RECONCILED

During the mid 80's, while stationed in Newburg, NY I was in the process of re-appropriating my Catholic faith.  I'd been away for over 10 years in a spiritual desert.  At the same time I was doing a mid-career change from a construction force heavy equipment operator to a human relations adviser.  What I learned in the school was forming self-knowledge and conflict management & resolution skills. What struck me the most was the military's grievance procedures.  Try to resolve it yourself with the offending party, if that fails involve your direct supervisor, and if that does not resolve the situation report it to your commander.  Now that sounds very familiar!

Today’s Gospel Acclamation is a godly mission statement: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entreating us to the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor 5:9) 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us his strategic plan, the means by which we can bring about unity and reconciliation.  Whether intentional or otherwise, sin results in broken trust and fractured relationships.  Wisely, Jesus provides us with a protocol that honors and respects both the victim and the offender.   It allows the situation to remain private and handled on a one-to-one basis.  It is only when the offender is either unable or unwilling to accept responsibility for his or her actions that Jesus recommends inviting other involved parties into the unification process. The third step is to involve the Church—either those in authority or members of the body of Christ—to intercede. Lastly, Jesus recognizes that some people are unable, not ready or willing to take the necessary steps to reconcile with others. 

Jesus does not require us to remain actively involved/engaged with those who are harmful and abusive. If none of this works, then the offender is to be treated as a gentile or a tax collector, which means that he or she should be excommunicated from the Church.  The power to bind and loose, originally given only to Peter, is now extended to the disciples.   There always remains the hope that the excommunicated person will eventually repent and return to the community, which has the power to receive the offender back.

More often than not, we approach reconciliation backwards by first indiscreetly making public others’ offenses.  We talk more about the offenders than to them; often we would rather complain about their actions than seek true resolution.

When Christ died on the cross, He satisfied God’s judgment and made it possible for us to find peace and right relationship with God.   Reconciliations “concern for achieving unity involves the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike.” (CCC 822) It involves the exercise of God’s grace to forgive and invite back into right relationship. The result of Jesus’ sacrifice is that our relationship has changed, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (Jn 15:15) 

As we approach this Eucharistic invitation to reconciliation for the entire human family.  May we take into this troubled world this gift we freely receive that is God's love, mercy and compassion to reconcile a hurting world.