In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus is speaking about a tradition that was believed in the time of the Old Testament and was a common belief even in first century Judaism. That is, that if some evil were to befall you (illness, an accident, sudden death), then it must be because of some sin of which you were guilty. But Jesus is quick to dispel any such idea. He gives two examples: the Galileans that were massacred by Pilate in the temple whose blood was mingled with the blood of their sacrifices, and the people who were killed by the Tower of Siloam when it fell on them.
In each case he asked the people if they thought that those who suffered in these ways were greater sinners than them because of what happened to them. He could have asked the same thing in another way: “Do you think that because you haven’t suffered the same fate that you are sinless?” “By no means!” he says. Then he gives a sobering message: “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.”
So repentance is the theme that winds through these readings today. And it’s a word that we don’t really like or want to hear, because it makes us think that we’ve actually done something for which we need to repent. It implies that we need to change. And that’s not a message that our world today embraces. It’s quite the opposite, actually. In our world of moral relativism, I can decide for myself what is right or wrong, and I can’t tell anyone else that what they do is right or wrong.
But think about the first words of Jesus that are recorded in the Gospel of Mark: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). And after Peter addressed the crowd on Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles, the people were cut to the heart and asked Peter, “What shall we do? And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins’” (Acts 2:37-38).
In our second reading from his first Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul talks about the care the Israelites received when Moses led them out of Egypt—safe passage through the Red Sea, miraculous water and manna in the desert—these didn’t guarantee God’s permanent favor, because eventually “they were struck down in the desert.” He says that the Corinthians must not imitate their ancestors, and squander the benefits of Baptism and the Eucharist that they have already received.
In other words, those who don’t remember the past are destined to repeat it. The past teaches, warns, and provides a model for us to either follow or avoid. Paul urges his readers not “to be unaware” of the fate of their ancestors who perished despite their many advantages. Scripture tells us that there were about 600,000 Israelites who left Egypt. How many of those actually entered into the Promised Land? Only two. This is why Paul says to the Corinthians: “Therefore whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall” (1 Cor 10:12).
So both Jesus and Saint Paul are saying that we should not be complacent, or think that we have no need of repentance. This is very dangerous, Jesus warns us, because if we don’t repent, we will perish just as the others did.
This, of course, leads to the subject that we talk about quite a bit, especially during the season of Lent. And that’s the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or going to confession.
Why is it that Father Tom, Father Ted, and I keep preaching about confession? Because it’s important! Our concern isn’t just that we obey the laws of the Church. Our ultimate concern is your eternal salvation! It’s a wonderful gift that Jesus gave the Church. So why don’t more people take advantage of it? Maybe it’s because so many people have bought into our culture’s teaching that says we don’t need it. Why not? One reason might be that we think we can just pray to God forgiveness by ourselves and that is enough. Well, we can do that and we should. Each night before we go to bed we should do a simple examination of conscience, reflect on the good and bad we’ve done during the day, pray an act of contrition, and give thanks to God for all of his gifts.
But that alone doesn’t confer the sanctifying grace he desires to give us—the grace that he authorized his apostles to hand down through the ages to his priests to give us. And it doesn’t give us the certitude of actually hearing the words of forgiveness: “I absolve you of your sins. You are forgiven. Go in peace.”
Listen to these beautiful words Saint John Paul II says about this sacrament:
“… nothing is more personal and intimate than [the Sacrament of Confession] in which the sinner stands alone before God with his sin, repentance and trust. … [T]he most precious result of the forgiveness obtained in the Sacrament of Penance consists in reconciliation with God … [that] leads to other reconciliations which repair the breaches caused by sin. The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself. He is reconciled with his brethren. He is reconciled with the Church. And he is reconciled with all creation.”
The second reason that I think people avoid going to confession is that many people don’t really believe they’ve done anything worthy of going to confession. This is exactly what moral relativism has done to our society and culture. A major public personality once defined sin as “something that goes against my own personal values.” In other words, I can decide what is right and wrong for me. But listen to what Saint John says in one of his letters:
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8-10)
So how can we prepare ourselves for going to confession, especially if it’s been awhile? The first thing to do would be to pray, and ask God to reveal our sins to us, and for the strength, courage, and humility to bring them to confession. One of the best places to do this is before the Blessed Sacrament. Everyone should take some time to come before the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and give back to Him what he has given us: everything! Take the time to give an hour, ½ an hour, even fifteen minutes in His Presence to let Him love you and give you the love, strength, confidence, and peace that only He can give to face the world and all its challenges. This can be done during a Holy Hour with Exposition, or simply sitting in the pews before the tabernacle.
God is calling all of us to reconciliation and healing to continue the fight against evil. Sacred Scripture is very clear about how much God wants us to be healed. So come, take advantage of a gift that no one else can offer, and be reconciled to God, to yourself, to others, to the Church, and to creation, as Saint John Paul II says.
Repent. Not because God needs it, but because we do.