2nd Sunday of Easter
3
April 2016 (Divine Mercy Sunday)
• Acts 5:12-16 • Psalm 118 • Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 • John
20:19-31 •
practiced duration:
Title:
“Reconciled”
[__01__] Reconciliation. Reconciled.
In
our Catholic Tradition, we speak of Reconciliation as a sacrament and
sacramental encounter. That is, reconciliation is not something that takes
place simply as a meeting of the minds, or as a compromise.
[*** P A U S E ***]
[__02__] Reconciliation, for Thomas the Apostle and
for the Apostles in the locked upper
room, takes place because of God’s divine initiative.
And,
on this 2nd Sunday of Easter, we can certainly say because of God’s Divine Mercy.
[__03__] Thomas the Apostle was reconciled to Jesus
through this encounter. He gained tranquility, his faith was renewed because he
had seen our Lord and Savior.
All
of the disciples are reconciled – reconnected – to Jesus in a similar way. They were seeing him, body and blood, soul
and divinity.
At
the Last Supper – on the night before he died on the first Good Friday, Jesus
gave them his body and blood, soul and
divinity, in their first Holy Communion. This was not to be their last Holy Communion, but the first of many Holy Communions in which they could
receive him, be reconciled, reconnected to him.
[__04__] Reconciliation. We strive for
reconciliation and we speak about RECONCILIATION as a desirable state of
affairs, for example …
►
INTERNATIONALLY, between nations. We
hope that nations would use diplomacy rather
than the military to settle disputes. We would rather see world leaders
go to Camp David rather than into armed camps.
►
INDIVIDUALLY, for example, to know myself, I am reconciled to what my true
gifts and true weaknesses are.
Now,
even in these cases, I would suggest that RECONCILIATION is possible because one person takes the
initiative, or the lead, or offers something generous.
I
suggest this because the RECONCILIATION between Jesus and the apostles did not
happen because Jesus and the Apostles made a 50/50 deal. Rather, our Savior
took the initiative, giving up his body, his blood. He even went further,
forgiving those who persecuted him for “they know not what they do.”
(reference?)
Reconciliation
requires initiative. Isn’t this even true in international affairs? After the
Second World War and in many conflicts, it is often the victorious nation or
the stronger party who must initiate peace.
It is often the stronger party that must lead the way. If one country
waits around for the other, peace may never happen.
On
an individual level, if I am to be reconciled to who I am …I may also rely on someone stronger, a parent,
a mentor, a teacher, a coach to help me understand my true strengths and
weaknesses. This Final 4 weekend… …Jim Boeheim, the Syracuse
University basketball coach knows the strengths and weaknesses of his players
better than they themselves.
We
rely on others for this reconciliation.
And,
in the case of the Christian life, we rely on God and we even rely on the
Church to make reconciliation happen.
[*** P
A U S E ***]
[__05__] Reconciliation, then , requires not only proof
or evidence.
Reconciliation
is also an invitation to trust and to
love.
[__06__] We
might also recall here that Jesus is calling his apostles, as his first newly
ordained priests, to form and lead the Church and to act in this ministry of
reconciliation.
In Catholic / Christian Tradition, we say that
Jesus came to form a priesthood and the Church with 3 main purposes or pillars:
The
first is to TEACH.
The
second is to SUPERVISE or ORGANIZE or to GOVERN.
The
third is to RECONCILE. (This third
aspect or ministry sets apart the priest and the Church
from other offices and organizations.
For
it is not necessarily the mission of other organizations to “sanctify” or to
make holy or to reconcile the persons or members.
In
a sermon about the Christian ministry, John Henry Newman writes that we may
resist this idea of the Church and her third mission to reconcile or make holy.[1]
That
is, the first 2 missions or much easier for
us to comprehend.
[__07__] For example, every organization or school
needs to
►
TEACH – whether we are playing LACROSSE, or going to LAW SCHOOL, there are
techniques to be learned, information to be received.
And,
every organization needs to…
►
GOVERN or SUPERVISE – every organization has a structure, an organization
chart, a set of responsibilities,
policies, procedures.
[__08__] However, we – in the Church – and the priests
of the Church – have an additional responsibility – RECONCILIATION,
SANCTIFICATION, HOLINESS, LOVE.
[__09__] Do we resist this? Sometimes. We are in good
company. Thomas the Apostle also
resisted this reconciliation, for a little
while.
He
did not want to believe – or be reconciled – to what his friends – and the
community of believers – were telling him.
He would only be reconciled by his own eyes, by
his own evidence. Yes, there is some pride here.
[__10__] However, as I was reading in a recent Easter essay by Bishop Robert Barron, we
might also take note that Thomas is reconciled not individually but communally.
Jesus
makes no private appointment to catch up with Thomas but rather meets him in
the community of the Apostles.
[__11__] We are also called to be reconciled. And,
reconciliation can be difficult.
Sometimes,
I suggest we might respect or expect that there is …
1. TEACHING
2. ORGANIZATION
But,
is there “RECONCILIATION”
For
example, I may expect or respect that another person can teach me something.
Maybe, this is my mother, father, my
teacher, my coach.
I
may also respect or expect that there is
some organization or rule to follow.
But,
am I reconciled? Do I love being a part of this community?
In
the Christian family, we say that we
are part of the DOMUS ECCLESIA ..the
domestic church or the home church.
Thus,
this little home church is meant not only to TEACH US ..or to ORGANIZE our
time..but also to SANCTIFY us.
And,
I think we might agree that family life gives us many opportunities to take up
our cross, to lay down our lives for the other, and to be cheerful giver which
God calls us to be. To be reconciled.
[__12__] I would also say that the journey toward
forgiveness, true forgiveness, involves the goal of reconciliation.
Sometimes,
we stop short of this goal. Or we do not quite enter the upper room, or allow
Jesus into our room.
For
example, I may have – you may have – this attitude toward sinfulness or faults.
That
is, I think that I can be …
►
TAUGHT. I can be taught. I an learn
something when I realize that I am a sinner. I can learn… I can improve … but
self-improvement is not the only goal of Christian reconciliation. God
endeavors to forgive us even BEFORE we have improved.
►
I may also see that my sin affects the ORGANIZATION … that is, if
my sin is to be habitually late, then, I can see that this affects
others. If my sin has been dishonesty, I can see why someone would not trust
me.
But
these are only the first 2 aspects of the
Christian ministry and Church, teaching and
governing.
What
about reconciling?
Jesus
wishes to reconcile us, through the sacrifice of his body and blood, by
passing through the door from death to
life.
And,
he gives us hope that we can be reconciled to him and to each other and that we can be made whole and brought to
a new comprehension of God’s love for you and me.
[__13__] [__14__] [__fin__]
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