Today we
celebrate Pentecost, a receiving of the Holy Spirit. We receive the Spirit for many reasons, to
teach us how to pray, what to pray for, how to evangelize, teach, how to
discern, to be convicted of sins, to ask for forgiveness, to be forgiven, and a
slew of other reasons, especially in making the sacraments present.
I just want
to talk about the Holy Spirit in one aspect and that is the forgiveness of sins
which we receive in the sacrament of confession. Jesus told
His Apostles before His Ascension, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and
whose sins you retain are retained.”
This passage has to do with people either accepting or
rejecting the Gospel, but it also has to do with the beginning of the ministry
of Confession \ Penance \ Reconciliation.
As Catholics
we believe in the sacrament of Reconciliation, many other Christians do not; as
they believe a person can go directly to God and be forgiven. We believe the same as Catholics, that at the
moment a person pours out their heart to God they are forgiven, but justice
demands equal weights – it demands a penance not for the sake of punishment but
for what I call “The School of Learning” or “The School of Faith.” I am sure others have called it this as well.
The story of
St. Peter undergoing the first sacrament of penance can be found in Sacred
Scripture, at least in its foundational form.
Here is that penance. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon,
son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I
love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon,
son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that
I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son
of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him
a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything;
you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were
younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow
old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead
you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death
he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Jn 212:15-19
The Holy
Spirit helped St. Peter to recognize that he had denied His Lord three times;
you know the story, when Peter was confronted after Jesus had been arrested, and
three times he denied the man who made him the Rock of His Church. This conviction that Peter felt I am sure was
very painful, both spiritually and emotionally.
Peter wept, as the Gospels tell us.
It was in that moment when he wept that he was forgiven, no question
about it. However, justice demands that
in some way we make up for our wrongs with the opposite virtues, i.e. if I tell a
lie, I tell the truth; if I steal I make some sort or restitution. Peter made a threefold betrayal; justice
demanded he make a threefold affirmation.
When we go
to confession we have the opportunity to make up the wrong, we come full circle
as did St. Peter. Again, this is not
done to make people feel bad but to give people freedom. Peter I am sure caught on by third time. He knew what Jesus was doing. In that whole time all Jesus did was affirm
Peter, “Feed my sheep, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep.” He affirmed him as a man and as the Rock of
the Church. His penance was complete.
The same
holds true for the sacrament today, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” Many people are either afraid or don’t
believe they need it, the sacrament that is.
My friends if St. Peter needed a public confession who are we to say we
do not even need a private one. How many
times have we betrayed Jesus by our actions and yet His mercy never gives
out. He calls us to make peace with
ourselves, with the Church and with Him.
Sure we are forgiven as soon as we ask when that asking is done from the
heart, yet Jesus asks we go that one more step as He did with St. Peter, to
make restitution for our wrongs, to be reconciled to the Church, and to feel
true freedom and affirmation as did St. Peter.
I encourage
you to return to the sacrament, for the Holy Spirit is the one who guides us to
it, it is the Holy Spirit that has given to the Church to help us make a good
confession as did St. Peter and through His power to bring the healing graces
to the penitent. The Spirit is given to
us for many reasons, but let today be about the forgiveness of sins. Amen! FJ
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