VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD: Forgiveness Comes From a Higher Authority

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this day, when we are preparing ourselves for the feast of the Theophany, we can ask ourselves: What is the true meaning of this feast?

Firstly, it is about the praise of God - to admire His glory. We see Jesus the true Son of God, at the age of 30, revealing His divinity in the river Jordan as he begins his public mission after 30 years of hidden life. Every feast has this sense within it - we go to church to give praise to God and in this act we are expressing our faith, that we believe in Him as God and Lord of creation. Is this complicated to understand? No, it is very simple. You don't need a high school or university degree to attend church. All you need is faith and these mysteries will be revealed to you.

Secondly, Theophany has two dimensions based on St. John the Baptist's challenge to repent; his challenge to reform our thinking, reform our mind. The people who were coming to ask for forgiveness were aware of making mistakes in their lives. They knew that forgiveness could not come from themselves - humanity is in need of somebody of higher authority. They came to believe - and we also hold this to be true - that it is only God who can forgive sins. This is the proper meaning of Jesus entering the waters of the Jordan - He, who is without sin, is teaching us what we need to do. In Baptism, man is immersed in the waters to suffocate the old man; so the new creation is to come about through water. Therefore, according to the Church Fathers, the first dimension is that Jordan is like a mother's womb. As from the womb of a mother, a child is born, so the new Adam is coming forth from the waters of Baptism. The second dimension is that Jordan is like a tomb, where the old creation, the old Adam, loses his life full of passions and vices.

In this way, Theophany is showing us the key to the kingdom of God. You can have a collection of various keys but without the correct one, these are of no avail. You have to have the correct key - repentance. For baptized Catholics, this repentance is made through the Sacrament of Confession. If you have already entered the waters of Baptism and yet you sin again, the baptismal grace is renewed in Confession. This practice was never abandoned by the Catholic Church. Forgiveness, as we have already said, needs to come from a higher authority. With this we can answer another question: why do we need to confess to a priest? Well, first of all, we are not confessing to a priest but to Jesus Christ Himself. A priest is there only for practical reasons as a representative of the ecclesial community, and because he has received authority from Jesus Christ through apostolic succession. The forgiveness of sins comes from a higher authority - from God.

The third meaning of Theophany, as mentioned in our liturgical books, is the illumination by the Holy Spirit. In Theophany, we are illuminated by the uncreated Light. And this uncreated Light is God Himself. So if you lack direction in your life, ask for Divine Inspiration.

In the end, it is not difficult to see why we celebrate the feast of Theophany.

✠ Most Rev. Milan Lach, SJ
Bishop of the Eparchy of Parma