The Sacrament of Reconciliation

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. As we begin the season of Lent, I wish to take this moment to share some thoughts with you. The word “lent” is an old English word meaning “springtime.” As we watch nature renew itself at this time of year, the Church offers us these 40 days of Lent as a special moment for us to renew ourselves spiritually. In the Gospel Jesus says “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Father in heaven.” (Mt: 10) Jesus does not speak this as a threat. Instead, Jesus is saying that He will never interfere with our free will. In other words, if we live our lives showing that we wish to live as followers of Jesus, we will have Jesus for all eternity. On the other hand, if we do not wish Jesus in our lives now, He will respect our free will and, for all eternity, He will not impose Himself upon us. The choice is ours.

Lent is more than how will I live the next 40 days. It is more than asking ourselves what Lenten practice will I follow for the next six weeks. Rather, it is about where we will be 100 years from now, a 1,000 years, a million years. It is the question of whether I am acknowledging Jesus by the way I live my life or not. We answer this question by what we say and do, by the way we treat others, by the values we live by. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we will see that we fall short of being the person God calls us to be, the person we were created to be, and the person that, deep down inside, we wish to be. This is the first step toward salvation. It is only when we can see ourselves as a sinner that we are able to see that we need a Savior. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that He came to save us, sinners that we are. If we truly repent, amend our ways, and prepare for the life to come, the Lord forgives any sin, no matter how shameful.

Lent is our preparation for celebrating the great event of our salvation: the passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord. I ask that we make the most of this time. Especially, I urge everyone to make use of the priceless gift of the sacrament of Confession, in particular if it has been a long time since our last confession. May Lent be a time for us to renew ourselves spiritually.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

Sincerely in the Lord,
Most Reverend Thomas J. Rodi
Archbishop of Mobile