Forgiveness

This season of the Christian year is called Easter or the Great Fifty days. It begins with the Feast of the Resurrection and it ends with the Day of Pentecost. The excitement of the resurrection story continues through this season as we hear about what it means to serve a risen Lord.

This week's readings contain familiar passages. Acts 5:27-32 contains the testimony of followers of Jesus before the Jewish council. Psalm 150 is a song of praise to God. Revelation 1:4-8 takes us to a vision of heaven were Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end.

John 20:19-31 is the most familiar of all. People refer to this passage as the one about "doubting Thomas." Although the latter part of the passage has Jesus' response to Thomas I want to concentrate on the the earlier part of the passage, especially v.22:

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained."

Jesus' whole ministry was about forgiveness. In it we are restored to others and to God. Forgiveness allows all of us to start fresh and let go. Yet forgiveness is not easy nor should it be treated flippantly. In a recent conversation with this SS class we spoke about the importance of penance in forgiveness. When we sin, we break a covenant with God and with other people.

This break of relationship is not easy to "fix." In fact one of the important lessons of Holy week is the extent that God is willing to go in order to restore us into relationship. This restoration took deat, a painful death. Part of being forgiven is acknowledging the wrongdoing and then seeking to make it right.

Forgiveness is difficult. It is interesting to note that before Jesus empowers his Disciples to be a forgiving people he gives them the Holy Spirit. It is because of the Spirit that we can forgive for the Spirit gives us the strength to forgive others and makes us aware when we need forgiveness.
The season of Easter is about proclaiming the risen Lord and his message. The fact that our sins are forgiven is the most important proclamation that we can make.

May you experience God's forgiveness this season. Most of all may you carry the message of forgiveness to all those that God sends our way.

Peace, Juan+