The sacrament of Reconciliation in the Church is meant for restorative justice. Having people “confess” what they have done is important, but unfortunately, it was what the clergy focused on. True repair and restoration take much more than a bit of penance.
We need the grace of courage to seriously follow the example of Jesus and think about ways we can make all justice restorative.
While the complete establishment of God’s Kingdom is still pending, we will continue to struggle with our fallen nature and the world will continue to be corrupted. It is our Christian responsibility to be a beacon of love and God’s Kingdom by practicing ways of Living Restoratively:
By taking relationships seriously, realizing ourselves in an interconnected web of people, institutions, and the environment.
By deepening our awareness of the impact of our actions on others and the environment.
Whenever our actions negatively affect others, let us take responsibility by acknowledging and seeking to immediately repair the harm, instead of trying to get away with it by avoiding or denying it.
By treating everyone respectfully, even those we do not expect to encounter again, even those we feel do not deserve it, and even those who have harmed or offended us or others.
By viewing the conflicts we experience in life as rich with opportunities.
By listening deeply and compassionately to others, seeking to understand even if we do not agree with them.
By engaging in dialogue with others, even when what is being said is difficult, remaining open to learning from them and the encounter.
By being cautious about imposing our “truths” and views on other people and situations.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
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