Purpose in praise.

Prior to actually looking at the readings for this following Sunday I automatically assumed that the theme was going to be positive and uplifting. Being in the Easter season one would assume that. I was surprised to see that every passage mentioned sin.

“But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you”
Acts 3: 13 - 15, 17 - 19

”O men, how long shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies?”
Psalms 4: 2, 4, 7 - 9

” He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and th e truth is not in him;”
1 John 2: 1 - 5

Are we honestly this guilt stricken? That in our time of celebration and redemption we fulfill our Catholic stereotypes and continually recite the same remorseful banter the world knows us for?

The truth is in order to accept and receive the full arrival of true joy we have to participate in the complete departure of sin from our lives. There aren’t many words that hold such negative and adverse baggage as “Repentance”.

The Catechism says “ Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. ”

Sometimes in our jubilation we dismiss from mind the original reason to which we’re celebrating and solely focus on the act. It’s not just about saying “Alleluia” but “Alleluia that it’s not about me”. The only qualifying faculty we posses is that, without the Messiah, we don’t qualify and we cannot facilitate. This legitimizes and fuels our continuous rejoicing in this Easter season.

“The culture of death; the blindness of pride.
Self-exulting, others put aside.
Neglecting to acknowledge what it is we really need:
Redirection away from all our selfishness and greed.”
Paul Sanders, Identifying the Opposition

This truth must be clearly articulated. When it was proclaimed that Jesus was reveled in the breaking of the bread he appears to them. The timing was not coincidence. In their fear he affirms his identity and makes himself more present “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? . See my hands and my fe et, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." After all of this he issues to them " Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”. In our case Beginning from Winnipeg .

We can often complicate our call to evangelization. Often times not out of our own quest for truth but out of fear and anxiety we can recess away from this Christian duty by overanalyzing the situation, similar to performing brain surgery on a carrot. We can have so much relucta nce to the most fundamental, profound, and loving truth there is, that Jesus wants his love to be known and this is the pathway in which it is established.