THE POWER TO FORGIVE AND TRANSFORM
2 Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43
In the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Archbishop of Paris preached:
Some years ago, three young tourists—rude and cynical—came into this cathedral. Two dared the third to make up a confession. The young man went and arrogantly made his confession. The confessor told him: “For your penance, stand before the crucifix, look into the face of the crucified Christ and say: All this you did for me, and I don’t give a damn!” The young man went out and bragged that he had completed the dare; but the other two insisted he finish the dare by doing the penance. He re-entered the cathedral, stood before the crucifix, looked up into the face of Christ and began: “All this you did for me and I… I… I don’t… I don’t give…” He couldn’t continue.
At this point, the archbishop leaned over the pulpit and said: “That young man stands before you to preach today.”
This is the power of our King: the power to forgive and transform through love and the cross. On the cross, stripped of everything—clothes, strength, dignity—Jesus retains his power to
- forgive: he forgives his persecutors, the executioners, and the repentant thief;
- change hearts: he transforms the thief, the centurion, and the people.
Paul’s hymn to the Colossians (second reading) emphasizes that in Jesus we have the forgiveness of sins; through him, all things are reconciled.
In a world which gives importance to territory, power, wealth, rhetoric, and show… Jesus is a king whose
- kingdom goes beyond borders and nationality
- citizens are the poor, the lost, the marginalized
- crown is compassion
- throne is the crib and the cross
- authority is that of humble and loving service
- law is love
- life and death were among sinners.
Is Jesus my king? If so… Do I imitate him and his way of love and mercy, humility and service? Do I allow him to transform me with the power of his love and his cross?
by Fr Vinod SDB