3rd Sunday of Easter (Year B)
Scriptures: Acts 3: 13-15, 17-19, Ps. 4:2, 4, 7, 9; 1 Jn. 2:1-5a; Lk. 24: 35-48
India has become the second most COVID 19 affected country in the world according to the latest survey. It has surpassed Brazil. However, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, the Kumbh Mela was organized. The world reacted to it. We need to understand what it means to be Kumbh Mela before we make our conclusions. It is one of the largest human gatherings in the world. This year it is organized at Haridwar, one of the four holy destinations in India for the Hindus.
It is believed that Lord Vishnu (Hindu God who protects the universe) whisked the Kumbh out of the grasp of the demons who wanted to claim it. As he was taking it to the heavens, few drops of precious nectar fell at four sacred sites which are known as Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag. The fight followed for twelve holy days which are equal to twelve years. Therefore, the Kumbh Mela is celebrated after every twelve years at each holy site.
I often wondered why do so many people go to such crowded places even in the time of the pandemic. The reason is their faith that leads them to risk their lives to have eternal life. I do not want to accuse anyone or support this event but want to understand the mind of the people. These people believe that they need to purify themselves from their sins and live an auspicious and immoral life.
Every religion believes that we need the forgiveness of sins in our lives. We have various practices to seek forgiveness from God. The Jews were no exception to this belief. Moses had guided them to make sin offering according to their status. The priest, the king, individual, even the poor made their sin offering according to their status. The other occasions of sin offerings were like; a woman after the days of her purification had been fulfilled; a leper on the day of cleansing was required to make sin offering (Lev. 12:6, 14:10). They also observed the feast of Yom Kippur, a day of atonement. A Jewish priest would confess the sins of Israel over the head of a live goat. The animal would then be sent into the wilderness (Lev 16:21).
John the Baptist is also seen in the Gospels who preached the coming of the Kingdom of God. He baptized people in the river Jorden. Many people went to him. He baptized them so that they may repent and be part of the kingdom. Jesus was baptised at hands of John the Baptist. Mark, the evangelist makes this point, a beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
We understand that seeking forgiveness or repenting for our sins is very important in one’s life. The repentance brings us back into the presence of God. We are able to relate with God as his children. We lose our relationship with God when we committed sins, repentance puts us back in our relationship with God. It also helps us to live in harmony with our brothers and sisters, as a matter of fact with the entire universe. Repentance gives us the image and likeness in which God had made us. It gives us our lost dignity. We regain the true joy and happiness to live in this world.
While we believe in Christ, we need to be aware of certain facts. No religion teaches us that God goes to human beings to save them. It is man who is in need of salvation. No religion tells us that God takes the sins of the world on himself. No religion tells us that God chooses to die for humanity in the most agonizing way. No religion has claimed that its founder has risen again after death. It is Christianity that claims; God died for man and he rose again. The writers of the New Testament claimed that Jesus died for our sins. (1 Cor. 15:3). We need to remember that we deserved death for our sins but Christ took upon himself our sins.
The post resurrection narratives tell us that the apostles experienced the resurrection of Christ but they were not able to comprehend it or how to respond to this magnificent happening. They were in awe and fear. It was like a dream or a vision for them. There was a joy in their hearts but did not know what to the next. They were not able to understand the reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection. They were basking in the glory of resurrection but had forgotten what Jesus had spoken to them during the ministry.
Jesus chose to help them once again by visiting them. His apparitions revealed to us many merciful acts of Jesus such as he gave them peace, he showed them his nailed body, he ate with them, he broke the bread and he also explained the holy scriptures. We hear in today’s Gospel, Jesus gives them the mission of forgiveness. He tells them that it was God’s plan, Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.”
It is interesting to note that John the Baptist preached repentance in his short ministry at the lower Jorden valley. He called to repentance and urged for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt. 3:2). Jesus also gave his first teaching on repentance. He said, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17). St. Peter after the healing miracle of a crippled man at the beautiful gate of the temple addressed to people that they killed Christ, the author of life out of ignorance but now he has risen from the dead. Hence, he invited them to repent and turn back. (Today’s first reading) Turning back to where they were actually belonging to. The Jews always felt that they were part of the kingdom.
Preaching the kingdom of God means preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John, Jesus and St. Peter, the first among the apostles related repentance to the kingdom of God. This is the most important theme of the message. It tells us that the call to repentance is at the heart of the kingdom message.
Those who have not been able to repent during the season of lent, God gives us yet another opportunity to repent. Pope Francis has something beautiful to say: God understands us. He waits for us. He does not get tired of us. If we repent and go to him with a truly repented heart.
God continues his “Mission Repentance” even today. We need not go to any pilgrim centres. We need not work hard to claim that God has forgiven our sins at the merits of our acts of repentance. God sees just the repentant heart in the sacrament of penance.
