Cardinal Justin Rigali - Podcast

We continue to celebrate the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The Church calls this feast the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday. By his Resurrection, Jesus not only conquers sin and death but he also gives the Church the Easter gift of the forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Confession, which is the supreme act of Divine Mercy.    The gift of Divine Mercy is the greatest gift of God’s love, but it is his love in the face of our needs, our weaknesses, our limitations and especially our sins.   

In the Death and Resurrection of the Lord, the Church experiences a great challenge to joy and thanksgiving. All who embrace in their life the crucified and risen Christ have the forgiveness of sins. The Church exults in the proclamation of Psalm 118: “This is the day the Lord has made.” In the Death and Resurrection of Jesus we have the supreme expression of Divine Mercy.

The Holy Saturday liturgy presents to us the first announcement of the Resurrection of the Lord: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. The Easter message challenges us to die to sin and to live for God. St. Paul gives us the great assurance that Baptism associates us with the Death and Resurrection of Christ. 

The Church celebrates the Death of Jesus, gratefully acknowledging his Cross as the great sign of victory over sin and death. In the liturgy the Death and Resurrection of Jesus become our destiny and our triumph. The Church is proud of all the actions of Christ but her greatest boast is the Cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world. 

On Holy Thursday the Church proclaims Christ’s Institution of the Eucharist, Christ’s Institution of the Priesthood and his great example of humble and loving service. The supreme act of his service is his Paschal Mystery through which he brings about the redemption of the world. 

At the Chrism Mass the Church extols the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Through the blessed Oil and consecrated Chrism the Holy Spirit sanctifies the faithful and enables them to fulfill their Christian vocation according to God‘s will.

The Church prepares us to journey together with Jesus to Calvary. We are invited to experience with him his Suffering, Death and Resurrection. Through his Cross, Jesus is reserving for us a share in his Paschal Victory.

On January 1, in her celebration of Mary Mother of God, the Church proclaims Jesus Christ as both Son of the Eternal Father and Son of the Virgin Mary. The Church recognizes in the Incarnation of the Word a wonderful exchange between divinity and humanity that helps the world understand more fully the identity of the Child born in Bethlehem. 

On Christmas, the Church proclaims the great meaning of the feast as a wonderful exchange. Through Jesus Christ his Son, God takes on our humanity and gives us a sharing in his divinity. In this way all humanity is forever sacred.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi gives us the great opportunity to renew our holy Catholic faith in the Eucharist.  The Eucharist is the Sacrament given us by our Lord Jesus Christ which re-presents his Sacrifice on Calvary.  In it Jesus also gives us his Body and Blood as our food and drink.  In this Sacrament he likewise remains present with us even after the celebration is complete. In the Eucharist, the Church offers adoration to the Lord—the adoration that can be given only to the living God.  To celebrate worthily Corpus Christi is to live the Eucharist in its full meaning and to possess eternal life as Jesus promised us.

On this great feast of Holy Thursday, the Church emphasizes three actions of Our Lord Jesus Christ: His institution of the Holy Eucharist, His institution of the Sacred Priesthood and His giving us the great example of loving service.

The Eucharistic Congress here in Knoxville was held five years ago. Five years later on Holy Thursday we have the opportunity once again to make a wonderful expression of our faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This homily is an invitation to all of us to do this, to proclaim Jesus Christ present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

"Give thanks to the Lord ... his mercy endures forever." Today the word of God tells the story of how the early community of the Church exercised mercy. It likewise explains the full story of God's mercy in the institution of the Sacrament of Penance for the forgiveness of sins. Mercy is revealed as God's love in the face of our sins, our needs, our weaknesses. Our response to Divine Mercy is found in these words: "Jesus, I trust in you."   

"He has been raised from the dead, and is going before you ...." Christ's Resurrection is his victory over sin and death – a victory which he shares with us. Christ's Resurrection is also a challenge for us to embrace his forgiveness and to live in newness of life.  

"He is risen; he is not here!" The moment has come to proclaim: "Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! Alleluia! Alleluia!" The Church does more than this. By Baptism she transmits to us a share in Christ's Resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus and his new life are the basis of our life as baptized Christians. As such, we are called to live and worship God worthily.  

The Death of Jesus: A Wonderful Exchange In taking on our humanity, Jesus receives the power to die. By his death he gives us the power to live forever with God.

Do this in memory of me. The core of our celebration at the Mass of the Lord's Supper is the love of Jesus that inspired him to give us the Eucharist and the Priesthood. We are invited by him to imitate his love in humble service.

Gift and Ministry of the Priesthood The Chrism Mass invites us to reflect on the gift and mystery of the priesthood and on our relationship with Jesus. It draws or attention to the importance of the blessed Oils and consecrated Chrism with which four sacraments are administered.

During Lent we have been accompanying Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, where he undergoes death and will rise from the dead. Today, Palm Sunday, we have reached Jerusalem where Jesus accomplishes his mission and where we receive from him the pledge of victory over sin and death.

On Ash Wednesday we begin our Lenten journey that will take us to the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus. It is a period of God's deep action in our souls. In this Lenten journey we are called to be faithful to our baptismal commitment, which includes a special invitation to prayer and to works of mercy.