HAVING  THE  POWER 

TO  FORGIVE  SINS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Having the Power to Forgive Sins.”

That’s an awesome power - the ability, the gift of being able and to choose to forgive sins.

I’m going to say in this homily that it’s not just priests who have this power.

We just heard some powerful words from Jesus in the gospel of John.

The disciples were behind closed doors, locked doors, enclosed in fear.

It was evening. It was still the first day of the week - the night Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus came through walls - into a locked room -  and said, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus showed them his hands where the nails were. He showed them his side where he was pierced by the spear. 

"Ouch!" 

He again said, “Peace be with you!”

Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” [John 20:23]

Those are profound words. Hear them loud and clear.  That’s a powerful message. Let’s make them our own.

DOUBTING THOMAS SUNDAY

Thomas was not there for  that moment.  This Sunday was called Doubting Thomas Sunday for centuries. It’s now called Divine Mercy Sunday.  Good, but don’t get caught up with these repeated prayers people say over and over and over again - and miss the powerful message of forgiveness and mercy - underneath those prayers. [Cf. Matthew 6: 5-9]

Also because Thomas is the Patron Saint of Doubters - realize when it comes to forgiveness and mercy -  we all  have at times deep down doubts about forgiveness and mercy.

Lord, have mercy on us - all  of us.

CONFESSION - THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Sometimes people only look at today’s gospel text about holding onto and letting go of sin - as a reference to the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation.

Yet -  let me begin with Confession and the Sacrament of  Reconciliation.

In 1965 our class of 16 - were ordained priests.

But we were not allowed to hear confessions till another year. We were ordained priests early - so as to say Masses on weekends in many small parishes in Ulster County,  New York - near our seminary - near Kingston, New York.

We still had to finish another year of Moral Theology - before we could hear confessions. All this was part of the four years of theology - we had after finishing college.

I remember the first weekend I heard confessions. We had practiced a lot - but we were still nervous. The key was to be compassionate and understanding and everything is kept secret under the seal of confession.

It’s now 51 years later and I must say I have heard lots and lots of confessions and have forgotten every one of them. 

I also remember for some reason something that happened at times when I used to go back and forth from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Milwaukee. I would travel in my black priest suit and collar - something I don’t always do. Usually - at least one person seeing a priest in an airport - would come over and ask for confession.  

So I guess, when nervous - it was either a drink or confession. So I’ve heard confessions in churches, airports, hospitals, supermarkets and various other places.

By accident - in the 1990’s - I was asked to help every summer on AA retreats for men at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. Someone thought I was someone else - a priest who was a recovering alcoholic - so that’s why I received the invitation.

On that first retreat for about 250 men,  I was told I didn’t have to give any talks. However,  when I got there,  I was asked to give one of the talks to the group - because one of the Protestant ministers couldn’t make it.

If you are familiar with AA meetings the person who stands up to speak says, “Hi. My name is________. I am an alcoholic.” Well, because I never drank, I said, “Hi, my name is Andrew and I’m not an alcoholic.” 

Well, that woke people up for starters. 

Then I said up front “the only drink - besides altar wine - which I don’t like - I only take a slight sip - was a drop of Four Roses in a milk shake once - when I was a kid and  I was home alone.”

I told the group that I put into this homemade milk shake - milk, ice cream, sprinkles, Jell-O, ginger ale, a drop of Four Roses and two drops of Vanilla extract.

At that this whole crowd of men started to chant - a certain word - louder and louder - and over and over again. I will only give two letters from that word - “BS”.

That’s the only time that ever happened to me - in giving a talk or what have you.

I’m surprised that it didn’t happen at various other times as well.

Does anyone want to start that today?

I mention that experience because a major reason they had 2 or 3 priests, 2 or 3 ministers and a rabbi at that retreat - was because they needed enough people to help with the 5^th step in the 12 steps of the AA program.

The 4^th  step states that everyone who wants to move forward makes an honest and soul searching inventory of their whole life. They write it down and then in the 5th step they can choose to voice that story to another person.

The men would sign up for a half-hour time slot and drop in to see one of the ministers or priests or rabbis. Of course they could go to a sponsor or a therapist etc. etc. etc. for their 5^th Step.

We would start listening around 9 PM - a half hour per guy - and go till 2 or 3 AM.  Let me tell you - those moments were exhausting - draining  - and 100 times more specific - and what have you - than someone going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession.

The idea is forgiveness - the idea is honesty - the idea is getting stuff off one’s chest. The idea is to avoid BS to oneself - obviously.

In AA one hears over and over again, “We are as sick as our secrets.”

NOW THE BIG JUMP IN THIS HOMILY

Those words from Jesus about “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” can be applied not just to priests and ministers and rabbis - but to everyone.

Everyone has the power to listen, to understand, to keep secrets - to let sins, mistakes, hurts, be outed from their life - and in doing this, the possibility of forgiveness can happen that much more gracefully.

It's not good to go it alone. [Cf. Genesis 2:18]

I was taught in Moral Theology - for the Sacrament of Confession - which was renamed the Sacrament of Reconciliation - that the Letter of James meant what it says, when we read, “Confess your sins to one another.” [James 5:16.]

Every priest has heard 100 persons in their life say, “Why do I have to tell my sins to a priest. I go directly to God.” 

Every priest is tempted to say in response, “In other words, you’re saying, you find it difficult to talk about your life and your mistakes to yourself. Welcome to the club?”

If invited, I might  say, “It would be great if people  went to God with their life and their sins and their blessings. It would also be helpful to go to a priest with gut sin patterns - not  the petty stuff some folks think at times is deadly or mortal - stuff they bring to confession over and over again - and then sometimes say, ‘I don’t know what to confess.’" *

Then I would add the pitch I’m making in this homily about talking with each other about our relationships - where we are - where we need to grow - what we love about each other and what is driving us bonkers at times.

In other words: it’s great you go to God - but how about to one another?

In other words, if I hurt my spouse or my kids or say something bad about a co-worker - I should ask that person for forgiveness.

The Sacrament of Confession for some - stress on “for some” - can be very helpful for  big sins - adultery - big time stealing - and renouncing one’s faith.

Warning: it is very helpful to tell the other face to face - but sometimes this is not the right move - because of a variety of possible reactions - and plenty of "uh oh!" can be the result.  

The whole family situation could fall apart if someone tells their spouse they cheated on them. Cheating on one’s spouse  is very messy business. Recovery when the other finds out - can call for massive amounts of trust rebuilding up again.

Sometimes the lesser of two pains is going it alone.

Sorry. 

But I was taught early on - here is where the Sacrament of Reconciliation can help big time.

It's a grace to talk it out to another.

But let’s go a step further and deeper - and concentrate mainly on the person who is into a sin.

Each of us has the power to hold onto mistakes against ourselves - or others - as well as being hurt by another. 

We all have our story - and we pay the price - if we go it alone without God, others and self in the right way.

It’s right there that I would want to especially understand the words of Jesus in today’s gospel.

I want to see Jesus going through the locked doors of my skull - see the whole story of my life - inside that locked room - filled with my secrets.

I want to hear Jesus saying to me, “Peace be with you.”

I want to hear Jesus breathing on me and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven and those ones you’re holding on to - they are going to destroy you - if you won’t let go of them.”

I want to say, “If we take paper and pen - and looked at the whole story of our life - we could write down mistakes,  as well as being hurt  by  parents, or family members, or teachers, or other kids, or relationships that went sour - and they are wearing us down - for life.

Memories can itch.

Itching and irritating our memory on and off - all through our lives  - things we can’t forgive can be very painful.

And sometimes people become miserable with their hurts - to get back at those who hurt them - trying to make them feel guilty for making this person a PITA.

TODAY - CONCLUSION

Today, this Sunday, let Jesus’ Divine Mercy heal you. Forgive those who hurt you or vice versa. 

Today, this Sunday, you’ll have doubts that forgiveness is possible.

Remember! If we have a memory, we’ll be remembering out past. The opposite is dementia.

So put your hands into Jesus cuts, into his mouth, hear him say from the cross - about those who have hurt us, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 23:34]

And hear Jesus say about the mistakes, sins, dumb things we’ve done in this life, “You can let go of those mistakes and use that holding onto mistakes energy - for doing better for and with each other. Amen.

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Notes: 

[There are two types of Confession - Confession of Devotion and Necessary Confession. This second type has to do with  serious damaging self stuff - that  we need to do some life revision about - with God's help - as well as therapy at times. 

For example, a person with a serious addiction to pornography - can go to confession and ask Christ for help in the sacrament of reconciliation - and receive absolution. However, they might also need counseling help for an addiction.  

I have also heard theologians say that we need to have a World Wide Catholic Church Synod on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I would recommend reading Chapter IX "Reconciliation" -  Pages 275 - 324 - of Joseph Martos's book, Doors to the Sacred, A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church, 2001 edition. If really interested there are plenty of footnotes at the end of that chapter.]