Homily on Sin

You probably heard that: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Though hiding himself may make the devils work easier it is only a means, a way in which he works out his actual desire, to turn man away from God. Another most effective deception the devil has weaved and caught man is that sin doesn’t exist or that it does exist but it isn’t all that bad. This deception has taken hold in the minds of the majority of Catholics. Avoiding sin is an afterthought to living life. Being “happy” takes primacy over following God’s commandments. Many seek God only after that have sought money, security, comfort and entertainment. If remembered at all, prayer is often the last thing of the day after you have done all the “really important things” of the world. You may have heard someone say something like: “it is a sin but it isn’t a crime”. Saying it in a way as if the criminality of the act takes primacy of importance and the sinfulness is only an afterthought.

We see in today's gospel how Christ Our Lord puts primacy on the forgiveness of sins over the healing of the body. First “thy sins are forgiven thee” then after “Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.” Examine yourself, if you have sin how quickly do you seek forgiveness from God and how quickly do you seek absolution from God’s ministers, His priests?

If you broke your arm or ate something poisonous you would run straight to the hospital. If you fell into a mortal sin or even a venial sin you might say, “well since I have to go to confession anyway why not enjoy this sin a bit more and continue to sin”, instead of falling on your knees and praying for forgiveness and for the mercy that we may be able get to confession and receive absolution rather than dying in the sin we have just committed. Another lie the devil tells us is, “You have time, don’t worry about it now. You can confess later. You can convert and change your life later.”

To help you understand the wickedness and gravity of sin let us think for a moment the effects of some sins. St Ignatius in the spiritual exercises tell us first to think about the sin of the fallen angels: “I say to bring to memory the sin of the Angels, how they, being created in grace, not wanting to help themselves with their liberty to reverence and obey their Creator and Lord, coming to pride, were changed from grace to malice, and hurled from Heaven to Hell;[...]”

The angels were created beautiful, full of graces, virtues and majesty. The sin of the fallen angels was the rejections to serve God, to do His Will, instead they wanted to do what they thought best. “I will not serve” is the statement attributed to satan and the other fallen angels. “I will not serve God or obey His will.” They went from being the most beautiful creatures full of beauty, grace and majesty to becoming most foul, empty of any good and deformed and hideous. Think about yourself. How many times have you rejected God’s Will wanting to do what you wanted? Have you at times not even cared what God Willed, absolutely ignoring, not giving it even enough importance to know it. Will you serve God or will you echo the devils cry of “I will not serve!” Will you live as children of God or children of sin?

Now let us consider the sin of Adam and Eve: “I say to bring to memory the Second Sin, that of our First Parents; how after Adam was created and placed in the Terrestrial Paradise, and Eve was created from his rib, being forbidden to eat of the Tree of Knowledge, they ate and so sinned, and afterwards clothed in tunics of skins and cast from Paradise, they lived, all their life, without the original justice which they had lost, and in many labours and much penance.”

Adam and Eve were given everything and lived in a beautiful garden full of good things and food. Think how they listened to the devil and ignored God’s simple commandment. They were deceived and behold the consequences for listening to the devil and ignoring God’s commandments, they were cast out of the garden of Eden, they were cursed to work and labour for the good things which God had freely given them in the garden. They brought sin into the world and so their children were affected by this one sin of Adam and Eve, how Cain killed his brother Abel. Sin came into the world and with sin death. Think about yourself now. How many sins have you committed, how has it affected those around you, how has it affected you. You might say, well my sin is my own and it doesn’t hurt any one. But imagine a doctor who said, my skills are my own and if I don’t study or practice then I am not hurting anyone but myself. How would people who came to him fair? You were created to be much more than just a mere doctor, you were created to be the image of God and you are to be His children. If you are another rotten soul, how do you think that affects the people you come into contact with? We are to be good as God is good and holy as God is Holy, etc, and instead with sin we create a Godless world inside and outside of us.

We can go on with this meditation but to bring the homily to the end I encourage you to examine your life. The paralysed man was healed both in souls and body because he had friends and family who would bring him to Christ. Christ seeing the faith of those who carried him healed him. You who are here should bring your friends and family to Church, to Christ, if not physically at least spiritually in your prayer and ask God to save them and heal them. That Christ seeing your faith may bless them with this grace. And of course like so many others, the blind, lame and sick, come yourselves to Christ and beg him to heal you, that you may follow Him wherever He goes.