Gospel Reflection For The 14th day of April in the year of Our Lord, 2024
Gospel
Luke 24:35-48
35 And they told what things were done in the way; and how they knew him in the breaking of the bread.
36 Now whilst they were speaking these things, Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not. 37 But they being troubled and frightened, supposed that they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have. 40 And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet.
41 But while they yet believed not, and wondered for joy, he said: Have you any thing to eat? 42 And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb. 43 And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them. 44 And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.
46 And he said to them: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, the third day: 47 And that penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.
The message in today’s readings is of repentance. The Gospel tells us that Jesus’ sacrifice was so that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name.” In the first reading, Saint Paul states:
You denied the Holy and Righteous One
and asked that a murderer be released to you.
The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
Now I know, brothers,
that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
but God has thus brought to fulfillment
what he had announced beforehand
through the mouth of all the prophets,
that his Christ would suffer.
Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.
The second reading is from the Gospel of John:
My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.
The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep
his commandments.
Those who say, "I know him," but do not keep his commandments
are liars, and the truth is not in them.
But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
I think there are two attitudes among religious that lead to grave error. The first is one I have written much about, the modernist belief that sin is no big deal or the Protestant belief in the heresy of “once saved always saved.” The other though, is just as dangerous, and that is to become so mired in our personal sins that we are hesitant to ask forgiveness of God. It is truly amazing to consider that God became man and was tortured and killed for each of us, individually. But, He did so for the expressed purpose of giving to us the means of salvation through forgiveness of sin.
It is very easy to look in the mirror and not like who we see. It is good to have a conscience that condemns our sins. But, we must remember that no matter what we have done or even how bad we are, God has already made the sacrifice for us. If, like our first parents, we hide from God out of shame we compound the problem. God knows us and knows what we have done. We can keep nothing secret from Him. We can however, due to our shame, fail to confess our sins. In so doing, we not only fail to receive the grace He gives us but we insult His sacrifice and the role of the priesthood He established. It is a far greater sin to knowingly refuse to seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation than it is to sin out of weakness or ignorance.
Our Lord established the Sacrament of Reconciliation when He breathed on His Apostles and said, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." This is part of the power to “bind and loose” that He gave specifically to His Holy Apostles. This power exists only through Apostolic succession and no Protestant minister can forgive sins through the power of God, as can every Catholic priest. The role of the priest is to re-present the sacrifice of Christ. God gave the priest this role. We must cooperate in His mission by going to Confession, giving a full and honest confession and doing the penance prescribed by the priest.
This is nothing to be afraid of. This something to celebrate. Just a Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene received forgiveness from our Lord, in person, we have the same opportunity as the priest stands “in the person of Christ.” The priest is just a man, but because he is ordained in the succession of the Apostles, he is bound with the very power of Jesus in the sacraments. When the priest absolves you of your sins, it is Jesus who forgives you! Nothing we can ever do will merit this grace. This is a gift from God. All that is asked of us is to accept His generosity.
St. John Chrysostom wrote:
“Have you sinned? Come to Church. Tell God, ‘I have sinned.’ I do not demand anything else of you than this. Holy Scripture states, ‘Be the first one to tell of your transgressions, so you may be justified.’ Admit the sin to annul it. This requires neither labor nor a circuit of words, nor monetary expenditure, nor anything else whatsoever such as these. Say one word, think carefully about the sin and say, ‘I have sinned.’”
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Gospel passages are taken from the Douay Rheims Bible.