Second Sunday Ordinary Time January 17, 2016

Homilist: Fr. Frank Sacks, C.M., Chaplain Seton Heritage Ministries 339 S. Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

Theme: The Name of Jesus is Mercy.

We experience this Mercy in a special way during this Jubilee Year. In our religious tradition we call Jesus of Nazareth by many names. During the Christmas season Isaiah, Luke and Matthew highlighted some: Jesus is the one who will save his people from their sins, the Savior, Messiah, Lord, Son of God, Emmanuel-God-with-us! This past three Sundays the Church celebrated the manifestation of the Son of God to the world: He is the King of the Jews revealed to the Wise Men, representatives of all nations. He is the beloved Son of God revealed by the Father at his baptism in the Jordan river. Today he is the one sent by the Father who, at the bidding of his mother Mary, begins manifesting his Glory at a public wedding reception. Let me suggest another name for Jesus, the name Mercy. This past week Pope Francis published his first book. It focuses on the theme of Mercy so dear to his heart. The book bears the title: The Name of God is Mercy. I recommend it to you. It is available as a Kindle Book for $11.99. In it Francis responds to very interesting questions formulated by the compiler. In today’s gospel Jesus, who is the Son of God sent by the Father, first revealed his glory at a wedding celebration in Cana; the Gospel of John portrays how Jesus shares God’s divine qualities. I think it is perfectly acceptable to affirm of Jesus, God’s Son, what Pope Francis affirms of God. So we rightly affirm: The Name of Jesus is Mercy.

Photo  courtesy  of  Frederick  News  Post.  

Special  Grace  of  Indulgences  Page  2  of  5  

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy all of us are focused on this name: Mercy. Here at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton we are blessed in a very special way. Our Basilica has been designated as one of eight locations in our Archdiocese of Baltimore where pilgrims can walk through a Holy Door to encounter Jesus who is Mercy. Our Holy Door is truly a Door of Mercy. Everyone who steps through this door enters into the presence of God who is Mercy. Here we Catholics draw closer to God by receiving the special grace of the Jubilee of Mercy. This afternoon I want to elaborate further about this special grace. On the one hand the special grace involves forgiveness of sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; on the other hand the special grace involves detachment from the effects of our sins through works of mercy and plenary indulgences. The Nature of Sin: Sin is our failure to love God and our neighbor, and at times even failure to love ourselves. Only God can forgive sin. Nothing we do can bring about forgiveness for our sins. Fortunately whenever we seek forgiveness God always forgives us. As Pope Francis is fond of reminding us: God never tires of chasing after us with forgiveness. It is we who must remember to repent and open ourselves to receive God’s forgiveness. God forgives our sins, no matter how serious they are. You name it; there’s no sin that God refuses to forgive: our judgmental attitudes; our failures of all types: failures to forgive, to love unconditionally, to love our enemies, to honor God and our parents; our worshipping of false gods especially money and personal power; our various sins against the 6th and 9th commandments: premarital sex, marital infidelity, masturbation, pornography; our sinful life styles and relationships; our habits of serious sin like sins of anger, pride, envy sloth; our sins of omission including failure to pray daily and participate regularly at Sunday Eucharist; and the very serious sins of murder and the slaughter of human life in the womb which the Church underscores as serious by excommunicating anyone actively involved in an abortion . No matter what the sin, God shows readiness to forgive it; God forgives every sin and always. We cannot commit any sin that God is not prepared to forgive. All that is necessary is that, like the prodigal son, we come to our senses, admit our sinfulness and return to our Father’s house. This happens in a special moment as we pass through our Door of Mercy. We experience forgiveness of sin especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Special  Grace  of  Indulgences  Page  3  of  5  

The Effects of Sin There is more to the story of God’s mercy than the forgiveness of sin. Whenever we repent and confess our sins they are removed by God’s mercy, but the effects of our sins remain. A major effect of sin, especially when dealing with habitual sin, is attachment to sin. We all experience this in some way in our lives. The more we commit the same sin the more we are inclined to commit that sin. Even after confessing habits of serious sin, we are still attached to that sin. The more attached we are, the less we are attached to God. Traditionally this separation from God has been called “temporal punishment” due to sin. We struggle mightily to detach ourselves from the enduring effects of the sins that God has forgiven. We achieve a degree of detachment from our sins when we perform the penance assigned by a priest during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There are other acts of penance for the remission of sins; we will discuss some in future homilies, notably respect for life, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; there’s also prayer and offering up personal sufferings that help to atone for the effects of our sins. Finally, there is the special grace of indulgences available for pilgrims passing through the Door of Mercy. Plenary Indulgences: Think of an indulgence as God the Father running towards us sinners as the father did in the story of the Prodigal Son. He searched the horizon every day hoping eventually his wayward son would come home. The repentant son confesses he sinned against heaven and against his father, and he receives his father’s forgiveness. But he receives much more than forgiveness. The father rushes towards him to embrace him. What was a great distance created by sin was eliminated by a loving father who approaches his son. The sins were forgiven. The effects of the sins were wiped away by the power of the father’s merciful love. As Pope Francis put it:

It becomes indulgence on the part of the Father who, through the Bride of Christ, his Church, reaches the pardoned sinner and frees him from every residue left by the consequences of sin, enabling him to act with charity, to grow in love rather than to fall back into sin.

By creating indulgences, the Church invites us to be like the prodigal son in relation to God the Father. Through our Catholic tradition of indulgences, the Church assures us that

Special  Grace  of  Indulgences  Page  4  of  5  

God the Father, in his great mercy, will erase the temporal punishment due to our sins – he will run towards us to embrace us. He will not fume in anger or wag a scolding finger. Instead he will embrace us and rejoice because we are no longer separated from God by our sinful actions. He chooses to “throw a party” as he did for his returning son! What is necessary to receive a Plenary Indulgence? In order to take advantage of the special grace of a Plenary Indulgence during this Year of Mercy, one needs to meet five conditions. Some of these can be met before or after the day we enter the Holy Door of Mercy to obtain the Indulgence. 1. We must pass through the Door of Mercy in the state of grace. This is like the

requirement for receiving the Eucharist worthily in the state of grace. If necessary, one needs to confess serious sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving communion and before receiving an indulgence (see 3 below). A person must be in the state of grace “at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed.”

2. We must have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial

sin. This sounds like an impossible demand. Actually, when you think about it, for our sins to be forgiven in Confession we must meet the very same condition. It is called “purpose of amendment,” the promise to avoid sin in the future. We promise this to God in our Act of Contrition: “I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do Penance and to amend my life…” To amend my life involves a movement towards complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin. It may take time to achieve this goal. No matter, because God waits on us with infinite patience and helps us in our weakness.

3. We must confess our sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This can take

place within the time frame of twenty days before or twenty days after entering the Door of Mercy. We will have more to say about Confession in two weeks.

4. We must receive the Holy Eucharist. It is better to receive Holy Communion at the

Eucharist, but for the indulgence to be granted only Holy Communion is required. 5. We must pray for the intentions of Pope Francis. A person can choose any prayer, but

an “Our Father”, a “Hail Mary” and a “Glory Be” are suggested. Pope Francis constantly asks people to pray for him. This Year of Mercy is a special time to respond to his request. All Catholics have the chance to honor Pope Francis’ request.

Special  Grace  of  Indulgences  Page  5  of  5  

SOME FOOTOTES: One sacramental confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each indulgence. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. It can be applied either to oneself or to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. How to best benefit from the special grace of the Year of Mercy

Walk through the Door of Mercy with an awareness of God whose name is Mercy. Imagine yourself as the Prodigal Son returning home. Be repentant for any sins and open yourself to receive God’s forgiveness. Pause and imagine Christ rushing to embrace you with love. Imagine him closing that distance that still remains as a result of your sins; imagine his drawing you closer to the God of mercy who has forgiven your sins.

Meet all five conditions for gaining the plenary indulgence. Most importantly, with God’s merciful help, live “in the state of grace” and strive for a “complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.”

May Mary, who interceded for the young married couple in today’s Gospel, intercede for us with her son. In so many ways she tells Jesus who is Mercy: They need you! It is reassuring that our heavenly Mother walks with us as we approach her divine Son, the one whose name is Mercy. We pray: O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Holy Mary, Mother of God, prayer for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. AMEN.