Reconciliation

Only God can forgive sins; and that is what the sacrament of Reconciliation celebrates. Jesus, as true God and true man, forgave people’s sins throughout his earthly ministry, even as he hung from the cross, uttering words of forgiveness toward the soldiers who nailed him to the cross: “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). As Catholics we believe that Jesus passed on His forgiveness ministry to his apostles when he said to them, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:23).

The sacrament of Reconciliation is not just about getting “rid” of sin. The main outcome of the celebration of Reconciliation is conversion, often a long and sometimes painful process that begins with recognizing and acknowledging our unloving actions. Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M., calls Reconciliation “a round-trip journey away from our home with God and back again that can be summed up in terms of three C’s: conversion, confession and celebration – and in that order.

The familiar parable, “The Prodigal Son,” helps us understand these steps. The sin of the young man takes him on a journey away from his family and his home. He does not desire to change his ways until he realizes how mired down he is, literally in a pigsty, and he “comes to his senses.” This realization is the beginning of conversion and the first step in his journey to return home.

Change is at the heart of conversion. Metanoia is the Greek word used in the New Testament for this, meaning change in mind or thought (heart), which in turn produces a change in one’s conduct. This is especially powerful in the realization that we are loved unconditionally by God. Once we understand and accept that God’s unconditional love saves us and that we do not save ourselves we open ourselves up to the gift of God’s love, which is grace. This change or conversion then affects relationships with others, ourselves, the world, and God.

Conversion is typically a continuous process that brings us closer to holiness. Once we are on the road to conversion (toward our home with God), we experience the next step in the conversion process, which is contrition. Contrition is the healthy product of regret and sorrow, which allows us to abandon our sinfulness and make resolutions.

As with the Prodigal Son, once we see the benefits to abandoning the pigsty of our sin, we are able to determine what we must do to repent and then repair the relationships we have with others, ourselves and God. We decide to live a changed life and making room for new patterns of behavior and attitude. The Prodigal Son decided to go back home, admit his sin and handle the consequences; he had a plan to change and repair the damage he had done.

Once this level of conversion has occurred, confession of sin takes place. While confession has been the most significant part of the sacrament in the past, it is now recognized that genuine confession is the external expression of the interior change that conversion has caused in us. Looking once again to the parable we witness a confession that is hardly acknowledged by the father who can hardly wait to get his welcoming arms around his son; there is no begging for forgiveness, it is easily available. The wise and ever-loving father already knows his son has experienced conversion and contrition and displays an eagerness to celebrate what has happened. This reinforces some of the Good News: God’s forgiveness, like God’s love, does not stop.

How does celebration fit into the sacrament of Reconciliation? Why celebrate? We turn to the parable for the answer: Celebration occurs because a sinner has converted, repented, confessed, and returned home. Other words for celebrate are applaud, approve, acknowledge, honor, note, observe, proclaim, and rejoice. Any of these celebratory responses can prompt us to further our own conversion as we relish in the unconditional forgiveness available to each of us from God: We can forgive others as we have been forgiven; we can forgive ourselves. We can journey on in the assurance that we have come closer to the peace, justice and reconciliation that makes us bearers of the Good News, that the kingdom of God is at hand.

Discussion question:

In contemplating your own frequency of celebrating Reconciliation, how do you benefit from the sacrament and what stands in the way of celebrating it more often?

Act of Contrition

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,

I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.

I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more,

and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.

Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.

In his name, my God, have mercy.

The Confiteor

I confess to almighty God,

to blessed Mary ever virgin,

to blessed Michael the Archangel,

to blessed John the Baptist,

to the holy apostles Peter and Paul,

and to all the saints,

that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed.

Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

Therefore, I beseech

Blessed Mary ever virgin,

to blessed Michael the Archangel,

to blessed John the Baptist,

to the holy apostles Peter and Paul,

and to all the saints,

to pray to the Lord our God for me.

May Almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. AMEN.

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. AMEN.

Miserere: Prayer of Repentance

(Psalm 51)

(This is commonly known as the Miserere [the first word of the Latin version], and is a moving and inspired prayer of repentance for sin.)

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness/

In your compassion blot out my offense.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them;

my sin is always before me.

Against You, You alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in Your sight I have done,

that You may be justified when You give sentence

and be without reproach when You judge.

Reconciliation Prayer

O almighty and most merciful God, I give You thanks with all the powers of my soul for this and all other mercies, graces, and blessings bestowed on me, and prostrating myself at Your sacred feet, I offer myself to be henceforth forever Yours.

Let nothing in life or death ever separate me from You! I renounce with my whole soul all my treasons against You, and all the abominations and sins of my past life.

I renew my promises made in Baptism, and from this moment I dedicate myself eternally to Your love and service.

Grant that for the time to come, I may detest sin more than death itself, and avoid all such occasions and companies as have unhappily brought me to it.
This I resolve to do by the aid of Your divine grace, without which I can do nothing. Amen.