Monday of Holy Week
Perhaps the most misunderstood sacrament - by both parishioners and priests - the Sacrament of Reconciliation is not often a desired topic of exploration. Perhaps you'll permit me a moment to dive a bit into the wonderful nature of this graced encounter with Christ!
Through the lens of Confession, the focus is on wrongdoing. Through the lens of Penance, the focus is on making up for wrongdoing. Through the lens of Reconciliation, the focus is on relationship and coming back together. Its all about Mercy and Forgiveness. Who doesn't want forgiveness?! Our kids say to us "I'm sorry...", and what's the next thing they're waiting for us to day back to them?
You're forgiven!
We were taught to apologize as kids. If we got in trouble at school, sometimes we might have to write an apology letter to the whole class. Our teachers or parents would have us go up to the kid we wronged and say, "I'm sorry." There was value in saying it; there was value in saying it aloud; there was value in saying it aloud directly to the other person.
"But I have a great relationship with God. So why do I have to say, 'I'm sorry,' to a priest?" Well, in the Sacrament, the priest is acting in persona Christi - in the person of Christ. So it is less about speaking to the priest, and more about speaking through the priest.
Now, what is sin? Instead of getting caught up in terms like mortal sin and venial sin, let's simplify:
What are those times/things in my life that kept me from loving or respecting God, others, or myself?
What are those times in my life when I knew what the right thing to do was, and I freely chose to do the opposite?
After reflecting upon these questions, the process of reconciliation includes: (1) Pray, (2) Focus Your Prayer (consider the events of recent times [days/weeks/months] and confessing gratitude for the good and confessing fault for when we struggled to be our best selves). These two steps supply us with what to communicate during the sacrament. There are really five steps total: (1) Prayer (What's burdening my heart?), (2) Confession (Freedom), (3) Penance (something to help me get back on the path of obedience), (4) Contrition (expressing a true apology), and (5) Absolution (forgiveness - better than a million bucks).
Reconciliation is one of the "get-to's" along our faith journey that we should embrace, not one of the "have to's" that we should dread. Today is Reconciliation Monday 2022, an invitation to be forgiven as Easter draws near.
We in the Office of Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue are praying that you have a deeply meaningful and prayerful Holy Week.
Adapted from a Lent Retreat Session led byFr. Mark Paul Amatrucola, c.o.ChaplainSt. Francis College
"Freedom Painting" | Ella Prakash
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