November 8, 2015

Thirty-Second Sunday In Ordinary Time -

A Reflection by Fr. Leo

 

Jesus’ dying once for all marks the end of Atonement Theology.  No longer are we to pay a price in suffering for our sins; the punishment of death or hell.  Jesus paid the price once and for all.  His coming the second time, which is now, is to “bring salvation to those who eagerly await him”  as we are reminded in the last words from our second reading; the letter of Paul to the Hebrews. 

 

In place of Atonement Theology we have At-one-ment Theology which is nurtured by contemplation of our shared divinity with Christ.  “Christ became man, so that we could become divine.”  This is reflected in the prayer the priest prays during the preparation of the gifts when a bit of water is added to the wine, He prays, “Through the mingling of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ.”

 

Jesus moved us out of what was common in religion in his time, sacrifice for sin.  Human and animal sacrifice made to a tit-for-tat God.  In it’s place we have unconditional forgiveness and love.  This allows us, as Christ’s followers, to realized we are loved and to let Christ’s love free us from sin and its effects of shame and guilt.  What is required is our eagerness to let God move us way from our attachment to what brings death so that we may live in the freedom of his love. 

 

God is more than eager to bless us, but will always respect our free will.  I firmly believe that we will give up our ‘sin’ our unhealthy choices and habits, when we realize they are a source of pain rather than peace.

 

In our contemplation, let us dwell on God’s unconditional love for us in Christ, until we can know his divinity within us, that which is ours. Christ’s light burns within us.  Let us fan that light into full glory.  Then Christ’s light will shine and the whole world will come to walk in his light!