The Reconciliation

Good morning, happy Tuesday and blessings. In 2 Corinthians 5:19 Paul talk to us about the Ministry of Reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The High Calling of God is to not only be reconciled, but also to help others to be reconciled to HIM through the ministry and preaching of the Cross and Christ. In this context we need to understand that forgiveness is not ignoring wrong or making excuses for another person: the offense was real, harm was done, and the hurt does not go away easily. Forgiveness is costly, but it sets us free. In other words, forgiveness is a personal decision, which might be confined to our own hearts. If someone hurt you by betraying a confidence, you can choose to forgive them, for your own peace of mind, while resolving to stay away from them in the future.

Reconciliation is more difficult. To be reconciled with someone, the truth must be shared, so that both parties can deal with it. If a friend betrays a trust, the relationship can only be restored by confronting the truth: their behavior caused harm and hurt. Reconciliation requires mutual recognition of the wrong that was done, as well as forgiveness.

The cross displays the truth about humanity. Our sin is an offense against God. It alienates us from God, harms people, and destroys us. That is a hard truth, which Paul calls “the offense of the cross.” (Gal. ‪5:11‬) Yet it is a necessary truth, for reconciliation to occur. Before ‪starting tomorrow‬ our Ash Wednesday let's reflect today critically on our reconciliation with God and with our sisters and brothers.

Blessings

Fr. Luis+