Epistle 0625 Reflection

The Epistle

Romans 6:1b-11

Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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My Dad was just a bit "anti-Catholic."  That's somewhat like saying that water is "just a bit wet."  I remember a good many Saturday evenings being in the car with him and passing one of the two large Roman Catholic Churches in my hometown as the faithful went to Mass at those churches.  He often made some comment about "those Catholics going to Confession to be forgiven of the things that they have done this past week that they will go and do again this coming week."  He firmly believed there was little or no true contrition for these sins confessed by these folks to their priest.  I love my Dad dearly, but I think he was just a bit cynical.  I'd like to think that anyway.

Paul challenges us today in a way that calls us to be authentic in our confession.  The apostle reminds us that we ought not go on sinning simply because we know that there is forgiveness available for the asking.  He reminds us that the effect of the forgiveness of our sins should be lasting.  When we depart from the Mass, having confessed all that is broken and sinful in us, having laid it at the feet of Christ whose mercies are without end, we should strive to sin no more.  Remember the woman caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus.  He most certainly forgives her.  But he also tells her to go and sin no more.  He tells us that very same thing.

But there is Gospel in this also.  We have an account of one moment with this woman brought to Jesus.  If she were brought a second time, what do we believe Jesus would say to her?  Do we believe that he would say, "I forgave you once; you had your shot."  Do we think he would send her away unforgiven?  That should seem to be a rather silly question.  If he did that, then the mercies of God shown in Christ to be without end, then God is no longer "slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love."  But God is what the prophets said he is, and more importantly what Christ shows he is by mirroring the heart of the Father for us and the whole world.  Consequently there can be no doubt that he would say again, "I forgive you; go and sin no more."

This is comforting for us.  I say that because no matter how hard we might try in this life and in this world, we will sin again, no matter how hard we try.  This does not give us free license to go and sin all the more.  It should rather give us the comfort of knowing that when we do, mercy and grace are still within grasp from the heart of God, whose mercies are without end.  And in that knowledge, we strive to resist sin as much as is humanly possible.

Father Tim+