Sunday, December 13, 2015

Second Sunday of Advent - December 6, 2015

   I would like to begin today’s column by picking up where I left off. Last week, in writing about the beginning of Advent, I noted that this season is not as penitential in nature as Lent. But there is still a penitential aspect to the season. As I noted, Pope Francis has decreed this coming year as a Year of Mercy, an opportunity for us to seek God’s merciful love, beginning this Tuesday on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

I like the story of a priest who was teaching children about Confession. He asked the class, “What’s the first thing you have to do if you want to go to Confession?” One little boy raised his hand and answered, “Commit a sin.” The priest could not deny that was an important first step, but he had been taking it for granted that we already have committed some sin. For this Year of Mercy, though, the boy had a good insight. It’s not that we go out and commit a sin just so that we can experience God’s mercy. But the problem these days is that have to admit that we have are sinners. That part is easy to overlook in our society. The attitude of our society today was expressed in the title of a popular book from the 1960s, I’m Okay, You’re Okay. The idea is that I make choices for myself, and nobody can say anything about them. Some secular commentators have taken some of Pope Francis’ words out of context to make it sound like the Holy Father advocates a similar position. By proclaiming a Year of Mercy, the Pope is making it clear that we need the mercy of God. He challenges us to be aware of sin, but not in any hopeless way. Rather, we can stand up to the sins of our lives because we are confident that Christ offers us a better way.

Pope Francis got people’s attention when he explicitly included abortion in writing of the Year of Mercy. The Pope said, “One of the serious problems of our time is clearly the changed relationship with respect to life. A widespread and insensitive mentality has led to the loss of the proper personal and social sensitivity to welcome new life.” He then granted every priest the right to absolve the sin of abortion in Confession. For most of the United States, that decision does not make a legal difference, for most US bishops have already granted the right to priests. Yet even here, the fact that Pope Francis made that announcement may give hope to women who have been struggling with guilt to know that forgiveness is available.

As part of the Year of Mercy, the Diocese of Pittsburgh again sponsors The Light is On For You, an opportunity to receive mercy in a sacramental way. Like every parish in the diocese, St. Malachy will be open for Confessions this Wednesday evening, December 9, from 6:00 to 9:00. So feel free to come here or to go to any parish in the diocese. God is waiting to share His mercy with us.

                                                                                                     Father H