In this fairly short Reading, we have 3 x “reconciled”, 1 x “reconciliation” and 1 x “reconciling” . St Paul is, therefore, very anxious to get across the message of being reconciled with God - or, more accurately, God reconciling us to Himself.

 The Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance or Confession has an image problem these days. Somehow we have lost sight of the fact that this was a gift Jesus gave to His people so that they could be forgiven and reconciled to God and to their neighbour.

Some people will say - “I can just say sorry to God” - or “God knows I’m sorry” - and that is true - but Jesus did not give the sacrament for God’s benefit - He gave it for ours.

It is a chance to acknowledge the things that get in the way of loving God and our neighbour and ourselves - as we should - to receive forgiveness - and to start again with renewed energy to try and do better.

Imagine for a minute what life - and especially the Christian life - would be like if we could never say sorry - and, more importantly, know that we were forgiven when we did.

It would not be a happy world - and it would be filled with very lonely and unhappy people.

Lent is a time of  reflection about many things - not least our selfishness and failings. This would be absolutely impossible - not to say psychologically dangerous - if we did not know that they were forgivable.

If we did not know that God loves us, then we could not dare to look at the things that we were ashamed of - let alone tell anyone else about them.

But God does love us.

When we come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Confession or a Penitential Liturgy, we may think that we are making the first move - but, as St Paul says,

“It is all God’s work”

We can only respond to that love and allow God to reconcile us to Himself - and allow Him to make us a new creation -

or, at least, work on us until we truly are “new” and ready to enter the Kingdom that awaits us.