Repentance, Forgiveness, and the Power of Jesus' Name
April 4, 2024 - Thursday in the Octave of Easter
Acts 3:11-26; Psalm 8:2ab and 5, 6-7, 8-9; Luke 24:35-48
At the center of today's liturgy of the Word is the proclamation of "repentance for the forgiveness of sins" in Jesus' name (Luke 24:47). Saint Peter reminds the Judeans and the inhabitants of Jerusalem of their sin committed on Good Friday. They demanded that Pilate release Barabbas - a murderer, and crucify Jesus - "the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:14). Then, he calls them to repentance and faith in Jesus. He tells them that Jesus' death fulfilled ancient prophecies "that his Christ would suffer" (Acts 3:18), that Jesus is the Prophet of whom Moses spoke in the Scriptures (see Deut. 18:15-19), and that He is the offspring of Abraham in whom all the nations find their blessing (see Gen 22:18).
Sin is a profound tragedy that has plagued humanity since the beginning. Despite being created by God for good works, humanity has often chosen the path of wickedness, leading to death and the destruction of life within us. St. Cyril of Jerusalem eloquently describes sin as a fearful evil, but not beyond cure. Repentance holds remarkable power in overcoming the grip of sin. The story of Saint Peter, who famously denied the Lord three times but found redemption through tears of repentance, serves as a powerful example of this transformative process.
The risen Christ proclaimed to his disciples the importance of preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name (Luke 24:47). Peter later emphasized the power of faith in Jesus' name by healing a crippled man (Acts 3:16). In Psalm 8, the greatness of God's name is celebrated with the words, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:2, 10). The Hebrew name of the Lord, represented by the four letters Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei, known as the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), was first revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:14) and mentioned by God in Exodus 6. God explained to Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name [YHWH] I did not make myself known to them” (Exodus 6:3). Over time, out of reverence, the Jewish people ceased to pronounce the sacred name of God, and its correct pronunciation was eventually lost, according to some Jewish scholars.
But, with the incarnation of the Divine Word, the unpronounceable name of God has again become pronounceable. Our catechism explains this change: “The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity, The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: "Jesus," "YHWH saves." (CCC, 2666). That is what Saint Peter did on the Day of Pentecost. He invoked the name of Jesus, and the crippled man stood up and began to walk (see Acts 3:6-8). And the risen Christ has commissioned the Church to have "the gates of forgiveness" in His name always open "to anyone who turns away from sin” (CCC, 982).
The psalmist declares that majestic is the name of our Lord, and the catechism explains the meaning of this statement: "The name "Jesus" contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him” (CCC, 2666).