He is the true lamb who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life (I Preface of Easter).
The little word “no” is the root of all human difficulty. Once pronounced, it strongly marked the evolution of the history of humanity. Adam and Eve said “no” to God and all creation fell. There was always the hope that it could be reversed, but that did not happen except in the “yes” of Christ. This “yes,” expressed on the Cross, stopped the downturn and, in effect, propelled all of creation in its primordial direction toward God. There is not, nor will be, another “no” to turn back that movement. Sin is removed and holiness grows. This is the essence of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The pardon gained by the love of the Cross is eternally available and graciously given. The act expected of the sinner is the personal decision to be liberated from the “no” of Adam and Eve and be take a place on the side of Christ’s “yes.” This act of repentance, as a response to the love of God in Christ, regenerates the individual and gives participation in salvation. It is the community of Christ that is charged with verifying the sincerity of the penitent and with proclaiming pardon. To celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a kind of “bungee jump” for the Christian from the precipice of sin to the height of life. It is to imitate the dynamic of the falling and rising of the Paschal Mystery.
Force can break a bone that has no joint. (Niger)
I try frequently to write in response to these meditations but my comments won't go through. Let's see if this does.....?
ReplyDeleteThere will never be another No to turn back the primordal direction toward God, but my life is filled with a lot of small "n" no's. I pray that my yes's outweigh my no's and that I contribute satisfactorily to the inertia, the movement.
I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't concerned yet about my blood pressure or the medical benefits of meditation because I wasn't feeling any health problems at that time. I enjoyed meditation; I enjoyed relaxing and feeling very peaceful. Sometimes days, even weeks would go by without me meditating. see this website
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