February 18, 2009
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Breaking Open the Word By James Cavanagh Feb. 22: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Scripture readings: Overview: Our sins hold us back and drag us down. Hanging on to them is like dragging around a sack of wet cement. In this week’s first reading, the Lord tells his people, who were languishing in exile because of their sins, to “Remember not the events of the past.” God was preparing his people for a new Exodus in which he will deliver them from their Babylonian Captivity and lead them back to the Promised Land. The people of God, like the paralytic in this week’s Gospel, have been paralyzed by the sins of the past, unable to move forward. In the second reading, St. Paul tells the Corinthians that they have been given the Holy Spirit as the “first installment” of God’s promises. Raised with Christ in baptism they can now experience life positively and, hopefully, for the promises of God, who is ever faithful, find their “Yes!” in Jesus Christ. The paralyzed man in the Gospel represents all those who have been immobilized by sin and unable to move forward in life. Forgiveness is linked to the promise of new life in Christ. “Rise!” he says to the paralytic. “Pick up your mat and go home.” Key verse: Thus says the Lord: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! — Is 43:18-19 “Catechism of the Catholic Church”: “The movement of return to God, called conversion and repentance, entails sorrow for and abhorrence of sins committed, and the firm purpose of sinning no more in the future. Conversion touches the past and the future and is nourished by hope in God’s mercy” (No. 1490). Pope Benedict XVI: “We know that the faithful are surrounded by a culture that tends to eliminate the sense of sin and to promote a superficial approach that overlooks the need to be in a state of grace in order to approach sacramental communion worthily. The loss of a consciousness of sin always entails a certain superficiality in the understanding of God’s love. Bringing out the elements within the rite of Mass that express consciousness of personal sin and, at the same time, of God’s mercy, can prove most helpful to the faithful” (“Sacramentum Caritatis,” 20) Application: The loss of a consciousness of sin results in a superficial spirituality that makes it very difficult to get the most out of Mass. Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25) marks the beginning of Lent and a new chance to put our spiritual “homes” in order. If you’ve been dragging around some nagging sins and haven’t been to confession in awhile, now is a great time to put those sins behind you and renew your relationship with God. Resolving to make confession a regular part of your life (at least once a month) would be a great way to begin Lent. |
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