THE PRIORITY OF REPENTANCE - One Bread, One Body, 11/5/2009

Read our booklet entitled "Living in Reality, The Key to Building a New
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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Romans 14:7-12, Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, Luke 15:1-10
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/110509.shtml

THE PRIORITY OF REPENTANCE

"Who among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not
leave the ninety-nine in the wasteland and follow the lost one until he
finds it?" —Luke 15:4

Almost half of the Catholics in the USA are not practicing their faith.
They don't even go to Mass on Sunday. They are "fallen-away." Yet, almost
all church personnel, finances, and activities are directed to the ones
who have not fallen away. The shepherds of the church today certainly
don't leave ninety-nine Christians and go to find a lost one. Therefore,
Jesus' idea of leaving the many in order to seek the one seems strange to
us.

Jesus has this "funny" idea because He puts a much higher priority on
repentance than we do. "Repent" is the first command Jesus gives in His
public ministry according to Mark's Gospel (see Mk 1:15). Calling us to
repentance is such a high priority for Jesus that He became a human being
and died on the cross so we would repent. Jesus promised: "Blest too are
the sorrowing" (Mt 5:4), especially those sorrowing for their sins. In the
spirit of Jesus, Paul was even happy that the Corinthians were sorrowful
since "sorrow for God's sake produces a repentance without regrets,
leading to salvation" (2 Cor 7:10). "There will likewise be more joy in
heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need to repent" (Lk 15:7).

Repent. Go to Confession. Give Jesus and all heaven cause to rejoice.

Prayer: Father, may I rejoice over repentance more than over pleasure.

Promise: "Every one of us will have to give an account of himself before
God." —Rm 14:12

Praise: Sister Roberta spends hours each week praying for sinners to
return to the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(For a related teaching, order our tape on "The Necessity of Confession
for Renewal" on audio AV 70-1 or video V-70.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
October 1, 2009 through November 30, 2009
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, June 3, 2009

The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.

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