Ave Maria Meditations
It must be emphasized that the most precious result of the forgiveness obtained in the Sacrament of Penance, consists in reconciliation with God, which takes place in the inmost heart of the son who was lost and found again, which every penitent is. But it has to be added that this reconciliation with God leads, as it were, to other reconciliations which repair the breaches caused by sin. The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his most being, where he regains his own true identity. He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way attacked and wounded. He has reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation.
As a result of an awareness of this, there arises in the penitent, a sense of gratitude to God for the gift of Divine Mercy received, and the Church invites the penitent to have this sense of gratitude. Every confessional is a special and blessed placed from which, with divisions wiped away, there is born a new and uncontaminated reconciled individual: a reconciled world!
St. John Paul II (Feast Day is October 22nd)
