Church of the Sacred Heart

DAY 2: Kerygma
REFLECTION:
Some pieces of news result in big changes—an acceptance letter for school, a job, or a home. But have you ever received news that changed the course of your life? The announcement of a pregnancy or the death of a loved one carries a different weight. Life and death: the two greatest  mysteries of human life. We all share them. We don’t choose entrance into this world, and we cannot escape death. Thus, we spend much of our lives trying to find purpose in our birth and avoiding death. We speak about the end in hushed tones and euphemisms, if we even speak about it at all. We engage in endless cycles of trying to find meaning and seeking to understand our existence.

Can you imagine if there was news that helped us understand it all and taught us how to truly live? This is the message of Jesus Christ, the Gospel. Those who encounter his life can never be the same. How can we preserve this message to make sure it stays alive in our hearts? Jesus is the one who teaches us how to live. He is Life itself who takes on flesh and walks among us, showing us what holiness looks like, and through his Death and Resurrection offers us the forgiveness of sins. Jesus came so that we might partake in the divine life of God. Not only does Jesus forgive our sins, but Jesus offers us everything we need to “sin no more” (John 8:11). It can be a struggle to choose what is good, just, and right, and we may at times feel that we are constantly pulled toward sin. While sin always remains a choice, not a given, we find that we are often inclined to sin. The problem with sin is that it can not only break our relationship with others but also rupture our relationship with God. Even the most private sin misuses the freedom God gave us and wounds our relationship with him. There are consequences for our sin, but God’s mercy is bigger. This is life-changing news—but do we really live it? Do we live like people transformed by the power of Jesus Christ, or are we chasing meaning and purpose in our lives, trying to avoid death like everyone else?

Today is your wake-up call. Let the power of the Gospel take hold of your heart again. Let it convict you in your sin and call you to repentance. The Gospel message isn’t life-enhancing; it is life-changing. It is the message that speaks to the heart about life and death, and it has the power to  transform who you are forever.

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the everlasting Good News. By your Life, Death, and Resurrection, you have accomplished the work of salvation. Pour  grace into my heart and mind to receive this message in a new way today. By your grace, solidify this message in my heart so that I never forget my purpose and my destiny. I ask this in your Name, Amen.

CHALLENGE:
The four Gospels contain the Good News of Jesus. Choose one of the four today and read the final chapters that recount his full Paschal Mystery—his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. Depending on the Gospel you choose, this may take 15–30 minutes. You can find those narratives here:

Matthew 26–28

Mark 14–16

Luke 22–24

John 18–20