Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “The Church condemned me.” “I don’t go to Mass anymore because Father kicked me out of the Church.” “I was excommunicated.” In earlier days the Church used a rite of excommunication to teach that by our sins we do separate ourselves from Christ and his Church, and to call us back from our errors. Public sinners go a step further in scandalizing others by their actions and so in fidelity to the Gospel are barred from Communion and public celebration of the liturgies of the Church. Holy Mother Church no longer makes use of such a ritual, but the old language is still in vogue for some.
By her actions the Church proclaims today the truth that she never really condemned anyone, as now in Christ “there is no condemnation”. It is in truth we who condemn ourselves by our own sins, and on the final day if we have rejected grace God, rather than condemning us, will simply respect our choice to be apart from him. We, by our own faults, sever our personal union with Christ and the Church, are “excommunicated” – no longer able to receive Communion until first confessing our sins through the means entrusted by Christ to the Apostles in the Sacrament of Penance. “Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment of the Last Day in his preaching. (Cf. Dan 7:10; Joel 3-4; Mal 3:19; Mt 3:7-12)
Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. (Cf. Mk 12:38-40; Lk 12:1-3; Jn 3:20-21; Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 4:5) Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God’s grace as nothing be condemned. (Cf. Mt 11:20-24; 12:41-42) Our attitude about our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. (Cf. Mt 5:22; 7:1-5) On the last day Jesus will say : ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ (Mt 25:40) ” (CCC 678)
Along with our Lenten prayer, fast and abstinence we practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy according the Lord’s counsel in the Beatitudes. He has made clear that our relationship with him is reflected in the way we treat the “least of these little ones.” Love of our neighbor is an indispensable duty of the Christian life. By sin we reject the communion of the Church as well as her divine Head. For this reason we confess our sins to the priest and he, for the Church, welcomes us back as living members of the Lord’s Body of believers. “Christ is the Lord of eternal life. Full right to pass definitive judgment on the works and hearts of men belongs to him as redeemer of the world. He ‘acquired’ this rite by his cross. The Father has given ‘all judgment to the Son.’ (Jn 5:22; cf. 5:27; Mt 25:31; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim 4:1)
Yet the Son did not come to judge, but to save and to give the life he has in himself. (Cf. Jn 3:17; 5:26) By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one’s works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love. (Cf. n 3:18; 12:48; Mt 12:32; 1Cor 3:12-15; Heb 6:4-6; 10:26-31)” (CCC 679) The Church would not truly express the saving love of Christ unless, faithful to his teaching and commandments, she warned us of the reality of our sins. So she teaches that sin is capable of separating us from God forever, yet completely forgiven as soon as we will humbly approach the Lord remembering: “whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them, whose sins you hold bound they are held bound.” Observe the Church’s precept to confess sins at least once a year during the Lenten season. I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we “meet Christ in the liturgy”, Father Cusick