Dear Family of St. Luke,

As we continue our celebration of Easter, we find Paul and Barnabas bringing the story of Christ’s resurrection to Antioch. The Jewish leaders get jealous of the crowds and throw them out of town. With that, Paul and Barnabas begin bringing Christ to the Gentiles who are overjoyed with the good news. With this, the good news of Christ began to spread throughout the region.

We find the Jews who had the prophets, who foretold the coming of Christ and His death and resurrection, reject the word of Paul. The Gentiles however are delighted to have the opportunity to hear the word of God and glorify the Lord for the wonders He has revealed.

How often many of us who were born Catholic, have the privilege of receiving the word of God regularly, and have the privilege of receiving Him in the Eucharist, can take this all for granted. Those who are new to the faith or have come from countries where they have not had the opportunity to practice their faith have a deeper appreciation.
This Easter season is a time to reflect on the incredible gift that Jesus gave us when He came down from heaven, died then rose from the dead. He freed us from the chains of sin and gave us the opportunity to be free in Christ Jesus and not to be slaves of sin. The strength He gives us is the Holy Spirit along with sanctifying grace to overcome any temptations and remain free from the shackles of sin.

However, when we take all this for granted and do not invite the Spirit to play a central role in our lives we may find ourselves with addictions to sin. We can find ourselves addicted to pornography, lust, pride, and other such sins that rob us of our freedoms, which God wishes us to have. Only through making God the center of our lives and truly learning to appreciate what the Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation bring to us on a regular basis can we hope to gain the freedom Christ died for us to receive.

Jesus, clearly conquered sin, and death, do we believe that, in the very depth of our being? Have we thought about these sacramental gifts that He has given us, and how important they are in our life? It is so easy to be lulled to sleep with our culture and because we have lived with these gifts for our lifetime that we take them all for granted. Then, before we know it, we are slaves of some sins that leave us without this freedom and we do not even recognize it.
If we find ourselves in this situation, we need to realize it, as our first step. Once we actually realize this, we can take steps to regain our freedom and begin to gain the freedom Jesus wishes for us. This is why the year of Mercy is so important. Pope Francis wants us all to understand that when we find ourselves in this situation God’s Mercy is larger than any hole we have dug for ourselves and through the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God’s grace, we can begin again the journey back to freedom.

St. Catherine of Siena tells us why God allows these temptations and the Lords call to trust Him and be strong in His grace. “I’ve appointed the Devil to tempt and to trouble My creatures in this life [St. Catherine of Siena reports that Our Lord said to her]. I’ve done this, not so that My creatures will be overcome, but so that they may overcome, proving their virtue and receiving from Me the glory of victory. And no one should fear any battle or temptation of the Devil that may come to him, because I’ve made My creatures strong, and I’ve given them strength of will, fortified in the Blood of My Son. Neither the Devil nor any other creature can control this free will, because it’s yours, given to you by Me. By your own choice, then, you hold it or let it go if you please. It’s a weapon, and if you place it in the hands of the Devil, it right away becomes a knife that he’ll use to stab and kill you. On the other hand, if you don’t place this knife that is your will into the hands of the Devil—that is, if you don’t consent to his temptations and harassments—you will never be injured by the guilt of sin in any temptation. Instead, you’ll actually be strengthened by the temptation, as long as you open the eyes of your mind to see My love, and to understand why I allowed you to be tempted: so you could develop virtue by having it proved. My love permits these temptations, for the Devil is weak. He can do nothing by himself unless I allow him. So I let him tempt you because I love you, not because I hate you. I want you to conquer, not to be conquered, and to come to a perfect knowledge of yourself and of Me.     — St. Catherine of Siena, p. 159-60

The Jewish leaders of that time were passed by because they did not appreciate what they were given. They missed Jesus’ message of salvation and freedom from the bondage of sin. So let us recognize the Sacramental gifts Jesus gives us to overcome the temptations to addictions and slavery and be conquerors through turning to the Lord in prayer and the sacraments. You remain in my daily prayer as we journey together towards God’s kingdom.

Deacon Pete