The Pope's Homily at Nationals Park: Return to the Sacrament of Penance

"In the exercise of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, I have come to America to confirm you, my brothers and sisters, in the faith of the Apostles," said Pope Benedict XVI in his homily at Mass this morning at Nationals Park. "I have come to proclaim anew, as Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, that Jesus Christ is Lord and Messiah, risen from the dead, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and established as judge of the living and the dead."

"The readings of today's Mass invite us to consider the growth of the Church in America as one chapter in the greater story of the Church's expansion... I pray, then, that this significant anniversary in the life of the Church in the United States, and the presence of the Successor of Peter in your midst, will be an occasion for all Catholics to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them, and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God's Kingdom.

The world needs this witness! Who can deny that the present moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but also for society as a whole? It is a time of great promise, as we see the human family in many ways drawing closer together and becoming ever more interdependent. Yet at the same time we see clear signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundation of society: signs of alienation, anger and polarization on the part of many of our contemporaries; increased violence; a weakening or the moral sense; a coarsening of social relations; and a growing forgetfulness of God."

Pope Benedict called upon the power of the Holy Spirit for a renewal of the Church in the U.S.

Again, the Holy Father took up the subject of the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of sexual abuse.

Here, he also took up, for the first time the subject of the sacrament of reconciliation, particularly its decline in our country.

"Let us trust in the Spirit's power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the sacrament of Penance! The liberating power of this sacrament, in which our honest confession of sin is met by God's merciful word of pardon and peace, needs to be rediscovered and reappropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America depends on the renewal of the practice of penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes."

-- Tim Drake

Comments

[Michael Forrest]

It seems to me that Benedict XVI is the perfect successor to John Paul II. He has a unique ability to clarify, to bring a clearer focus upon specific areas that need attention.

His recent focus on the sacrament of Penance is particularly welcome. As a convert to the faith, I have long been confused by the neglect of this wonderful instrument of God's grace. Among other things, I don't think there can be any doubt that one's appreciation for the miracle of the Holy Eucharist is dramatically heightened after one confronts one's own sinfulness and encounters God's great mercy.

God bless the Holy Father.