Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Youcat commented through CCC – Question n. 227.
(Youcat answer) Jesus himself
instituted the sacrament of Penance when he showed himself to his apostles on Easter
day and commanded them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (Jn
20:22a-23).
A deepening through CCC
(CCC 1485)
"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week," Jesus showed
himself to his apostles. "He breathed on them, and said to them: 'Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained"' (Jn 20:19, 22-23).
Reflecting and meditating
(Youcat comment) Nowhere did Jesus express more beautifully
what happens in the sacrament of Penance than in the parable of the Prodigal
Son: We go astray, we are lost and can no longer cope. Yet our Father waits for
us with great, indeed, infinite longing; he forgives us when we come back; he
takes us in again, forgives our sins. Jesus himself forgave the sins of many
individuals; it was more important to him than working miracles. He regarded
this as the great sign of the dawning of the kingdom of God, in which all wounds
are healed and all tears are wiped away. Jesus forgave sins in the power of the
Holy Spirit, and he handed that power on to his Apostles. We fall into the arms
of our heavenly Father when we go to a priest and confess.
(CCC Comment)
(CCC 1439) The process of conversion and repentance
was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which
is the merciful father (Cf. Lk 15:11-24): The fascination of illusory freedom,
the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son
finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding
himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks
the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to
declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father's
generous welcome; the father's joy - all these are characteristic of the
process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet
are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns
to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of
Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss
of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.
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