Homily for the Week of February 22, 2009

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 2009
First Reading: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12

There was a Broadway play in which a young drug addict had quit school and left home. In an unforgettable scene, the young person looks up to heaven and cries out in anguish: How I wish life was like a notebook, so I could tear out the pages where I made mistakes and throw them away. Thanks to Jesus, life is like a notebook. We can tear out the pages of our mistakes and throw them away. Tearing out the pages and beginning again is the message that Jesus is giving us today. Sometimes getting the guts to do this is difficult, especially if we are ashamed of or regret what has been written on the pages of our notebook.
Most of us -- in fact -- I know that all of us-- would like to be able to go back and make some changes. Jesus has some good news for us. Jesus allows us to go forward in life and not drag behind us what seems to be an ever-growing list of sins and mistakes.

There is an old saying about forgiveness that says, Forgive and forget. Unfortunately, we, as humans, can forgive but we’re not able to forget. It’s impossible for us to forget the pain we’ve experienced through someone’s thoughtlessness or anger. But, I believe that it is more difficult for us to forget the bad things we have done, and should not have done, than it is for us to forget what has been done to us by someone else. And why is it that way? Because we have to live with our conscience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our conscience tells us that what we did was wrong. Our conscience is always there like a thermometer indicating our guilt and shame. These don’t go away unless we forgive ourselves and ask God to forgive us also.

With God, there is no skeleton in the closet. God’s forgiveness is total and without reserve. In fact, in today’s 1st reading, God tells His people that He will not remember our sins. It’s not that God can’t remember our offenses. It’s that He chooses not to. That is a miracle: that there can be, and is, a forgiveness so complete that not even the memory of the offense remains. Jesus brings us complete forgiveness. The best we can do is “forgive and accept” our situations. Only God can forgive and forget.

In today’s Gospel a man who is paralyzed wants to see Jesus because he has heard that Jesus could help him to walk again. Because he can’t walk 4 of his friends volunteer to bring him to Jesus. But because there is such a crowd and the building is full, they decide to make a hole in the roof and let him down through the hole in the ceiling. When he finally meets Jesus it is interesting to notice that Jesus focuses his attention firsts on this man’s spiritual condition. He really needed to be forgiven. He forgives him his sins. Then Jesus takes care of man’s physical problems. He forgives him before he takes care of his sickness. Some in the crowed were upset with Jesus because he forgave this man’s sins. They thought only God could forgive sins. Jesus even goes farther saying that he is giving this authority to others -- through priests—through the Sacrament Confession. That is why Confession is often referred to as the sacrament of healing.

At times we too can doubt that our sins can be forgiven by anyone except God. When we confess our sins to a priest he does what Jesus did to this crippled man. We are forgiven right there. The priest represents Jesus who listens to our confession. Through the priest Jesus removes our guilt and takes away our sins.

So often, we take this sacrament of God’s forgiveness for granted. If we were fully aware of the depth of the Sacrament of Confession, we might ask ourselves exactly what have we done to deserve this forgiveness. In actuality, there is absolutely nothing that we can do to “make up” for our sins. God’s forgiveness is free—absolutely and completely free.

Jesus offers us this free gift of forgiveness out of love for us, and our concern that we not live in guilt any longer. How fortunate we are to be able to just turn every one of our sins over to God and be free of our fears and worries. How fortunate indeed.

Confession or telling our sins is only one part of forgiveness. The other part is reconciliation. In fact Confession is often referred to as Reconciliation. As a result, many Catholics experience profound peace, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom from the burden of their sins. For many it is like letting go of the baggage that they have been carrying around for a long time. All of us at times carry a great deal of “baggage” that we would like to unload. Despite our best intentions each of us has experienced personal failure.

As a priest in Confession I have forgiven thousands of Catholics who wanted to start a new life, some overcome with guilt, others who want help to turn around their spiritual life, others who feel the need a deeper relation with God. Some of these will confess face to face, others in a traditional confessional. All, in one way or another, are controlled with weaknesses and easily submit to their temptations. In every situation I remind myself that I sit there as Jesus Christ. I ask myself: "What would Jesus say to this person?" And the answer comes soaring out of the Gospel of John where Jesus says "Neither do I condemn you. Go, now, and try not to sin again. And if those words of Jesus were not enough I remind myself what Jesus said to the person who had committed the same sin over and over again. And Jesus said to her: I forgive you Seventy times seven. There is no limit to forgiveness.

All of us have a little part of us called “putting things off.” And this includes our spiritual obligations. Let us fully appreciate all that Jesus has done for us out of love. Sometime during the 40 days of Lent this year make a good confession. Do it. You’ll never regret it. Then you will know the words of Jesus: RISE, PICK UP YOUR MAT, AND GO HOME.