Fifth Sunday of Lent - Two-Minute Homily: Fr Sean Woods

1 00:00:00,417 --> 00:00:06,289 Brothers and sisters, Lent is a season of confessing our sins. 2 00:00:07,163 --> 00:00:13,668 In my view, it is a good time to make use of the Sacrament of Penance. 3 00:00:14,649 --> 00:00:19,499 I put to you that Penance renews our friendship with Christ. 4 00:00:21,027 --> 00:00:25,860 A name used for the Sacrament of Penance is Reconciliation. 5 00:00:26,862 --> 00:00:31,652 The word suggests that sin has a distancing effect. 6 00:00:32,661 --> 00:00:38,546 It makes me a stranger to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 7 00:00:39,561 --> 00:00:45,624 By sin, I put myself on distant terms with God, the author of life. 8 00:00:46,861 --> 00:00:50,316 Penance, by contrast, has a reconciling effect. 9 00:00:51,206 --> 00:00:55,337 In the Gospel, Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. 10 00:00:56,348 --> 00:01:00,566 Lazarus had two sisters, Martha and Mary of Bethany. 11 00:01:01,609 --> 00:01:08,036 The siblings Martha, Mary and Lazarus were not strangers to Jesus but friends. 12 00:01:09,161 --> 00:01:15,519 Therefore, let the friends of Christ confess their sins and renew their friendship with Him. 13 00:01:16,458 --> 00:01:24,574 So that, like Martha, Mary and Lazarus, they may receive divine favours, even resurrection. 14 00:01:25,947 --> 00:01:30,078 Brothers and sisters, let us confess our sins this Lent. 15 00:01:30,814 --> 00:01:35,430 Reconciliation renews our friendship with Christ, 16 00:01:35,430 --> 00:01:39,717 to whom be glory and honour for ever and ever. Amen.