Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Daily Mass Gospel Reflection- Meeting sin and Mercy
Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 9.24.22 | Bishop Robert Barron

Posted on 09/24/2022 3:59:52 PM PDT by MurphsLaw

Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:43b–45

Friends, in today’s Gospel,
Jesus predicts his being handed over to men—that is, his crucifixion.
Here is the point I want to make:
we are meant to see on that cross our own ugliness.
What brings Jesus to the cross? Stupidity, anger, mistrust, institutional injustice, betrayal,
denial, unspeakable cruelty, fear.
St. Peter puts it with disquieting laconicism:
the Author of life came and you killed him.
In the light of the cross, all of the vermin are revealed.
This is why we speak of the cross as God’s judgment on the world.

So far, so awful.
But we can’t stop telling the story at this point.
Dante and every other spiritual master know that the only way up is down.
When we live unaware of our sins,
we will never make spiritual progress.
So we need the light, however painful it is.
Then we can begin to rise.
Once Dante makes it all the way to the center of hell,
he suddenly finds himself climbing out.

On the cross of Jesus,
we meet our own sin.
But we also meet the divine mercy,
which has taken that sin upon himself in order to swallow it up.


TOPICS: Catholic
KEYWORDS:
+++ While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him
about this saying.+++


1 posted on 09/24/2022 3:59:52 PM PDT by MurphsLaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson