January 15

Third Sunday in Advent

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. S. John 20:21-23.

By giving this wondrous power to His Apostles did the risen Saviour fulfil a promise first made to S. Peter, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." A promise afterwards made to all the Apostles. A promise fulfilled by Him Whose promises never fail, as He breathes on His Apostles and gives them the Holy Ghost, and the power of remitting and retaining sins. Here were men with flesh and blood like ourselves, endued with supernatural powers, placed by God Himself between God and man, sent by One Who was very man, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, yet very and eternal God, the Son of Man and yet the Son of God. He, our Lord Jesus Christ, had claimed as the Son of Man the power to forgive sins, as when He said to the sick of the palsy, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," healing his body that the people might know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.

But the holy men of God such vessels are As serve Him up, Who all the world commands. When God vouchsafeth to become our fare, Their hands convey Him Who conveys their hands: O what pure things, most pure must those things be Who bring my God to me!

Therefore I dare not, I, put forth my hand To hold the Ark, although it seem to shake Through the old sins and new doctrines of our land; Only, since God doth often vessels make Of lowly matter for high uses meet, I throw me at His feet.