One of my favorite stories to tell 2nd graders preparing for First Reconciliation is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. When the son returns home and the father sees him approaching, I stop and ask the children what they think is going to happen. Often their eyes get wide and they talk about the big trouble he is going to be in! Is he going to be grounded or lose his screen time for a month? I continue the story and tell the children that instead of getting punished the son gets a big hug and a party! Then we can talk about how amazing God’s love is – that if we are truly sorry for our sins, God celebrates us!
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a difficult sacrament for many of us because it requires us to be completely vulnerable and to expose the darkest parts of ourselves. I get sweaty palms every time I go to confession. I’m sure the Prodigal Son was anxious too when we went home to his father. But the parable shows us that Confession is a safe place to be vulnerable because we are in the arms of our loving Father who is ready to give us the joy of his mercy.
Our 2nd graders are receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this week. I feel so privileged to witness the grace of God poured out in this sacrament over and over – to witness the light on the children’s faces as they exit the confessional. It reminds me that the joy of God’s forgiveness is ready for me as well. Let the children of our parish be a witness to all of us as their First Reconciliation helps them to ready their souls to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. May we too use this Lenten season to celebrate the mercy of God.