FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION - #2

Many Catholics grew up thinking that the only forum for forgiveness was confession. People felt clean again. Some saw this as a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning.

Somehow the spiritual field got narrowed. We forgot the rich variety of forgiveness and reconciliation strategies available to everyone every day. What are these items?

First, holy baptism. Baptism initiated us into an experience of forgiveness from the sin of origins and from the wounds we recognize. God washed us clean, made us lovely children of God in the bath of regeneration. Every time we participate in another's baptism, we claim forgiveness. Each time we use baptismal and holy water, we sign ourselves in the name of the God who reconciles. At the annual Easter Vigil we renew baptismal friendship with God, neighbor, and created world. It would be well for parishes to develop prayer services which keep baptismal memories alive. We need to be personally and ritually in touch with baptismal grace.

Second, tears. Christians in late antiquity prayed that the gift of tears would forgive sins. Here's how. External tears, flowing from one's eyes, the windows of the soul, manifest the inner tears that water and soften the heart. Tears transform the hard soil of the heart by moistening the heart and making it ready for the seed of God's Word. These are tears of repentance, not tears of depression or pity. Ask God for the gift of tears.

Third, the Our Father. The Lord's Prayer brings us forgiveness at morning and at evening. This prayer, a summary of the gospel, teaches us to ask for personal forgiveness based on our willingness to forgive those who trespass against us. Daily praying of the Lord's Prayer brings reconciliation with God, neighbor, and creation.

Fourth, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. St. Matthew recommends these Jewish disciplines for Christians. Prayer helps us acknowledge that God takes the first step in forgiveness. God seeks the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Fasting helps to empty us of self-centeredness. God fills us. God's apron overflows with rich grain. Almsgiving tames the demon of greed. We can possess everything and need no one. Almsgiving disciplines tendencies to acquire, to consume, and to isolate. God receives our alms and, in turn, gives us the gift of the world. Reconciliation restores human balance and spiritual equipoise.

Fifth, solidarity through justice. God also forgives our shortcomings and our narrow vision when we do acts of personal and social justice. These actions free us from racist and sexist sin, purifies us from class or ethnic arrogance. We rejoin humanity and we warmly embrace a richly multicultural world. This carries over to marketplace and to school settings, to workplace and to the commons where we sing, dance and bowl on the green.

Sixth, Catholics and twelve step persons learn a common discipline. Every night we take time to examine our conscience and to take inventory. We look back to discover daily moments of grace and character defects. We recognize and admit our wrongs and we make amends. These deeply inward moments are never private. We walk the earthly pilgrimage as social beings, as people belonging to the body of Christ.