1 Aug 2015
God has always had an interest in setting things right. That’s the whole purpose of the Law he gave
to Moses. It’s the reason why he led his
people through the desert and into the Promised Land. It’s why he continues to lead us by the grace
of the Holy Spirit. And, of course, that’s
why the Son became incarnate and gave himself up to the death on the Cross.
Today, the Book of Leviticus tells of the Jubilee Year—another
way by which God was trying to set things right among his people, and between his
people and him. It was a time to let the
slaves go free; a time to forgive debts; a time for the tribes to return to
the original land God had given them. It
was a time for the people of God to reorient themselves and get right again
with God and their neighbors.
Our Holy Father Francis has announced an Extraordinary Jubilee
Year to start this coming December 8th, on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception. And it will be a
Jubilee Year of Mercy; a time for all of us to let God’s mercy set things right
again; a time to let God put our lives on the right track again—as individuals,
as a Church, and as the human race.
With such unspeakable, unimaginable tragedies as happen in
our world today, we need God’s mercy
to help set us right again. There is the
new holocaust: the intentional abortion of countless innocents. We have the thinking of some that by changing
human laws, the laws of nature can be changed; of course, this is the debate
over marriage. There are the questions
about immigration in our country. We
have political corruption, terrorism.
Even in the Church we can be so busy doing the Lord’s work that we
overlook the Lord himself.
Every day is a chance to set things right with God and our
neighbors. Every day we have the chance
to say, “I’m sorry” to someone; we have the chance to get on our knees and
thank God for his many blessings; we have the chance to be reconciled to God
and others.
God is always working to set things right. And he opens the door to a perpetual jubilee by
the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross.
That’s why we’re here: to share in the Passion and the fruit of the
Cross—to get our lives back on track.
The mercy of God is right here; our guiding Light is right here; Christ
our Lord is present here. Here, at the
altar of God, is where God sets things right again. Here is the place of the jubilee.
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