Instrument Of Reconciliation Analysis
Kathleen Hughes article she reflects upon Pope Paul VI’s powerful metaphor with relation to the Rite of Penance – Walking on the edge of two great abysses – sin and love, sin and grace and death and resurrection. Reconciliation is an invitation to plunge into God’s mercy, love and forgiveness and deepen our friendship with Christ. Sin represents everything that destroys our friendship with God. Reconciliation repairs our relationship with God. Reconciliation begins when a person is incorporated into the body of Christ at baptism. We maintain and strengthen this relationship through the eucharist and reconciliation. Eucharist is the regular sacrament that renews and strengthens our baptismal reconciliation. We have the sacrament of ‘reconciliation’ when we do something to damage our union with Christ, to restore the relationship. This is how the sacrament of reconciliation is a ‘sacrament of conversion’.
Reconciliation can be described, as a sacrament of "penance" as this describes the essential interior disposition required for this sacrament. As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is called the sacrament of penance, because it consecrates the penitent’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament in which the priest, as the agent of God, forgives sins committed after baptism, when the sinner is heartily sorry for them, sincerely confesses them, and is willing to make satisfaction for them. This power to forgive sin, which Jesus conferred upon his apostles, is now given to priests. When the priest raises his hand and says these words, "I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” the penitent’s sins are forgiven. These are called "the words of absolution." This makes reconciliation a sacrament of “ Forgiveness”. It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an
essential element of this sacrament
In the apostolic church, there was an emphasis on the corporate nature of sin.
The sinner was excluded from the community and Eucharistic table, to bring about an awareness of their wrongdoing and to support them in the process of conversion. Ecclesiastical penance involved acts of penitence like fasting, penitential clothing and other mortifications. In the fourth century, public acts of penitence were necessary for public sins like murder, idolatry and adultery. Reconciliation ended up being a sacrament of salvation for a pagan society.
In the fourth century, canonical penance was introduced. This involved exclusion from the Eucharist and reconciliation with Christ. The penitent were reconciled in a liturgical service presided by the Bishop where he lay his hands on the penitent and was bound to certain liturgical and penitential obligations. This had to be done in the presence of the community, as the intercession of the church was considered essential in obtaining forgiveness of sins and for true conversion. Here the focus ended up being on the church maintaining standards of behaviour.
The middle Ages shifted the focus shifted to Individual holiness. However, this led to some undesirable developments. Many of the developments have since been disallowed. Penitents could appeal if penance was too harsh and they could even pay their way out of penance. Penitential books had a list of sins and the penance.
The Second Vatican Council in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy called for a revision of the rite so that it clearly expressed its nature and effect. The ‘Rite of Penance’ was incorporated in 1973. Penance is used, as it is synonymous with conversion, however ‘reconciliation’ is the preferred term as it is the broader reality. Vatican II explains this renewed ‘Rite of Penance’, as the reconciliation with God and the reconciliation with the church side by side. The sacrament began to move out of the confessional box and into the body of the church with Vatican II.
As Dooley points out, the early christian communities saw reconciliation with the community as the effect of the penitential process and reconciliation with God. The Rite of Penance restores this principle as it states, “The sin of one harms the others just as holiness of one benefits the others.” The communal forms of the Rite of reconciliation today emphasise the support of the whole praying community. The people listen to the Word of God, which calls them to conversion. Then they say the act of repentance and the Lord’s Prayer. Before Individual confession, the people always share some sign of reconciliation with one another.
The ‘Rite of Penance’ is the conversion process, which culminates in reconciliation. Reconciliation includes God’s initiative and human being’s response. Penance is the human effort needed to receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Reconciliation with God and the church is the purpose of penance, absolution expresses this reconciliation. As a sacrament the absolution and forgiveness of sins marks the outward sing and the reconciliation of the penitent to God is indicative of the inward grace.
Reconciliation is an act of worship. While describing ‘reconciliation’ as an act of ecclesial worship, the focus is on the action of a merciful God rather than on the penitent’s sins. The individual rite is an act of worship through the dialogue, the prayer and the word. The formulas of absolution recall and proclaim salvation history as the mystery of reconciliation. Through the word of God we are reminded of our sinfulness, and how we are called by God to conversion and the need for man to trust in his mercy, thus revealing the true nature of ‘conversion’ and ‘penance’. The Rite of Penance is seen as a means to attaining full freedom and likeness to Christ completing the direction given at baptism. The Rite of Penance speaks of the value of frequent celebration and to treat the sacrament of reconciliation as a serious striving to perfect the ‘grace’ of baptism. The church provides communal celebrations of the sacrament. The Season of Lent is often a time when community experiences conversion and the consequent reconciliation. Reconciliation is reciprocal in nature; it involves God, the community and the penitent.
Dallen’s states that he regards ‘reconciliation’ as the prime category for understanding God’s work in the world and for understanding the Church’s mission to participate in that work. He explains this as he describes God as the reconciler who takes the initiative to restore the covenant with his people. The Trinitarian character of our faith helps us understand how deeply God is committed to reconciliation. Divine love is expressed in the word and bonded in the spirit. It is man who estranges himself from the love of God. When we are reconciled with God, we atone for our sins. Through reconciliation, we experience a complete transformation of heart and mind towards God. This is the liberation or conversion we receive through the sacrament of reconciliation. Through reconciliation, human beings are freed from what is divisive or separates us from God. Simply put, through reconciliation we prepare a place for God in our hearts, which is taken over by sin and human weakness. Jesus’s death and resurrection clearly demonstrates the irrevocable character of God’s commitment to make peace. The work and message of God is reconciliation. This is evident from creation, incarnation, redemption and salvation.
‘Reconciliation’ in its ecclesial nature is best described as a communal as well as an individual act of worship. The Church does not exist solely for the sake of its members, but for the kingdom of God. The Second Vatican Council recognized that the Church must strive to bring people to full reconciliation. Just as it was Christ’s mission, it is the Church’s central task to reconcile people. The Church reconciliation is closely linked with the conversion of heart. The Church’s mission is to participate in God’s work of ‘reconciling’ humanity. The Church needs to be a ‘reconciling community’. The current crisis in penance is that people do not experience the church as a ‘reconciling’ community. The nature and mission of God is to reconcile all things. Therefore, we accept the responsibility of becoming part of a reconciling community and we set ourselves to full conversion. Only by being a converting community, which overcomes our own sins can we empathise with the penitent sinners. Contributing to a reconciling community, which practices inclusiveness, allows the Spirit of Jesus to bring us together in a ‘loving union’. This explains the later part of Dallen’s statement that Reconciliation is the sacrament by which we accept the responsibility to be a reconciling community and so participate in this mission of the Church.
Reconciliation can be described, as a sacrament of "penance" as this describes the essential interior disposition required for this sacrament. As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it is called the sacrament of penance, because it consecrates the penitent’s personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction. The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament in which the priest, as the agent of God, forgives sins committed after baptism, when the sinner is heartily sorry for them, sincerely confesses them, and is willing to make satisfaction for them. This power to forgive sin, which Jesus conferred upon his apostles, is now given to priests. When the priest raises his hand and says these words, "I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” the penitent’s sins are forgiven. These are called "the words of absolution." This makes reconciliation a sacrament of “ Forgiveness”. It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an
essential element of this sacrament
In the apostolic church, there was an emphasis on the corporate nature of sin.
The sinner was excluded from the community and Eucharistic table, to bring about an awareness of their wrongdoing and to support them in the process of conversion. Ecclesiastical penance involved acts of penitence like fasting, penitential clothing and other mortifications. In the fourth century, public acts of penitence were necessary for public sins like murder, idolatry and adultery. Reconciliation ended up being a sacrament of salvation for a pagan society.
In the fourth century, canonical penance was introduced. This involved exclusion from the Eucharist and reconciliation with Christ. The penitent were reconciled in a liturgical service presided by the Bishop where he lay his hands on the penitent and was bound to certain liturgical and penitential obligations. This had to be done in the presence of the community, as the intercession of the church was considered essential in obtaining forgiveness of sins and for true conversion. Here the focus ended up being on the church maintaining standards of behaviour.
The middle Ages shifted the focus shifted to Individual holiness. However, this led to some undesirable developments. Many of the developments have since been disallowed. Penitents could appeal if penance was too harsh and they could even pay their way out of penance. Penitential books had a list of sins and the penance.
The Second Vatican Council in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy called for a revision of the rite so that it clearly expressed its nature and effect. The ‘Rite of Penance’ was incorporated in 1973. Penance is used, as it is synonymous with conversion, however ‘reconciliation’ is the preferred term as it is the broader reality. Vatican II explains this renewed ‘Rite of Penance’, as the reconciliation with God and the reconciliation with the church side by side. The sacrament began to move out of the confessional box and into the body of the church with Vatican II.
As Dooley points out, the early christian communities saw reconciliation with the community as the effect of the penitential process and reconciliation with God. The Rite of Penance restores this principle as it states, “The sin of one harms the others just as holiness of one benefits the others.” The communal forms of the Rite of reconciliation today emphasise the support of the whole praying community. The people listen to the Word of God, which calls them to conversion. Then they say the act of repentance and the Lord’s Prayer. Before Individual confession, the people always share some sign of reconciliation with one another.
The ‘Rite of Penance’ is the conversion process, which culminates in reconciliation. Reconciliation includes God’s initiative and human being’s response. Penance is the human effort needed to receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Reconciliation with God and the church is the purpose of penance, absolution expresses this reconciliation. As a sacrament the absolution and forgiveness of sins marks the outward sing and the reconciliation of the penitent to God is indicative of the inward grace.
Reconciliation is an act of worship. While describing ‘reconciliation’ as an act of ecclesial worship, the focus is on the action of a merciful God rather than on the penitent’s sins. The individual rite is an act of worship through the dialogue, the prayer and the word. The formulas of absolution recall and proclaim salvation history as the mystery of reconciliation. Through the word of God we are reminded of our sinfulness, and how we are called by God to conversion and the need for man to trust in his mercy, thus revealing the true nature of ‘conversion’ and ‘penance’. The Rite of Penance is seen as a means to attaining full freedom and likeness to Christ completing the direction given at baptism. The Rite of Penance speaks of the value of frequent celebration and to treat the sacrament of reconciliation as a serious striving to perfect the ‘grace’ of baptism. The church provides communal celebrations of the sacrament. The Season of Lent is often a time when community experiences conversion and the consequent reconciliation. Reconciliation is reciprocal in nature; it involves God, the community and the penitent.
Dallen’s states that he regards ‘reconciliation’ as the prime category for understanding God’s work in the world and for understanding the Church’s mission to participate in that work. He explains this as he describes God as the reconciler who takes the initiative to restore the covenant with his people. The Trinitarian character of our faith helps us understand how deeply God is committed to reconciliation. Divine love is expressed in the word and bonded in the spirit. It is man who estranges himself from the love of God. When we are reconciled with God, we atone for our sins. Through reconciliation, we experience a complete transformation of heart and mind towards God. This is the liberation or conversion we receive through the sacrament of reconciliation. Through reconciliation, human beings are freed from what is divisive or separates us from God. Simply put, through reconciliation we prepare a place for God in our hearts, which is taken over by sin and human weakness. Jesus’s death and resurrection clearly demonstrates the irrevocable character of God’s commitment to make peace. The work and message of God is reconciliation. This is evident from creation, incarnation, redemption and salvation.
‘Reconciliation’ in its ecclesial nature is best described as a communal as well as an individual act of worship. The Church does not exist solely for the sake of its members, but for the kingdom of God. The Second Vatican Council recognized that the Church must strive to bring people to full reconciliation. Just as it was Christ’s mission, it is the Church’s central task to reconcile people. The Church reconciliation is closely linked with the conversion of heart. The Church’s mission is to participate in God’s work of ‘reconciling’ humanity. The Church needs to be a ‘reconciling community’. The current crisis in penance is that people do not experience the church as a ‘reconciling’ community. The nature and mission of God is to reconcile all things. Therefore, we accept the responsibility of becoming part of a reconciling community and we set ourselves to full conversion. Only by being a converting community, which overcomes our own sins can we empathise with the penitent sinners. Contributing to a reconciling community, which practices inclusiveness, allows the Spirit of Jesus to bring us together in a ‘loving union’. This explains the later part of Dallen’s statement that Reconciliation is the sacrament by which we accept the responsibility to be a reconciling community and so participate in this mission of the Church.