Our current Holy Father , Francis, has said that Christians should remember that they are a people of joy, not sad people. As we celebrate this fourth Sunday in Lent we are instructed to rejoice. What do we have to rejoice about when we are surrounded by the penitential penitential character of this season? What do we have to rejoice about when we glance at the brokenness not only found within our life, but also within the world? With all the fears and hardships that we must endure how can we rejoice and how can we always present ourself to the world as a person of Christian joy?
The entrance antiphon for this Mass states: "Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breast." Here we who are found in mourning are being addressed and we are told to be joyful. We must be joyful and be found rejoicing because we as Christians have nothing to fear because that which has been cast into darkness has been restored to its proper light. From the Book of Chronicles we were shown how humanity has constantly pushed God to the side, but in the process they never discovered true joy. When Saint Paul addressed the Ephesians he reminded them that it is God who is rich in mercy. This mercy comes to us from the cross and it continues to spread itself down upon us through the generations and for this we are given every reason to rejoice and to be found joyful.
Year after year we begin Lent in the same fashion through the reception of ashes upon our foreheads. In being marked with ashes we are told: "You are dust and to dust you shall return." Of course the reception of ashes is not a statement of pride to exclaim to the world that we are Catholic, but instead this mark proclaims to the world that we are a sinner. This mark echoes the words of our Gospel: "people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil." Thankfully as I look out upon you today I see that this mark has been washed away and is no longer found upon your foreheads. This is important for us to remember because we cannot continue to endure in our sin, but instead we must be moved towards God's infinite mercy. This means that we who publicly proclaim through our ashes that we are sinner are in need of God's mercy and thus we must allow ourself to be healed from this great burden that ways us down through the Sacrament of Confession.
Through a good confession we will have our sins washed away and we in return will be able to rejoice and to be found joyful. We can never truly rejoice nor can we ever be joyful if we allow ourself to remain separated from God and His abundant mercy. We can never truly rejoice nor can we be found joyful if we allow the mark of ashes to remain proudly placed upon our foreheads. Through our sin there is nothing for us to be proud about! Therefore my brothers and sisters in Christ may we prevail ourself to the light of God's mercy for it will be here alone where we who our burdened and weighed down by the weight of sin will be able to rejoice and to be found joyful. The mark of ashes proclaims to the world that we are a sinner; a sinner who is in need of the Sacrament of Confession.
Please make use of this parish's many opportunities to make a confession. We have confessions here Wednesday following our morning Mass, Saturday morning following Mass, and Saturday evening from 4pm-5pm. You can also schedule a confession by appointment with a priest in order to find a time that is convenient for you. We will also be having our parish penance service this Wednesday at 7pm where we will have the pleasure of having many priests join us here for this life giving sacrament. One of the precepts of the Church states to us that a Catholic must confess their sins at least once a year. A Catholic should also make haste to return to this sacrament if they find themselves in the state of mortal sin instead of enduring in their sin and continuing to receive our Lord who is present in Holy Communion.
The world gives us a lot to despair over, but thankfully as we proclaim in the mystery of faith: "We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again." Through His death we have the abundance of His mercy poured out upon us and through His Resurrection we see that there is more to life then what we currently understand. May we indeed rejoice and be filled with joy by casting aside the darkness of our sin and being moved towards the light of Christ's abundant mercy. In this manner we as Christians will have the joy that is radiated by the saints because their life did not radiate themselves, but instead they ushered the joy of Christ into the world.
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