CAPG's Blog: Feast of Our Most Holy Redeemer

Feast of Our Most Holy Redeemer

by VP

Posted on Wednesday October 23, 2024 at 01:00AM in Tradition

God so loved the world: that He gave His only Son, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Raleigh NC.©VP

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Raleigh NC

" The Church of God, considering how great is the benefit of our redemption by the precious blood of the eternal Son of God, besides honoring this adorable mystery in other festivals, has appointed this day in a particular manner as the Feast of our most Holy Redeemer. On this day then we are to consider with admiration and gratitude, that God sent His only Son into the world; that He became man, took a body, not created immediately by the hand of God, as was that of Adam, but formed of a woman; that He was born an infant, was subject to the law made for sinners; that He offered Himself a sacrifice for sin, raised sinners to the dignity of being the children of God, opened His sacred heart and gave His spirit to sinners, and admitted His very enemies and murderers to be coheirs with Him of His eternal inheritance. This is the blessing, for which the patriarchs and prophets sighed and prayed, through so many ages; and which, being accomplished in the fullness of time, we now celebrate, but can never sufficiently adore. For it is the wonderful effect of an infinite mercy, without the least merit on our part.

All mankind lying under the guilt of sin, were by this rendered enemies to God, and incapable of doing anything, whereby to make peace with Him; and therefore, had man not been redeemed, he must have been lost for ever. But would God have been less happy, if man had been for ever miserable? Or, if God had left man, as he did the fallen angels, under the eternal guilt of his sin, would this have lessened that infinite bliss, which God essentially enjoys within himself? Nothing of all this. Therefore, as leaving the fallen angels in their sin was the effect of his justice; so redeeming man from sin was the sole effect of his mercy. But then, to deliver up his Son to redeem a slave, is the excess of so infinite a mercy, that it is to be feared that we celebrate the memory of it without serious thought, or returning the least part of that adoration and gratitude which we are bound to pay.

Our hearts indeed should be impressed with a lasting sense of love and gratitude, sufficient to preserve us in perpetual fidelity to so merciful a God, and so loving a Redeemer. For this end the Church has appointed this day, to encourage all her children to make our redemption through Christ the serious entertainment of our hearts. The same ought to be renewed every day, and as often as we bow at the holy name of Jesus, to express our love and adoration for the mercies of our divine Redeemer." Source: The Catholic Year; Or Daily Lessons on the Feasts of the Church by Rev. Fr. John Gother