When Sins Are Forgiven

The sacrament of Reconciliation draws perhaps the widest scope of differing opinions out of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The way I see it, there are typically two polarized views taken:

Reconciliation Definition One: one of the most intimidating, uncomfortable elements of the Catholic Church. It’s hard enough to admit our sins to ourselves, and harder still to confess them to someone else.

Reconciliation Definition Two: a healing, peaceful encounter with God, necessary to living a full Christian life.

Both are real. Both are reasonable. But this week, I’ve been thinking about why Reconciliation Definition Two renders Reconciliation Definition One devoid of mattering.

On the hike out of Kalaupapa on the Hawaii Pilgrimage over spring break last week (see my post on our trip), I experienced a particularly profound moment of grace. In reflecting upon it, I journaled that one of the most rewarding elements of our trip was “taking my sinful self down the cliffs into Kalaupapa, receiving Reconciliation after 5:45am Mass, and hiking back out [from Kalaupapa] with a still-heavy backpack but a light burden and heart.” This is because no matter how terrifying it was to sit down with the priest to confess my deepest regrets and most painful mistakes to another human, I was really confiding in my Creator, who desires a relationship with me untarnished by sin.

As Christians, we believe – basically – in a loving God who forgives our sins when we repent for them. So why go to Reconciliation? A sacrament is an external sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Let’s break it down in the context of Reconciliation to unpack this important question.

Reconciliation is…

            An external sign: The sacrament of Reconciliation does not consist of simply

            praying to God and asking for forgiveness in a solitary setting. It involves

            something outside of the self, something witnessed by the Church. See this page

            for the format of the sacrament.

The fact that Reconciliation is an external sign is significant because it provides healing both for this world and for eternal life. In Matthew 9, Jesus heals a paralytic, saying “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” The scribes standing by accuse him of blaspheming, so Jesus then asks, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk?’.” The physical healing leads to a spiritual healing, whereby humanity can come to believe in Jesus’ power to forgive sins. This ministry of healing has not stopped, but has been carried down in the form of Reconciliation.

            Instituted by Christ: In Matthew 16, Jesus breathes on his disciples,

            extending the power to forgive sins to Peter and then to all of his apostles. This

            power to forgive sins has been passed down from Christ to the priests with whom

we participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation today.

            The priests’ role in the sacrament is twofold: they represent Christ (they operate

            in persona Christi, or “in the person of Christ”), and they represent the wider

            Church. When we sin, we commit that sin not only against God but also against

            our neighbors. Individual sins weaken us as a body of believers, because it’s

            harder for us to be our best selves in community with others when we are

            dwelling in a sin-saturated state. Think about a friendship – if you’ve done

            something to hurt a friend, talking about it with them, repenting and saying “I’m

            sorry,” and then coming up with a plan of action will always lead to a degree of

            healing in the relationship. So by confessing our sins to a priest in Reconciliation

            – both in persona Christi and representing our community – we rebuild right

relationships with ourselves, with others, and with God…all in one event. Now

that sounds like a worthwhile activity.

            To give grace: God constantly pours his grace out to us, wooing us into perfect

            relationship with Him. His love is a love that is incomprehensible to the human

            mind, but in receiving Reconciliation we humble our hearts before our God and

            before our community to admit that we are imperfect beings in need of

            forgiveness. In doing so we acknowledge God’s grace, which has already been

            there, but which we have not put a priority on receiving in our state of sin. The

            forgiveness experienced in Reconciliation when the priest says, “Through the

            ministry of the Church I absolve you from your sins” allows us to see and accept
            God’s grace in a renewed way.

In high school, my parish pastor told me that Reconciliation is important to us humans because hearing the words of forgiveness that are spoken is extremely important. God forgives unceasingly, so the Sacrament of Reconciliation isn’t necessary to attain His forgiveness, but it is necessary to restore right relationship between us and Him and between us and our neighbors.

Lent is a wonderful time to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, whether it has been forty days or forty years since we last confessed our sins. There are lots of opportunities to do so on campus – see the Basilica schedule here – or you can ask a priest to meet with you privately. Let’s prepare for Christ’s arrival as a community by accepting the forgiveness offered in the gift of the sacrament that Christ instituted in our world.