THE RESURRECTED JESUS AND THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
Fr. Marcel Emeka Okwara CSsR
Homily of the Second Sunday of Easter, Year B
Holy Names of Jesus & Mary Catholic Church
Memphis, TN
April 19, 2009
Fr. Marcel Emeka Okwara CSsR
Homily of the Second Sunday of Easter, Year B
Holy Names of Jesus & Mary Catholic Church
Memphis, TN
April 19, 2009
With the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday, absolutely all sins, from the past, present, and future were forgiven. Our Lord is an eternal now. He exists outside the realm of time. Since time is a creation of God, his actions can apply for all eternity. But human beings must work out their salvation through time. Therefore we need the Sacraments, especially Confession which applies the saving balm of the blood of Jesus Christ to our wounded souls.
Jesus Christ in his infinite wisdom and knowledge knew that we would deal with the residue or the deposit of original sin, known as concupiscence. Though we were created good, and through the Sacrament of Baptism are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we still have the use of our free will and can freely reject God’s gifts. Sometimes, we out-rightly say no to the grace of God. The Lord has died on the cross for our sin and for our salvation, but he still knows that we have a weakened will, a darkened intellect, and passions that sometimes become inordinate. In the Gospel of Mark 2: 17, Jesus says “I have come to call sinners, and not the righteous.” That invitation remains even while he is gone physically. It is not surprising that the first power given to the Apostles and future Apostles is the power to forgive the sins of those who want forgiveness and to retain the sins of those who are unrepentant.
Today’s Gospel taken from John 20: 19-31 speaks of the appearance of Jesus to his disciples. It is worthy to note that after the greetings of peace, the first thing that the Lord gave to his disciples was the power to forgive and retain sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The power to forgive sins is not given to all; it was first given to the Disciples and to the successors of the disciples. It is also important to recall the declaration of Peter about Jesus. In Matthew’s gospel 16: 16, Peter, in answering the question of Jesus to his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” declared “You are the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God”. In verses 18-19 of the same gospel, Jesus says “And so I tell you Peter, you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my Church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Dearest beloved, the promise “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” was fulfilled, so to say, on this very day when the Lord appeared to his disciples after his resurrection from death. What else could be the keys of the kingdom of heaven if not forgiveness from sins? What else could be the keys of the kingdom if not the power to forgive sins which Lord gave to his disciples on one of his appearances to them. The Sacrament of penance could be said to have been instituted by Jesus on this occasion of his appearance to his disciples.
The Lord died on the cross to clean up the sins of the world. All our sins were put on Jesus and together were nailed with him on the cross. On the cross, our sins were nailed; on the cross, our wickedness was nailed; on the cross, our transgressions were nailed. We are to die to sin and be alive in righteousness and holiness. But the Lord knows how weak we are. Remember, he was like us in all things but sin. He knows that under certain circumstances, we would go astray. He also knows that some of us would come back to him seeking for forgiveness. Hence, he gave us the Sacrament of Penance on this very day. This sacrament is one of the most vital Sacraments. Of course, I am not saying that some Sacraments are more vital than others. But the Sacrament of penance is a sacrament we need over and over again. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and in many cases Marriage, are received ones. As a priest, I don’t need to receive the Sacrament of marriage. As married people, you don’t need to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. But we all need the Sacrament of penance. Furthermore, it is a Sacrament that not only gives us healing and forgiveness but also makes us worthy and eligible to receive for instance the Sacrament of Eucharist. After receiving baptism, which takes away personal sins and original sin, the next Sacrament of forgiveness is the Sacrament of penance. When death comes knocking on our doors, this is the Sacrament that we will desperately need. If you notice, the Sacrament of Anointing of the sick has the Sacrament of Penance as part of it.
The Sacrament of Penance is also called the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation. First, it is called the Sacrament of Penance because in it the penitent demonstrates remorse and sorrow for wrong done to another or to done to self which ultimately goes contrary to what God expects from his children. It is the Sacrament of Penance because the sinner resolves to have a change of heart, to repent and convert; and to show that he or she is really serious, a form of mortification or self-discipline may be undertaken. In some cases, restitution might be an option like the case of Zacchaeus “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8)
This Sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Confession because in it the penitent resolves freely to speak out what he or she has done wrong. He speaks to a priest who acting in the persona Christi (in the person of Christ) absolves him or her. The penitent confesses his or her sins to the priest who is today’s disciple of Christ with power to forgive sins. It is also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation because it is the act of restoration of friendship, which was severed by sin. Mortal sins separate us from the friendship with God. Sin injures us and severs the wonderful relationship we have with God. God never abandons us; he never leaves us; our sins cut us away from him. Through this Sacrament therefore, we are reconciled with God.
When we become truly remorseful for wrongdoing, we go in search of Jesus for forgiveness. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we encounter the Lord who listens to us as we say “God be merciful to me for I am a sinner” (Luke 18: 13). We encounter Jesus who listens to us as we say “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Mark 1: 40). He counsels us lovingly “Yes I am willing” (Mark 1: 41) “I have come that you may have life, life in abundance” (John 10: 10), and he forgives us our sins through the instrumentality of his priests “Be clean” (Mark 1: 41) “Neither will I condemn you, but go and sin no more” (John 8: 11).
Some ask, “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?” Why can’t I simply pray directly to God and ask for his forgiveness? Such questions are answered in today’s gospel: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20: 22-23).
Jesus himself commissioned the Apostles to forgive sins. The successors of the Apostles today are the Catholic Bishops. During the ordination of a priest, the Bishop empowers and commissions the priest to forgive sins in the Name of Jesus. Since bread and wine change into the Body and Blood of Jesus through the prayer of the priest why does it seem strange that God would also use priests to forgive sins in his name? Since God has commissioned priests to baptize children and so make them sons and daughters of God why does it seem strange that priests can also forgive sins in the name of God? Since God brings healing to the sick when they are anointed by priests during the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick why does it seem strange that God would also use priests to forgive sins in his name? God has no problem being humble to allow priests who are mortals to forgive sins in his name. If we do have a problem, could it be that we are not as humble as God? Is it that we think that God should do things differently, or may be do it our own way? May be Jesus shouldn’t have been born by a human being. May be he should have taken up flesh from heaven and fly down to earth before watchful eyes of all.
Another way in which we can receive the peace of Jesus and have him in our hearts is when we receive the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. Sins, evils and wrongdoings prevent us from full union with Jesus Christ; they also prevent us from enjoying fully the peace the Lord offers us today when he said “Peace be with you.” The fearful disciples of Jesus were terribly afraid. But Jesus appears to them and greeted them with peace: “Peace be with you.” The Lord’s message for us today is to find peace in him. And we will not find true peace until we find it in Jesus.
If there is any sin in your life, Jesus is waiting for you at the Confessional to forgive you your sins and offer you his peace and joy. At the Confessional, we are given the assurance that our sins have been forgiven. Hurry up! Do not delay!
Jesus Christ in his infinite wisdom and knowledge knew that we would deal with the residue or the deposit of original sin, known as concupiscence. Though we were created good, and through the Sacrament of Baptism are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we still have the use of our free will and can freely reject God’s gifts. Sometimes, we out-rightly say no to the grace of God. The Lord has died on the cross for our sin and for our salvation, but he still knows that we have a weakened will, a darkened intellect, and passions that sometimes become inordinate. In the Gospel of Mark 2: 17, Jesus says “I have come to call sinners, and not the righteous.” That invitation remains even while he is gone physically. It is not surprising that the first power given to the Apostles and future Apostles is the power to forgive the sins of those who want forgiveness and to retain the sins of those who are unrepentant.
Today’s Gospel taken from John 20: 19-31 speaks of the appearance of Jesus to his disciples. It is worthy to note that after the greetings of peace, the first thing that the Lord gave to his disciples was the power to forgive and retain sins: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” The power to forgive sins is not given to all; it was first given to the Disciples and to the successors of the disciples. It is also important to recall the declaration of Peter about Jesus. In Matthew’s gospel 16: 16, Peter, in answering the question of Jesus to his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” declared “You are the Messiah (Christ), the Son of the living God”. In verses 18-19 of the same gospel, Jesus says “And so I tell you Peter, you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my Church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Dearest beloved, the promise “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” was fulfilled, so to say, on this very day when the Lord appeared to his disciples after his resurrection from death. What else could be the keys of the kingdom of heaven if not forgiveness from sins? What else could be the keys of the kingdom if not the power to forgive sins which Lord gave to his disciples on one of his appearances to them. The Sacrament of penance could be said to have been instituted by Jesus on this occasion of his appearance to his disciples.
The Lord died on the cross to clean up the sins of the world. All our sins were put on Jesus and together were nailed with him on the cross. On the cross, our sins were nailed; on the cross, our wickedness was nailed; on the cross, our transgressions were nailed. We are to die to sin and be alive in righteousness and holiness. But the Lord knows how weak we are. Remember, he was like us in all things but sin. He knows that under certain circumstances, we would go astray. He also knows that some of us would come back to him seeking for forgiveness. Hence, he gave us the Sacrament of Penance on this very day. This sacrament is one of the most vital Sacraments. Of course, I am not saying that some Sacraments are more vital than others. But the Sacrament of penance is a sacrament we need over and over again. The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and in many cases Marriage, are received ones. As a priest, I don’t need to receive the Sacrament of marriage. As married people, you don’t need to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders. But we all need the Sacrament of penance. Furthermore, it is a Sacrament that not only gives us healing and forgiveness but also makes us worthy and eligible to receive for instance the Sacrament of Eucharist. After receiving baptism, which takes away personal sins and original sin, the next Sacrament of forgiveness is the Sacrament of penance. When death comes knocking on our doors, this is the Sacrament that we will desperately need. If you notice, the Sacrament of Anointing of the sick has the Sacrament of Penance as part of it.
The Sacrament of Penance is also called the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation. First, it is called the Sacrament of Penance because in it the penitent demonstrates remorse and sorrow for wrong done to another or to done to self which ultimately goes contrary to what God expects from his children. It is the Sacrament of Penance because the sinner resolves to have a change of heart, to repent and convert; and to show that he or she is really serious, a form of mortification or self-discipline may be undertaken. In some cases, restitution might be an option like the case of Zacchaeus “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8)
This Sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Confession because in it the penitent resolves freely to speak out what he or she has done wrong. He speaks to a priest who acting in the persona Christi (in the person of Christ) absolves him or her. The penitent confesses his or her sins to the priest who is today’s disciple of Christ with power to forgive sins. It is also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation because it is the act of restoration of friendship, which was severed by sin. Mortal sins separate us from the friendship with God. Sin injures us and severs the wonderful relationship we have with God. God never abandons us; he never leaves us; our sins cut us away from him. Through this Sacrament therefore, we are reconciled with God.
When we become truly remorseful for wrongdoing, we go in search of Jesus for forgiveness. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we encounter the Lord who listens to us as we say “God be merciful to me for I am a sinner” (Luke 18: 13). We encounter Jesus who listens to us as we say “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Mark 1: 40). He counsels us lovingly “Yes I am willing” (Mark 1: 41) “I have come that you may have life, life in abundance” (John 10: 10), and he forgives us our sins through the instrumentality of his priests “Be clean” (Mark 1: 41) “Neither will I condemn you, but go and sin no more” (John 8: 11).
Some ask, “Why do I have to confess my sins to a priest?” Why can’t I simply pray directly to God and ask for his forgiveness? Such questions are answered in today’s gospel: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20: 22-23).
Jesus himself commissioned the Apostles to forgive sins. The successors of the Apostles today are the Catholic Bishops. During the ordination of a priest, the Bishop empowers and commissions the priest to forgive sins in the Name of Jesus. Since bread and wine change into the Body and Blood of Jesus through the prayer of the priest why does it seem strange that God would also use priests to forgive sins in his name? Since God has commissioned priests to baptize children and so make them sons and daughters of God why does it seem strange that priests can also forgive sins in the name of God? Since God brings healing to the sick when they are anointed by priests during the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick why does it seem strange that God would also use priests to forgive sins in his name? God has no problem being humble to allow priests who are mortals to forgive sins in his name. If we do have a problem, could it be that we are not as humble as God? Is it that we think that God should do things differently, or may be do it our own way? May be Jesus shouldn’t have been born by a human being. May be he should have taken up flesh from heaven and fly down to earth before watchful eyes of all.
Another way in which we can receive the peace of Jesus and have him in our hearts is when we receive the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus. Sins, evils and wrongdoings prevent us from full union with Jesus Christ; they also prevent us from enjoying fully the peace the Lord offers us today when he said “Peace be with you.” The fearful disciples of Jesus were terribly afraid. But Jesus appears to them and greeted them with peace: “Peace be with you.” The Lord’s message for us today is to find peace in him. And we will not find true peace until we find it in Jesus.
If there is any sin in your life, Jesus is waiting for you at the Confessional to forgive you your sins and offer you his peace and joy. At the Confessional, we are given the assurance that our sins have been forgiven. Hurry up! Do not delay!
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