PEACE THROUGH REPENTANCE - 04/13/23 (Thursday in the Octave of Easter)

Luke 24:35-48

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041323.cfm

Blessed Easter Thursday! In today's gospel reading, Jesus appeared to His disciples and telling them, "Peace be with you." All of us have the desire to experience peace and happiness. However, not all of us obtain this lasting peace. Even though worldly things give enjoyment, these are just temporary pleasures. Why? It's because true and authentic peace comes only from God. One of the reasons why we are disturbed is because of our sins. When we commit sins, our intellects become darkened. We may always seek happiness because we are made to be united with God, but because of our sinful inclinations, we may end up seeking such happiness in worldly things rather than in Jesus. The disciples were concerned with the persecution they could face if the Jews found them. Some of them still could find it difficult to believe in His resurrection. When we lack trust in Jesus, our hearts will remain restless and disturbed. 

Because of God's mercy, we still have the hope of obtaining this peace and it's through repentance. Below this reflection, there is a link to quotes of the saints about repentance. This is why our Lord Jesus tells us, "repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations..." The Jews, the Roman soldiers and others who were responsible for the death of our Savior were ignorant of the truth of Christ. In the same way, there are many times that we have been ignorant of God's will and commandments which led us to committing sins such as pride, anger, lust and others. This is an opportunity for us to repent of them by acknowledging that we offended God who is deserving of our love. Let's beg for His forgiveness in our prayers and in the sacrament of confession. Let's also stay away from temptations and from situations that influence us to commit sins. We should also be willing to detach ourselves from things that give us satisfaction but don't help us in our path to holiness such as by limiting the use of social media, TV and the like. All of the things in this world should be used for us to grow in holiness and for the glory of God. God is truly wonderful because He is giving us opportunities to repent and to receive His gift of peace. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Quotes of the Saints on Repentance:

http://www.stignatiusmobile.org/wisdom-of-the-saints-about-repentance-part-2/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth