Reconciliation

Things Have Changed

Prior to Vatican II the it was most often called the Sacrament of Penance or ... Confession. The emphasis seemed to be on doing penance for our sins.  But it was always about becoming closer to God.

Jesus related several parables to teach us of God's  eagerness to be reconciled with those who have strayed.

There is the story of the Prodigal Son and the Sheppard who leaves the flock to find the sheep that strayed, is alone and in danger. We all know these stories and others which were given to us to show that we are loved by God.

Whenever we stray from God's way, we stray from God. No matter what we have done, God wants us to come back to Him. If we have strayed a little or a lot., He wants to renew the relationship and fix the misunderstandings.  He wants to be reconciled with Him and He with us.

And so, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is about Love, God's unconditional Love. He may not like what we do sometimes but being a good parent, He never stops loving us.

When we are reconciled with God in this Sacrament, we receive His grace. The Holy Spirit will give us the help we need to stay close and resist the temptations that plague us.

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