Sermon for April 12, 2026
A reflection on John 20, where the risen Christ breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them.” Just as God breathed life into Adam, Jesus breathed His Spirit into His Church and gave it life and authority. Unlike independent congregations standing alone, we belong to one universal Church, a single family sharing one mission. Through the sacrament of confession and pardon, the Church offers the repentant sinner an outward and visible sign of God’s real forgiveness, as Christ commissioned us to teach and baptize all nations.