The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance and Trust in God
The Proclamation of the Kingdom invites us to meditate on the core message of Jesus’ teaching. When he instituted the Luminous Mysteries, Pope John Paul II stated that this particular mystery explores:
the preaching by which Jesus proclaims the coming of the Kingdom of God, calls to conversion (cf. Mk 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him in humble trust (cf. Mk 2:3-13; Lk 7:47- 48): the inauguration of that ministry of mercy which he continues to exercise until the end of the world, particularly through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which he has entrusted to his Church (cf. Jn 20:22-23).[i]
Jesus constantly invites us to repentance. He wants us to turn away from our sin and to turn to Him with trust in His mercy.
Turning away from sin can seem like a losing battle. How many times have you gone to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, been forgiven, and then committed a sin later that same day? How many times have you confessed the same sin over and over again because you have a certain weakness in that area? It can seem fruitless to keep trying, to keep repenting, to keep asking for mercy, but that is exactly what Jesus wants us to do.
Jesus knows our human frailty. He knows that we are going to fail repeatedly. Still, we are invited to keep going back, to keep begging for mercy, and Jesus promises that He will forgive us. It also doesn’t matter how horrible the sins have been or how long we have committed them. As long as we return to Jesus with a true sense of contrition, Jesus will welcome us back with open arms. “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:7). We can trust in His mercy.
In meditating on this mystery of The Proclamation of the Kingdom, let us pray for a spirit of repentance and a deep trust in God.
[i] John Paul II, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_letters/2002/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae.html
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