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During Lent and Advent, St. Richard's Catholic Church offers the opportunity for you to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in what is known as “Form Two.” If it is has been a long time since you have received this sacrament, there is no need to be nervous!
In Form Two, we participate in the examination of conscience together as a community. We then make our confession and receive our penance and absolution one-on-one with a priest. You don’t need to memorize any words to receive Christ’s healing gift, though you are welcome to use the prayers set forth by the Church if that makes you more comfortable. Most importantly, remember that this is a sacrament of healing – it is not to cause shame, but to help you openly receive God’s sacramental grace.
Our Year A scripture readings for this coming Sunday [March 2017] all nest closely with our celebration of reconciliation. In our First Reading from the Book of Ezekiel, God tells His people “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ez 37:12b-14). As Christians, we know that this is a promise of the Resurrection of the Body when Christ comes again at the end of time, but it has another dimension for us living here in this time. The coming of Jesus into the world, the lessons he showed us in his life and his victory over death have allowed us to rise from the grave of our sin and to bring us back into a spiritual community reconciled with God and one another. The Psalmist will put it even more directly: “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” (Psalm 130)
Paul’s Letter to the Romans is a bit wordy, but listen for that final sentence: “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” (Rom 8:11)
Finally, Jesus wraps it all up with his visit to his beloved friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, as recounted in the John’s Gospel. The most dramatic part of the story is Jesus calling into the tomb “Lazarus, come out!” (Jn 11:43), followed by resuscitation of his friend. Do not miss, though, Jesus’ last words in this passage “Untie him and let him go.” (Jn 11:44) Jesus is not just giving a second chance at mortal life - he also loosens the bonds of the sins that hold us back and sends us to go out into the world to share the love that we have received.
