‘PARDON AND PEACE’ is our theme this Advent at OLHOC. At the end of 5 pm Mass a few weeks ago, I was greeting an entire family when one young child filled with JOY told me that he had gone to CONFESSION just before the Mass and he had felt “so good“, so happy when leaving the Confessional. This child had received the fullness of GRACE that God pours upon us through the SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION, preparing us to receive the BODY OF CHRIST at Communion in a STATE OF GRACE. First, we are FORGIVEN and then we are FED, BECOMING ONE IN CHRIST: we are totally at Peace with Christ ... until we sin again and separate ourselves from God.
We all seek PEACE. To fill our hearts with the Peace of Christ, we need to empty our hearts of all our sins, to make space for His Grace. GOD FORGIVES our sins to make us FREE TO LOVE HIM AND OUR NEIGHBOR, to take away the chains that make us slaves to sin.
During Advent, we PREPARE for the COMING of the PRINCE OF PEACE: the coming of Our Lord at Christmas. A time of Joy, a time of expectation! But why focus now on Pardon and Forgiveness of Sins? Usually, we associate Penance with the 40 days of Lent leading to the Passion and Death of Our Lord. Why link the Sacrament of Penance to the Advent Season?
“Through the Ministry of the Church MAY GOD GRANT YOU PARDON AND PEACE ...” These are the amazing words the priest says just before he absolves our sins. They precede the JOYFUL blessing we receive at the end of our confession, when the Priest says: “and I ABSOLVE YOU of your sins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.
Many of you (close to 70) have attended the first three weeks of “‘FORGIVEN: THE GIFT OF RECONCILIATION. Following the Thanksgiving break, everyone is invited to join the fourth and last session to reflect during this FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT. You do not need to have attended any of the first three sessions. I can assure you that you will enjoy the small group discussions following the singing and the video presentation. You can come at 6:45 pm this Thursday or 9:45 am this Saturday: a spiritual way to enter ADVENT.
We began our first session of FORGIVEN with a powerful quote from Pope St John Paul II (Homily, September 13, 1987):
“CONFESSION is an act of honesty and courage - an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God. It is an act of the PRODIGAL SON who RETURNS TO HIS FATHER and IS WELCOMED by Him with the KISS OF PEACE.”
I invite you to meditate on the above insightful statement on Confession made by one of the greatest Saints of modern times. Next time you go to Confession, put on the spirit of a child asking forgiveness from His Father, THE FATHER OF MERCIES, who is always ready to forgive and pour upon you the fullness of HIS MERCIFUL LOVE. BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF CONFESSION!
When you truly believe that YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN, you are changed: this is CONVERSION. You have the LOVE OF GOD within you. You can forgive others, no more desires of vengeance, no more resentments in your heart: YOU ARE FREE to love others as GOD loves you.
May God’s Pardon bring us Peace, Love and Joy this Advent Season!
One in Christ,
Father Alain