Come, family members let’s reconcile

The greatest celebration in our life of faith is the Resurrection of the Lord. it is in the experience of the Resurrection, His triumph over death, that forms the base of our Christian life, Apostle Paul says, If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Col 15:15).
We get to this celebration of faith, into its depth, with due preparation lasting 50 days. Yes, another fasting season of repentance is at hand. We are constantly reminded that we are made of dust and to dust we shall return. And so we have to shed tears of repentance and remorse and wash away the stains of sin. Fasting is the outward expression of the religious faith of all people seeking forgiveness for the sins they have committed. In the Catholic faith also the fasting season is a time for self-renewal. Perhaps this is the essence the first Gospel preaching of Jesus. He said, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!
Transformation is in fact another face of love and faith. All those who have acquired spiritual virtues through various CHARISMATIC retreats will have understood the power of transformation. God wants only this from us. He exhorts us, “Come now, let us settle the matter. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are read as crimson, that shall be like wool” (Is 1:18). The Lenten season is the time of reconciliation with people, families, institutions and or any other circumstances. The essence of Christian faith, its criterion is the humility to be reconciled. Jesus himself makes this clear. Even when you are about to adore God, the first thing is to be reconciled with your adversary. The Gospel is very clear on this point, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the alter. First go and reconciled to them; then come offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24). All denominations of Christian, this advice is reminisced before start of the holy Eucharist. Because it is so important. In Christian spirituality, reconciliation has an equal, or even higher, status than prayers and acts of piety. The purpose of the Incarnation of Jesus was for that. The theme of his preaching was also that. His death was its culmination. “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (col 1: 19- 20).
Jesus demand this reconciliation from all spheres of our activity. The lenten season is the time for the Christians all over the world to give testimony to their faith. The reconciliation by Christians to the consciousness of the world is a great testimony to the gospel. As a church let us get reconciled to the mistakes we have committed or we have kept hidden. Let us seek forgiveness from all those who have been denied their rights for one reason or the other. Let us seek forgiveness for not uniting ourselves for ameliorative social causes and not testimony to virtue, to the gospel, to truth and to justice. let us also seek forgiveness for the bickering and strife we have caused as family members, sibling and relations perpetrating anger, hatred and injustice. Let us also seek forgiveness for living in ways not in conformity with the calling we have chosen. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though god were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God “ (2 cor 5:20). Lets pray for the Lenten experience for reconciliation.
Kevi Z. Stephen
Catechist, Holycross Church