Preaching Repentance in Christ’s Name
April 24, 2025 - Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Luke 24:35–48
At the center of today’s Gospel is the command to proclaim “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47)—the commission of the risen Jesus to His Church.
Sin is a tragedy. God created man upright and for good works, yet man willingly turned away from righteousness toward wickedness. Sin, like a disease, brought death upon the earth and destroys life within us. As St. Cyril of Jerusalem observed, “Sin then is a fearful evil, but not incurable; fearful for him who clings to it, but easy of cure for him who by repentance puts it from him.” Consequently, “Christ who died for all men desires that in His Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin” (CCC, 982).
Some may ask, “I have committed many sins in my life. Is there still hope for me to be set free?” The answer is clear: “There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest” (Roman Catechism in CCC, 982). God is rich in mercy; thus, “though your sins may be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18). Like David, proclaim, “I will confess my transgressions,” and the Lord will forgive you (Psalm 32:5).
The Holy Scriptures bear witness to God’s merciful love for us. After Adam’s sin, God promised a Savior (Gen. 3:15). In the days of Moses, God forgave Aaron and the entire people for the sin of idolatry (Exod. 32:32). In the time of Joshua, He took pity on Rahab, the harlot, because she recognized the God of Israel (Josh. 2:9–13). David, the greatest king of Israel, was forgiven for his sins of adultery and for orchestrating Uriah’s death once he acknowledged his guilt (2 Sam. 11–12:13). Even Manasseh, the most notorious sinner among the kings of Judah, was forgiven his terrible sins when, in Babylonian captivity, he humbled himself and begged for God’s mercy (2 Chron. 33:1–20).
Repentance has great power. Saint Peter—one of those charged with proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins—knew this from experience. Though he denied his Lord three times, the tears of repentance washed his sin away. How true are the words of the apostle John: “My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2). Amen.