THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

 

God has shown his mercy by reconciling the world to himself in Christ by making peace for all things.  Christ came and lived among us calling us out of darkness into his wonderful light.  His ministry proclaimed:  Turn away from sin and believe the good news. (Mark 1) This invitation to repentance, echoed by the prophets preparing us for the Kingdom of God is heard in the voice of John the Baptist, who came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4).

Jesus not only calls his people to repentance, but also welcomed sinners and reconciled them to the Father and through his ministry of healing, witnessed to his power to forgive sin. On the night he died, he instituted the new covenant in his blood for the forgiveness of sins, and it is in Christ’s resurrection that he sends the Spirit upon the apostles, empowering them to forgive sins preaching to all peoples repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name.