“ But you rejected the holy and righteous one and asked to have a murderer released for you” (Acts 3)
We certainly hear the continued truth in St. Peter’s words to the people of Jerusalem in the Acts of the Apostles this morning. We witness the release of missiles, drones, and bombs – murderous all of them – in the Middle East. And, if we are honest, we recognize that we too choose to opt to let loose an angry revengeful power that proves us right.
- That is the way of the Old Covenant – understanding God’s choice as the choice of a tribe to defeat all other tribes
- That was a partial vision, Christ is Risen not to win victory for the Tribe of Israel over oppressors but Victory over death for all peoples.
Jesus opens our minds to understand the scriptures:
“Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
- It was not the victory over suffering or the victory through inflicting suffering on others but the victory of love through suffering
- Easter is not a variant of the feasts of other human religious expressions or spring festivals of a life overcoming death but the true religion: of God giving us Resurrection through death.
Do we act out of ignorance of this? Do we deny the Holy and Righteous One – God – His victory for some small victory of being right, or being comforted, or being avenged?
Too many of those who bear the name of Catholic act out of ignorance live in ignorance of the Resurrection and so in actual fact put the author of life to death by the way they live their lives. They live for this world only – for their family only – for themselves only – – –
some might struggle to build a good world here and now
or good home here and now
or good family here and now
but they do not know that
the Resurrection has put an end to the limiting of our world to this life on earth with the Vision of the Heavenly Jerusalem,
The Resurrection has put an end to building good homes between four walls and welcomed us into the Father’s House,
and the Resurrection has undone any focus on tribe or family here by making us members of a Communion of Saints.
How does the Resurrection do this?
BY JESUS COMING INTO OUR MIDST AND SAYING “PEACE BE WITH YOU”
AND CALLING US TO BE WITNESSES TO REPENTENCE AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Peter proclaims the Resurrection message
“you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses … Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out”
REPENT FOR THE WIPING OUT OF SINS
St. John proclaims the Resurrection message
“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 Resurrection Sacrament – What the Risen Jesus gives us is forgiveness of our sins – the sacrament of Reconciliation
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I experience this in the confessional – the Risen Jesus breaks into the sin-limited heart and home of the penitent and says, “Peace be with you.” And then he turns to me, his unworthy priest, and says, whose ever sins you loose they are loosed whose ever sins you retain they are retained. ABSOLVE THEM OF THEIR SINS.
Why do people live with the ignorance that pushes the author of life out of their lives, the egotistical ignorance that sets free instead a murderous spirit?
BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT MET THE RESURRECTION IN THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION.
AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT MET THE RESURRECTED ONE IN THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
– THEY HAVE NOT TASTED THE RECONCILIATION THAT IS OFFERED IN THE EUCHARIST,
THEY HAVE NOT LIVED THE MERCY AND RECONCILIATION THAT IS OFFERED BY CHRIST THROUGH HIS HOLY CHURCH.
WE ARE WITNESSES TO THIS REALITY OF RESURRECTION – WE ARE TO PROCLAIM REPENTENCE AND FORGIVENESS TO ALL PEOPLE
SO, LET US START HERE:
COME AND MEET THE RISEN CHRIST IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE RESURRECTION: THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE THAT WE KNOW HIM: TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENT TO REPENT THROUGH THE FOREGIVENESS OF SINS ENTRUSTED TO HIS APOSTLES AND SO TO HIS PRIESTS IN THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
- WHAT OF THOSE WHO SAY “I KNOW JESUS” BUT HAVE NOT BEEN TO CONFESSION FOR FAR TOO LONG IF EVER?
St. John tells us:
Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection.
Let us witness to those who think they know Christ but are lying to themselves – to their great pain and sorrow.
We are called to be witnesses to his commandment by ourselves receiving the absolution of our sins Jesus won for us on the Cross and offers to us in the Resurrection.
We are called to be witnesses to this to this by telling others of the joy that awaits them if they go to confession. Do we struggle with what to say to family and friends who have strayed from living the commandment to receive forgiveness through Jesus? Well, tell them what joy it is to come forth from the distressing confessional with all our sins wiped away.
And then We are called to be witnesses to this by ourselves living lives in which others can see that the “love of God has reached perfection”