Reconciliation
The sacrament of
Reconciliation is a wonderful gift to draw us closer to God and the Church
community. The title “reconciliation” is used today rather than the past
terms of “confession” or “penance.” While the sacrament remains the same,
the term reconciliation best expresses what is to happen in this sacrament.
While one does a confession and one does a penance, these alone do not
always reconcile the broken relationship. If we look at personal
relationships, we may hurt someone and want to be reconciled. We can do
something to make up for our hurtful action (penance) or we can express an
apology (confession), however, if the other person is unwilling to forgive
us reconciliation doesn’t happen. In this special sacrament, we confess and
do a penance so that we can be reconciled to God and the Christian
community. Confession and penance are what we do, but reconciliation is
what happens between us, God and the community.
Sometimes you may hear someone say they don’t need to go to a priest in the
sacrament of reconciliation to be forgiven by God. Actually, this is true.
Forgiveness comes from God and while the priest is an instrument of God’s
forgiveness, the priest is not the only way through which one can be
forgiven. However, as mentioned last week, the sacrament is called
reconciliation because of what happens between us, God and the Christian
community. Sin not only offends God it affects others. While one ought to
immediately confess to God once a sin is recognized, that person should
later go to the sacrament of reconciliation. In this special sacrament, the
priest represents both Christ and the community. Through the priest’s words
of absolution (forgiveness) the person is forgiven and reconciled to God and
the Christian community. We do not always know who our sin affects, because
our sin against another may have a domino effect (example, gossip is shared
with one person but can take on a life of its own). Therefore, we even need
reconciliation to those our sin affected without our knowledge. Through the
absolution given by the priest, who is the representative of both Christ and
the community, one is reconciled completely. That is the real gift of the
sacrament, not just forgiveness but complete reconciliation between us, God
and the community. May the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation assist
each of us in becoming better Christians. |
