Yesterday was a very special time in the life of the Diocese of Knoxville. At our Eucharistic Congress in Sevierville we had the opportunity to celebrate our 25th anniversary as a diocese. Throughout these 25 years this diocese has continued to grow and to form the faithful in the truth of the faith. At this event close to 5,000 people were present to share in the sacrifice of the Mass, to be healed by the sacrament of Confession, and to learn what it truly means to be a Catholic. Today we gathered here for this Mass have the same opportunity to grow in our faith. We have an opportunity extended to us to allow the Eucharist to become the focal point of our lives, to see the necessity to be healed within the Sacrament of Confession, and to further our knowledge of the faith. Today's selection of readings reflect these values because Saint Paul was strengthened from his past as we are with the Eucharist, our Gospel is a representation of the need to turn away from our sins, and Moses desired truth to be found that would save people from falling away from God.
Inside of our Gospel we are told three parables which reflect similar values. They reflect the reality of sin and its grasp inside of our lives. They reflect the never ending hope that a sinner will in time be found and will prevail themselves to the mercy of God. Inside of the first parable we are given the image of Christ, who is the good shepherd. Inside this parable he finds the lost sheep and places it upon his shoulders. I imagine that at first this sheep squirmed around upon his shoulders, but eventually found comfort as it was being led back to the flock. We to continue to squirm around in our sin and attempt to escape that path that leads to holiness. Instead of moving about endlessly we must allow ourselves to find true comfort from our sins within Christ. Christ desires that we will be led back to His mercy through the sacrament of Confession. In Confession we will find true comfort from each disordered passion that has led us astray.
Christ the Good Shepherd has not left alone, but continues to dwell with us inside of the Holy Eucharist. It is here that our unbelief can be healed and we can be strengthened inside of the journey of faith that we find ourselves upon. In this sacrament we receive the Body, Blood, soul, and divinity of Christ our Lord. This is not a representation of bread and wine, but is carrying out the command from scripture "to do this in remembrance of me." If we have truly repented of our past sins and confessed all of our mortal sins we will be prepared to celebrate the great feast of the Lord that is the Holy Eucharist. It is from this Sacrament that we will be fed and strengthened in our life to turn away from sin and orient ourselves entirely towards God. It is also from this sacrament that we will draw upon the benefit of the sacrifice that is present. At this Mass we join with Christ upon Calvary and leave all of our worries and sins to be offered to God that we may strengthened as Saint Paul was.
As we use the sacraments of the Church to draw ourselves towards Christ the Good Shepherd we must also trust inside the knowledge of faith that will always open wide our love for God. In Exodus the people led out of slavery by Moses had removed themselves from the truth. We to can think of many ways where we have cut the truth of faith away from our own lives following after the many idols of the world that pull us away from God. With knowledge light should be brought into the darkness of night and our faith should become illuminated inside of its truth. In the light of our faith shines true devotion to God and the reality of the impact of our sins upon the world. We must challenge ourselves to not follow after many endless idols, but instead should begin to find time in our lives to draw towards God. We should be willing to enter into the quiet of prayer, have the desire to not be ignorant of Sacred Scripture, and be willing to enter into the fullness of the tradition of the Church by our knowledge of what she professes.
In Confession we will return ourselves towards Christ the Good Shepherd who desires us to return to the ninety-nine. In the Holy Eucharist we enter into both meal and sacrifice where we are brought into deep relationship with Christ the Good Shepherd. Within our knowledge of the faith we do away with the many idols we have built up for ourselves within the world and return to the love of the Good Shepherd. In our faith we will attempt to squirm around and escape from these comforting shoulders, but through confession, the Eucharist, and knowledge we will always be brought back to this relationship and be fortified in Christ Jesus. We will be like the lost son who had his relationship to his father restored when he truly repented of his sins. His repentance was not mere words, but was truly made from his heart and conversion was brought about. In the Sacraments and knowledge of the faith we to can make this perfect conversion of heart. Through this conversion may we grow comfortable upon the shoulders of Christ the Good Shepherd.
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