Fr. Jim Lowe 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2/14/21

  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, A few weeks ago, a yellow notification popped up on my computer indicating that my battery was low. I plugged my computer in and continued to work. A few minutes later, a red notification popped up indicating that I had reached a critically low level of battery power. I checked the plug both in the wall and the computer. Everything was connected properly. What I did not realize was that the light switch on the wall had cut off power to the electrical socket. It is impossible to recharge a battery if the supply of electricity is cut off! God’s grace is like electricity. It supplies us with power. We need God’s grace to be strong. Sin effects the flow of God’s grace into our mind, body, and soul. When we sin venially, we still receive grace, but maybe not as much as when we are in the perfect state of grace after Mass or Confession. When we deliberately choose to sin mortally, we cut ourselves off completely from the God who is the source of grace. The power supply is completely cut off. The problem…many of us think we are still connected to God after freely choosing to commit serious sin. Like the computer that was plugged into the wall but not being charged, we continue to attempt to plug into the source of sanctifying grace without having a humble and contrite heart and a genuine desire for repentance and conversion. Until we humbly confess our serious sins with genuine contrition in the sacrament of confession, or confess our venial sins before Mass, we are either completely cutting off God’s sanctifying grace (as is the case when we commit mortal sin) or limiting the ability to receive Gods sanctifying grace (as is the case when we commit venial sin)! The Sacraments are the primary source of God’s grace. We initially gain access to Sacramental grace in Baptism. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist allow us to continue to be open to God’s power. He forgives us of our sins and heals the wounds caused by sin that separate us from Him and one another. Every time we approach the mercy seat of God in the confessional, we walk out completely free from any barriers that prevent us from receiving God’s love, mercy, grace, and power. We walk out as a new person empowered by God. This weekend, we are celebrating National Marriage week. Couples from our parish will be receiving a prayer for God’s blessing upon their marriage. This Marriage Mass, however, is simply meant to highlight the importance of always being open to God’s blessings offered in Marriage. Marriage is a Sacrament of the Church. God gives sanctifying grace to couples who are Sacramentally married. He gives them everything they need to endure the trials and bear the storms. The Holy Spirit empowers them to love sacrificially and unconditionally and to lay down their lives out of love for one another. Without continually renewing this Sacramental grace, the couple, like my computer, eventually loses power because they are cut off from the source. They attempt to love without being connected to the source of God’s love...God Himself…God is love. I encourage you to take to prayer the following definition of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony from the Catechism of the Catholic Church… "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." (CCC 1601) Friends, whether you are married, or single, I encourage you to think of this season of lent as a 40-day retreat. Commit to spending time daily plugging in to the source of God’s grace. Pray with Sacred Scripture. Come in person to daily Mass if you are able to do so. Commit to going to Confession regularly. God is ready to give you His sanctifying power. All you have to do is turn to Him with a humble and contrite heart and be willing to receive it. By the way, don’t forget to turn on the light switch before you plug in!

Your brother in Christ, Fr. Jim Lowe, CC