Reconciliation: A Way of Life

Last evening I was blessed with the opportunity to give a talk to parents of children who will celebrate their First Reconciliation (layman’s terms: confession!) about the sacrament and how, when properly applied to our daily living, can be a way of life that will draw the family closer to God and one another.

I read in an article in the Florida Catholic several moons ago an intriguing article about forgiveness. It stated that our culture accepted capitol punishment because of its lack of mercy within the core cell of society: the family.

Hmm…. Now I can get a little carried away at times and paint with a broad brush colors of judgment on the canvas of evangelization and my first reaction was “Don’t jump to conclusions!” It is a far reach to state that since there is little forgiveness within the family’s jurisdiction that it would overflow to other areas of its life?

Well, I began to look at my own experience. I revisited the years of days gone past of my childhood. I remembered vividly my parents and their very volatile relationship. I examined, through the process of my own memory, how they interacted with each other and also how discipline was distributed when we (my 5 brothers and I) circumvented the “rules of the home.” I was not surprised to realize that we surely had moments where we did not meet Christ’s standards of mercy and love.

As a result of this upbringing (and I harbor NO ill will towards my parents – they did the best they could and inevitably they divorced) my adult life has mirrored many of the behaviors that I saw as an impressionable young boy; an insolent teen; and finally a man who knew little about love and mercy.

I was also struck by the fact that as a result of my hardened heart I had put before me so many barriers of protection that to this very day I am still uncomfortable with social settings (which is not a positive attribute to have in my line of work!).

Jesus taught us the prime example of how we are to forgive: Luke Chapter 15! As a response to the scribes and Pharisees charge that Jesus would dare to eat with sinners he gave us 3 parables that help to describe God’s heart. He showed the learned of Judaism that God’s heart is so full of mercy, love, and compassion that we human beings can’t wrap our little brains around how loving a Father we have in heaven!

God constantly seeks our reconciliation with him. He looks at the horizon of our sinfulness and gets just a glimpse our our return and He bolts towards us on the path of mercy and love! He embraces us, as mother’s do their newborns, and whispers in our ears that he loves us so much that he wants to throw a party to celebrate our reconciliation! He even goes takes this above and beyond the call of duty and dispels any thoughts and doubts that we have about his heart: His heart is about love!

Brothers and sisters, let us fall upon God’s throne of mercy. Do not be afraid (remember in scripture every time this phrase is used God is about to do something extraordinary in the life of the believer!)! Come home. Bring all your troubles to him. Share your inner most thoughts and feelings with him.

He’s looking for you right now!