Does Jesus free us from sin and death?
Q. Throughout the year — but especially during the Christmas season — we hear from many sources (homilies, meditation guides, etc.) that Christ came “to free us from sin and death.”
Generally, that notion is just presented without any explanation of its meaning. This is confusing — since in reality we do sin, and we do die. Could you help me understand? (Metuchen, N.J.)
A. Perhaps the best answer to your question is found in the New American Bible, in a footnote to the early verses of Chapter 8 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. There we read: “Through the redemptive work of Christ, Christians have been liberated from the terrible forces of sin and death. … At the cross God broke the power of sin and pronounced sentence on it. … The same Spirit who enlivens Christians for holiness will also resurrect their bodies at the last day.”
So, you are right: We do sin, and we do die; but Jesus, by his own suffering and death, offers us the path to ultimate happiness. If we are sorry for our sins and seek forgiveness from the Lord, we are assured of joy and life that are eternal.
Donating gambling winnings
Q. Years ago — when I was a member of a Protestant denominational church — it seemed as though the preacher and the congregation were almost always doing fundraising for various building projects. During one of these drives, a member of our congregation won the state lottery for $20 million and donated a million of it to the church.
Though having preached for years against vices such as gambling, the preacher and congregation accepted it. What would be the Catholic view of such winnings donated by a Catholic to a local parish? Accept it or not? (Indiana)
A. Various religions have various positions on the morality of gambling. In the Catholic Church’s view, gambling is not intrinsically evil.
As stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” (No. 2413).
Notice the caution, though, in that statement; a person’s gambling must not prevent him from meeting other obligations, including supporting himself and his family and paying his debts.
To your question — as to what a Catholic parish might do if offered a donation from gambling winnings — I can tell you, as a recently retired pastor of a large suburban parish, I would gladly and gleefully accept.
In fact, there’s a precedent: In 2016, someone who had won $100,000 in the Massachusetts state lottery donated those winnings anonymously to St. Anthony’s Shrine, run by the Franciscans in downtown Boston.
That shrine provides a variety of social services, and the pastor announced that the money would be used for purchasing Christmas gifts for needy children, food donations for families and a large Christmas dinner for several hundred veterans.
Confession or reconciliation?
Q. While I know that only confession will reconcile me with God, I am confused about the terminology used in my parish. (We are a rural parish and have very few opportunities for confession, but there is always the chance to make a private appointment for confession.)
Any scheduled confessions are now announced as reconciliation, and I am not clear as to what to expect when I go. Sometimes there is a reconciliation service followed by confessions; other times there are only confessions.
Does the church no longer recognize a difference between the reconciliation service (which was to prepare us for confession) and the sacrament of confession (which is private). In other words, is there still a sacrament of confession or is it now called the sacrament of reconciliation? (Courtland, Va.)
A. Generally, the sacrament of penance can be called confession or reconciliation, and the three terms are used interchangeably. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Nos. 1423-24) lists several names by which the same sacrament can be designated.
These include: the sacrament of conversion, the sacrament of penance, the sacrament of confession, the sacrament of forgiveness and the sacrament of reconciliation.
The catechism notes that “the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament” (No. 1424).
Sometimes parishes offer reconciliation services that include prayers and scriptural readings on forgiveness, as well as a homily on the same topic. It would be good for a local church to mention in advance what the format will be for the sacrament — in particular so that parishioners can know how much time to allow.
Christ commands us to love