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Gospel Reading
(Luke 4:25-30)
But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
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Epistle Reading
(James 5:16-20)
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
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Gospel Commentary
Many people are very nervous about confessing their sins to others. Some have a problem confessing in front of a priest. However, the ancient Christian custom was to confess your trespasses to one another. When a Christian was guilty of sin, the matter was confessed in front of and to the whole church community as an act of repentance. As the church grew, and outsiders began to frequent the church services, the pressure in such public confession became so great that the priest alone would hear the confession on behalf of the people and in front of God. Now in our churches a form confession is recited by everyone in unison before the priest. This accommodation falls short on many levels. It allows us to never really deal with our specific shortcomings and sins, which also precludes us from true repentance. Confession and repentance should not be group endeavors. Each of us must come to grips with our own sinfulness and seek forgiveness from God through sincere soul searching, admission and repentance. This is taught in Scripture and is something we need to return to if we truly want to be united with God. What is not taught in Scripture is a private confession only to God, which is a refusal to acknowledge sin to the community. During this week take stock of your spiritual life. If you recognize your sins come to Der Krikor and inquire about private confession. See if it changes your life. This type of confession in not counseling. It is a liturgical opening up to the mercy of God.
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