Christ’s message from the Sermon on the Mount is to love all — even our enemies. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are given the grace to be healed, and, yes, even to reconcile the differences between us. Paul noted that reconciliation is directed to the whole world — as God lives in us, we are and we become ambassadors to all those around us. Paul said, “All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.” (2 Corinthians, 5:18-20) The Second Vatican Council renewed many of the rituals of the church, changing the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to explore this fuller expression of the nature and effects of the sacrament. “Vatican II noted that the Sacrament of Penance was in need of renewal,” said Father Ralph Besendorfer, Judicial Vicar of the diocese and pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Callahan. “The Holy See responded by issuing a new Order of Penance in 1973, resulting in an awareness that the community as well as the individual is in need of healing.” Three new forms of the Rite of Penance were established. The first form is the Rite for Reconciliation of Individual Penitents. The most familiar, this form uses the private face-to-face confession with a priest in a confessional. The second is the Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents. This form brings the sacrament out of the confessional and into the body of the church. This method also helps us recognize that our sins are not only our personal actions affecting our lives, but also have adverse actions and effects on the body of Christ and the community as well. The third form, not widely used, is the Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. This form is accompanied with many restrictions and is used in extreme situations. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a gift from God to his church. After his resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, “‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ ‘Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.’” (John 20: 20-23) The church has always understood Christ’s gift and its healing graces to have perdured throughout the centuries. The church usually prepares us for the Sacrament of Reconciliation after we reach the age of reason, around age seven, said Father Besendorfer. “Children are taught that sin harms us and that we need to be forgiven for our human failures rather than let them weigh us down.” Father Besendorfer said, “The sacrament reconciles us with the church — gives us a spiritual checkup and reminds us of God’s presence and love in our lives.” Glenn Kuhnel, Ph.D., director of Liturgy and Worship for the Diocese of Saint Augustine, said, “If we think of the Sacrament of Penance as a kind of laundry for the soul, we are missing the meaning of the sacrament entirely. It’s not about running ourselves through a car wash and coming out clean, ready to get dirty again so that we can run through again. Rather, it is about how our sins wound and affect both the world and the church. The Sacrament of Penance is much more about God’s mercy than our sins, faults and failings.” “The sacrament is truly a ‘profession of faith,’” added Dr. Kuhnel. “Faith in unconditional and everlasting love of God; faith in God’s grace and faith to seek forgiveness, act with repentance and be called again to discipleship as a reconciling people.” Dr. Kuhnel emphasized that the sacrament must be taken seriously and celebrated well – not simply used as a form of confession, but a time to seek the prayer of the church. “When we measure our lives to the conformity to the Word of God, and seek his forgiveness by asking for reconciliation and grace of reform to live life more fully, then we can participate and receive his grace and mercy.” Sin has many effects on our relationships, but receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation allows us to overcome our vices, begin the healing process and through penance, rebuild our relationship with God and our neighbors. By receiving the sacrament often, the Cathechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that we are spurred to be merciful as Christ was merciful — repairing and healing our relationships with all. Frequent confession helps us to form our conscience, deepening our relationship with God. The Cathechism defines conscience (page 872) as “The interior voice of a human being within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed. Moral conscience is a judgement of practical reason about the moral quality of human action. It moves a person at the appropiate moment to do good and to avoid evil (1777-8).” “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is more about a relationship with God and getting that relationship better focused while growing in depth of faith,” said Father James Moss, pastor of San José Parish in Jacksonville. “As part of the rite, the individual confesses his or her sins to the priest, who gives suitable counsel to help the penitent begin a new life. “It is more than just sin removed, but rather about restoring or re-focusing our relationship with our God and the church,” said Father Moss. “Reconciliation allows us to experience the loving mercy of God as we get our lives back into order both personally and communally.” The sacraments are a public sign and symbol of God’s love for us. This Lent many parishes will offer communal penance services, a time to gather in person and in community to symbolize our reconciliation with God and one another and to celebrate God’s love and forgiveness.