Church of ST JOSEPH Plentong

https://www.catholic.sg
29-January-2019-Tuesday
3rd-week-ordinary-time

*How does the offering of Christ’s body and blood take away our sins?  In the sacrifice of Christ, the giving up of His body and blood is the expression of God’s love and mercy for humanity.  In accepting the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, the Father demonstrated His unconditional love and forgiveness for all the sins of humanity.   The death of Christ is the act of self-emptying of the Father of the Son and the Son of the Father.  The Father was sonless and the Son was fatherless at the cross.   It was a mutual act of perfect love for humanity.*

*His death on the cross also expressed God’s identification with us sinners in our sinfulness.  St Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Cor 5:21)  St Peter said, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pt 2:24) Indeed, it is through Christ’s suffering and death on the cross that we come to know with certainty that God understands how much we suffer in temptation and when we fall into sin.  Therefore, He wants to assure us of His solidarity with us and to know that we are forgiven unconditionally.*

*In truth, Christ’s sacrifice is more than just the giving up of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.  It is also His way to show us that following God’s will is more important than anything else. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.”  We are to do the will of God.  The offering of Christ’s body is His total expression of obedience to God.  Jesus told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.”  At the Garden of Gethsemane, He surrendered completely, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42)*

*So the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice objectively is effective in taking away our sins because it is the offering of Himself, the expression of His Father’s love, mercy and forgiveness, and most of all, as a mentor in leading us the way to salvation by doing God’s will.  “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”  (Heb 5:8-10)  We are called to imitate Christ in doing God’s will and to be obedient to Him.  Only when we do God’s will as Jesus did, can we grow in perfection and in holiness.*

A Blessed, Joyful and Peaceful morning to all of you.