Reconciliation….

Talking about the Sacrament here. I much prefer the name Sacrament of Reconciliation rather than what most of us refer to as ‘confession’. Reconciliation is far more appropriate. Yes we ‘confess’ our sins, but the grace we receive from the Sacrament is Reconciliation with God. Not just forgiveness, but reconciliation. Both are necessary for reconciliation, not just the Sacrament, but in life in general.

When a person hurts another, confession or saying sorry is not necessary for them to be forgiven, but it is necessary if there is to be any chance of reconciliation. Our human relationships are far harder to navigate at times. Saying sorry can be difficult. It can mean eating humble pie, admitting we were wrong, not just to ourselves, but to the person we hurt. It’s a public admission of our wrong doing. It takes us sacrificing something, usually our pride!

Forgiveness is something that’s much easier to do when someone has told you they are sorry and it’s genuine. It’s still not always easy. The injustice, the hurt, the knock on effects are not easily silenced, even when someone has said they are sorry. Saying sorry usually needs to be accompanied by reparation. Doing something to try and right the wrong done.

The elements for reconciliation in the Sacrament are the same that need to be applied in life in general. Confess our sin-forgiveness-reparation-reconciliation.

Is there anyone out there who you have hurt that you need to ask for forgiveness from? What have you done to try and repair the hurt your end? They may have forgiven you, but if you aren’t ‘reconciled’ then maybe there is something left undone or unsaid!