admitting our sins and asking for God’s forgiveness.

We used to abstain from meat every Friday and fast during the 40 days of Lent.

We often approach the sacrament of penance for inner purification.

Unfortunately, these laudable practices have fallen by the wayside. It all seems so nostalgic.

This understanding that we must repent and reform was not limited to any particular religion: As a nation, we Americans of all faiths and no faith have declared Days of Atonement, especially in times of trauma.

As we celebrate Yom Kippur, our Jewish brothers and sisters remind us of the noble duty of admitting, “I am a sinner.”

They remember how the prophet Nathan even confronted the great King David after his terrible sin against the brave, faithful and noble Uriah with a story about an injustice to a poor man.

When David expressed his anger at the perpetrator in the Prophet’s allegory and asked who the louse was, Nathan thundered, “That man is you!”

Before we acknowledge the sin of another, our nation, the world, or an “unjust system,” we must admit, “I am that man—I am that woman—I am a sinner.”

Pointing out the sin of another or “the system” – global warming, arms sales, the global wealth imbalance, war, poverty, FOX, CNN, racism – is child’s play.

The guilt, the responsibility to reform, is a way out Therein a system – not within it Me.

But to look within and admit, “I bear a great deal of guilt,” is heroic.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta was asked on December 31 to name what she hoped would change for the better in the new year. “I myself!” she replied.

Let me recommend a worthwhile practice known as “examination of conscience” – another ritual that I fear has fallen out of favor.

It used to be a regular part of the Catholic routine, but it can and probably should be a daily habit for everyone.

Before you go to sleep at night, take a moment to reflect on your day.

Ask yourself some tough questions:

How did I do today?

Were there reasons why I couldn’t live the life I should have?

Did I work all day or did I mess up and surf the internet instead?

Have I gossiped about others?

Was I honest and honest with the people I met?

Did I take something that wasn’t mine?

Have I treated others with respect and dignity, or have I judged and judged those who think, look, or act differently than me?

You have the idea.

How powerful it would be to even hear one of our political leaders admit that he or she made a mistake.

I remember our colorful Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia once responding to a critic of a decision he made: “You know, when I make a mistake, it’s a thing of beauty!”

If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that Jews and Christians hold fast to a God who is big on change – darkness to light; chaos in order; evil into good; hate in love; Death into life.

He will surely change us. . . when we admit we need it.

Bring on Yom Kippur!

Timothy Cardinal Dolan is the Archbishop of New York.