My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The first article of the Apostle’s Creed is: I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth. There are forty “in brief” statements in The Catechism of the Catholic Church which treat this article of our saving faith. What follows is a reflection on article 420.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His glorious ascension and the sending of the Spirit are all mysteries of victory over sin. This victory began when the Lord was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary (more on this latter). This victory of His is ours too, by grace and faith and all the Sacraments, beginning with Baptism (cf. John 1:17; 1 John 5:4). Sin and Satan do not have the last word. Jesus Christ our Lord has overcome the Cross, sin, death the grave… and by our being united to Him the victory is ours no less (John 16:33).
Christ’s victory over sin came at the cost of His life’s blood and obedience unto death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Philippians 2:8). By our similar obedience to the holy will of the Eternal Father we share not only in the sufferings of Christ, but His victory too (Matthew 6:10; 26:42; Luke 1:38; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Colossians 1:24; 1 Peter 1:11; 4:13 )
The goods that God gives us in view of Christ’s victory over sin are redemption and salvation, divine adoption and eternal life on high
The goods that were taken by sin were ‘preternatural’ whereby God would have preserved us from suffering and death, our ability to know and understand things was not clouded and we had no tendency to sin.
It is very interesting that here the Catechism cites Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:20: “Where sin abounds grace abounds the more.” Sin abounded in the world without any real remedy until Christ came. Christ has come that grace, which is God’s power and presence might overcome the prince of this world (John 12:31; 16:11) and give us who follow Christ and His way of holiness victory over our sins. It may be apropos for us to recall similarly inspired words from Saint John “If we say we are without sin the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8) and “the truth will set us free” (John 8:32).
There is no sin so great or terrible that cannot be forgiven, except the ones we do not repent, are not sorry for, do not confess (cf. Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:29; Luke 17:4; John 1:29; 8:11, 21, 24, 34…). The healing begun in us by Holy Baptism and renewed in the Sacrament of Penance ought to give us great confidence in our victory over sin and the eternal death of Hell thanks to Jesus’ death and resurrection applied to us in our lives through His Sacraments in His Church.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr