Reconciliation

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week in Lent

In today’s Gospel text, Jesus counters the arguments of that some are using against him: “"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”

Unfortunately, division in society in our own day is constantly in the news media. Sadly, it is also present within the Church itself. Pope Leo is consistently calling for unity among the faithful. While there are those who say that the Church itself is at fault, these critics forget an essential truth; namely, we are the Church. Consequently, division within the Church is our own fault.

In his Letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul reminds us that “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh…”

One of the most important tasks of any Lenten journey is that of reconciling with one another and with God. Reconciliation is our mission during Lent. As our mindfulness trigger today, I would like to suggest that we call to mind where division has entered into our relationships with one another and our relationship with God. As we pray in one of the Eucharistic Prayers, Jesus himself heals everything that estranges us.