Moment With Betty

Reconciliation is the restoration of a relationship to a harmonious state after a dispute; it is the bringing of accord out of discord between two parties. But what is Christian reconciliation with the Lord?

Reconciliation with the Lord is the process of restoring our broken relationship with God through repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual renewal.  It is the work of God through Christ by which He restores mankind to a favorable relationship with Himself. Sin separates us from God, but His love and mercy provide a way for us to be reunited with Him. Through faith in Jesus Christ, prayer, and a sincere heart, we can experience the grace of reconciliation and live in harmony with God’s will.  And what a better time to talk about reconciliation with God than now as we journey along with Jesus during these 40 days of Lent. The church encourages us to re- examine our self and take advantage of the sacrament of penance and reconcile with God.

Bible teaches that sin creates a spiritual barrier between humanity and God, and in Romans 3:23, scripture says that, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, God’s desire is not to condemn us but to restore us to Himself therefore, reconciliation is essential because It brings spiritual healing and renewal.  It restores peace, joy and purpose in our lives, strengthens our relationship with God and helps us grow in faith. Thus, let us at this time, acknowledge and recognize our sin and shortcomings, confess them so that we can receive God’s forgiveness and rekindle our relationship with Him. Nonetheless, it is not enough to just go for confession, we need to be sincerely sorry for the sins in our heart, seek God’s forgiveness through Christ, believe in Him and accept His grace so that we can truly be reconciled to God and restore our relationship with Him through prayer and worship. We also need to spend sometime in prayer, read the Bible, and worship God because when we do this, our bond with Him is strengthened and we are able to communicate with God, seek His guidance, and experience His presence.

St. Augustine once said that the sacrament of reconciliation is one of the central points of the great movement of reconstruction, peace and forgiveness. However, Pope Francis wrote that beyond the healing of great wounds and reconstruction of our relationship, reconciliation is a necessary ally in daily Christian life that helps us to know ourselves better and to become familiar with God’s merciful heart .Furthermore, he said that it is the best place from which we can distance ourselves from our guilt, realize that, although we are sinners, we have a Father who loves us unconditionally therefore, there is no need to hide anything. It is understandable if we find it difficult to overcome all the habits or dispositions that lead us to evil immediately, but when grace works with time, it becomes part of our story. 

Therefore, without unrealistic expectations that can make us despair over our weakness, or even over grace, let us keep our gaze fixed on Jesus; let us not cease to go to Him who both wants to and can heal us. According to St. Augustine, the sacrament of reconciliation helps us face our fragility, our contradictions, our wounds and to show them to the only physician who can heal them. Besides, true reconciliation helps us to live according to God’s will. It helps us to strive to live a life that pleases God which includes obeying His commandments, showing love to others and sharing His message of salvation.

 [BE1]