Preaching Repentance as Participation

There is a legend that I once heard that tells of a mystical vision of the great translator of the Bible, St. Jerome. Visited by the Lord one night in prayer, the Lord asked St. Jerome to give to him a gift. Jerome, perplexed yet honored by this invitation, first offered to the Lord his translation of the Bible. The Lord approached Jerome and rejected his gift, saying, “It is I who have given you this gift of understanding to be able to translate the Scriptures.” Jerome was dismayed that the Lord rejected his life’s work, and thought hard for a moment. Furrowing his brow, he spoke again, offering to the Lord his life of holiness, the virtue he had acquired, and his life in solitude. The Lord again spoke to Jerome, saying, “All of this has been first a gift to you; how do you offer it back to me?” Shaken, St. Jerome pondered what he could give that was not first given. His life, his work, his holiness — all of this was first given to him by the Lord! After some time, Jerome spoke to the Lord again: “Lord, I give to you my sins. Of all that I have, these alone I have not received from you. They are mine alone, they are all that I have to give to you. I beg you: forgive them and accept my repentance!”

This legend presents for the Church today a beautiful truth that can inform a fruitful catechesis of the liturgy. All of God’s people — both clergy and laity — find in the liturgy a privileged place for mutual exchange of gifts. From the Lord we receive grace, we receive His Word in sacred scripture, and we receive the Word made Flesh. From our hearts, we bring what we have: the work of our hands in the bread and wine and the love that is within our hearts. At the beginning of the liturgy, we also bring before the Lord something indispensable for its very celebration that we alone can bring: repentance for our sins.

In the penitential rite, the priest and the people together acknowledge that it is their sins — each sin — for which Christ was made man and died on the Cross. In the confession of our guilt, we acknowledge that the Love of God has triumphed over our sins. We give to God our faults; He gives to us His Son. The very reason He left us a memorial of His passion and death is that his saving work might continue in every age and in every place. Yet for His passion to be efficacious, we must be willing to make our own the words of the Exsultet: “O happy fault that won for us so great, so glorious a redeemer!” There can be no doubt that this is a mysterious exchange: our fallen human nature in exchange for divinization is hardly a fair deal. This mystery, however, is one which lies at the heart of the Christian message of hope which we profess in every liturgy.

Liturgical Catechesis and Active Participation

In any catechesis on the words and actions of the liturgy, we must aim at drawing the people of God into a deep awareness of both the rich symbolism of the liturgy and its effective power to transform our own hearts. The penitential rite is no different. Although it is a small part of the introductory rite, it nevertheless holds a deep symbolic power to draw the faithful into the mystery of the Eucharist. We are all too familiar with the words of the Second Vatican Council in the document Sacrosanctum Concilium: “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.” To acknowledge our sins is a powerful way to actively participate in the sacred liturgy. We bring before the Lord that which He has not given to us in order that we might receive from Him that for which we dare not hope. And this must motivate our preaching of sin! When the people of God are aware that their repentance comprises a path to holiness within the sacrifice of the Mass, the shame which prompts man to hide from God is dispelled in Christ’s love and man is renewed and revealed. The Mass, which flows from the Cross and leads to the Cross, is the privileged place of encounter with the Lord’s mercy. We know full well our weakness when we see the power of God; yet we are not dismayed, but enlivened — for his strength is ours through His mercy.

It is of course necessary to remind the people of God that we do not sin in order to participate in the Liturgy. We can say with St. Paul: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom 6:1-2) The point of preaching repentance to the people of God is to lead them away from sin and toward the grace of God. We all have faults. We all have need to repent, to “turn around” and return to the Lord. That we participate fully in the liturgy when we bring before the Lord our sins in the penitential rite is not license to sin, and the people of God ought to be made aware. But mercy triumphs — and this the people of God ought be made very aware of!

Catechesis on the liturgy is of universal benefit for the people of God. To point out tangible acts and prayers by which they can participate in a fuller manner in the liturgy is to empower them to pray the Mass more thoroughly. Connecting the penitential rite, therefore, to the action at the altar allows the faithful to see not only the reason for the liturgy but their own place around the altar, united with Christ in the person of His priest. The faithful are called, of course, to participate actively in all of the action of the liturgy; yet using the liturgy’s internal structure as a pedagogical method enables all to see the flow of action from man to God and from God to man. That the penitential rite is a public and common admission of sin is of great importance as well. The participation of the faithful in the liturgy is not merely a private exchange with the Lord, but is a community action as well, of which each person takes their part. Expressing repentance and accepting the mercy of God in the context of a communal act of worship liberates the faithful from isolation and situates their faith and charity within a broader community of believers. In this, therefore, they participate not only in the action of God, but in the community as well — their very active participation is in being a people of God.

The Medicine of Mercy: Preaching on Sin

It can be challenging to preach on specific sins, yet it is crucial to the good of the community that it be done. It is tempting to preach only the mercy of God without the content of sin, as there is none who would take offense at the message of the love and mercy of God. But the penitential rite is clear: we must acknowledge our sins in order to celebrate worthily this great sacrament. The laity — even those who we may think are already aware of the dangers of sin — have a right to know the dangers to avoid. The people of God benefit, moreover, from the charitable honesty of her pastors. It is imperative that pastors provide to their flock a lay of the land, so that they might live in freedom rather than fear. Of course, prudence rules in this regard: there is a fine line between teaching the faithful what is a sin and teaching the faithful new ways to sin. We must ask ourselves, however, how each of us are to know what is “my fault, my fault, my most grievous fault” unless we are first taught.

Connecting the preaching of sin with participation in the mercy of God through the sacraments empowers the faithful to take action against those roots of sin they may find in their hearts. The point of preaching sin is not to condemn, but to rescue from condemnation. Fruitful preaching on the topic of sin and on specific sins themselves forms the consciences of the faithful. Through this preaching, the faithful are led into a rich freedom to pursue the will of God and are given the confidence that it is possible to do the good and avoid what is harmful.

There is a great need for clarity when moral theology is incorporated into a cycle of homilies. At the core of Christian conversion is a lively awareness of sin and its consequences both earthly and eternal. When pastors undertake to train the people of God in righteousness, a beautiful gift is given that presents the foundation for the renewal of a community. The clarity of teaching, moreover, must be a top priority, especially when specific sins are called out to be eradicated within a community. Providing both scriptural and rational foundations for the moral teaching of the Church is a great service to the people, and empowers them in turn to allow the message of repentance to go out from their own lives to those they minister to as well. To belabor the point even further, it must be constantly reaffirmed that the moral teaching of the Church is inseparably linked to the people of God’s full and active participation in the liturgy. For this reason, providing a clear path to a fuller participation by means of precise moral teaching in the context of the homily is invaluable to each soul’s growth in holiness.

The Confessional and the Mass

The sacrament of penance plays a crucial role in the preaching of sin and repentance, especially in regards to active participation in the Liturgy. All of the sacraments flow from and lead to the Eucharist, which is the “source and summit” (Sacrosanctum Concilium §10). In particular, the sacrament of reconciliation flows from the pierced side of Christ and leads to our active participation in the Eucharist. The entire point of confession is to be made clean in order to sit at table. Its whole purpose in the life of the Church is to prepare the people of God to participate at the sacrifice of the Mass.

Yet no sacrament of the Church is shrouded in more fear or dread than this, both in the mind of the faithful and in the public square. It is a trope common to the comedian and to the satirist, that dreadful concept of “Catholic guilt” — or worse, “Irish Catholic Guilt”! Where does this perception come from except from personal experiences in the confessional which do not match the preaching of the Love of God? It is imperative that the people of God find in the sacrament of reconciliation that same Christ they find in the Eucharist. The sacrament of reconciliation ought to be just that: reconciling to God in order that God might be glorified in the triumph over sin. The role of the priest cannot be overstated in this. As you are merciful, kind, compassionate, and understanding, so will Christ be to His people. And, if Christ is compassionate to His people in the confessional, He certainly will be at the Liturgy when He is offered. It is all beautifully connected.

Returning to the Heart of Christ

To return to preaching, when repentance from sins is preached, it can never be separated from a kind word encouraging the faithful to regularly go to confession. And, if this is encouraged, then the sacrament of penance ought to be offered as well. In all the world it ought to be as easy to find sacramental forgiveness for sins as it is to commit them. So: when repentance is preached, the sacrament of penance should be offered. When the sacrament of penance is offered, it should be with a view toward the liturgy. Thus, there is created within the parish a cycle of love and forgiveness that empowers the faithful to overcome their sins and in so doing bring themselves a fitting offering for full and active participation at the altar.

God’s love is at the center of every homily on sin. We avoid sin, yes because it hurts us, but so much more for the sake of that Heart which has loved men so much! When sin is framed in the context of love, its true horror as the antithesis of love is manifested, yet the sharpness of that horror is blunted by God’s own love. Why must we confess our sins? That we might enter the Heart of God and fall ever more deeply in love with Jesus Christ, who for our sake left us the Eucharist as a sacrament of Love.

In the preaching of sin and repentance, the people of God benefit from knowing the Heart of Christ. It is not mere poetic license to say that the Heart of Christ is open to those who wish to enter. To communicate to the faithful that He was pierced in order that we might enter in is a profound service to the people of God. It is this door of mercy that is represented in the confessional — it is this open heart which gives confidence to all who pray the Confiteor. Our sins opened His Heart, yes, but now it is open for us that we might be washed in the blood and water that continually pours forth to cover His Church in mercy.