Luminous
A Catholic Woman and Her Thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Reconciliation and the Beauty of God, Part 3
Why Go to Confession? (Part 3)

CHIETI, Italy, FEB. 20, 2006 (www.Zenit.org).- Here is the third part of a pastoral letter, written by Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, a member of the International Theological Commission, on the theme "Reconciliation and the Beauty of God." Part 1 appeared Friday. Part 2 appeared Sunday.

* * *

.... In relation to God the Father, penance presents itself as a "return home" (this is in fact the meaning of the word "teshuva" which the Hebrew uses to say "conversion"). Through becoming aware of your faults, you realize you are in exile, far from the homeland of love: You feel ill at ease, sorrow, because you understand that sin is a rupture of the Covenant with the Lord, a rejection of his love, it is "unloved love," and because of this is also source of alienation, because sin uproots us from our true dwelling, the Father's heart.

It is then that we need to remember the house in which we are awaited: Without this memory of love we would never have the necessary confidence and the hope to make the decision to return to God. With the humility of the one who knows he is not worthy of being called "son," we can decide to call at the door of the Father's house. What a surprise to realize he is at the window scrutinizing the horizon because he has been waiting for a long time for our return!

[To be continued Tuesday. Translation by ZENIT]
Written at 7:34 AM by Luminaria2112.
0 comments