Why We Need Reconciliation

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Matthew 18:15–20

In this week's homily, Fr Rob Galea reflects on the importance of reconciliation.

Homilies with Fr Rob Galea offers a practical and engaging reflection on the Sunday Gospel, helping you encounter God's Word and apply it to everyday life.

Homilies with Fr Rob Galea is part of the Outside The Chapel Network, a collection of podcasts produced by ICON Ministry.

Discover more podcasts and conversations at outsidethechapel.com.

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This podcast is part of the Outside the Chapel Network. A collection of podcasts produced by Icon Ministry. Discover more podcasts and conversations at outside thechapel.com.

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Welcome to Homilies with Father Rob Gallia, part of the Outside the Chapel Network, a collection of podcasts produced by Icon Ministry. Each week, Father Rob shares a practical and inspiring reflection on the Sunday Gospel, helping you encounter God's word and apply it to everyday life. Here's Father Rob.

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Have you ever been to confession? I know it's scary. I go to confession and I find it scary sometimes, which is a bit ridiculous because as a priest, once I've been ordained, like for three months, I've heard it all. Really, the devil's not really creative. I give you this sometimes he is a little bit more creative than others, but really you're never going to impress a priest. Because we've heard it all. And secondly, we're capable of it all. Priests are there to offer mercy and forgiveness. Not to judge you, not to condemn you, but always to be a place of mercy and love and compassion. You see, God has given the authority to the priest on behalf of the community, on behalf of Christ, to forgive sins, which is very strange in a sense. Why doesn't He confess through and forgive through anyone else? Well, let me just give you a little bit quickly, a little bit of history. Did you know, did you know this, that there was a point in the church where confession didn't used to happen only to a priest, but it used to happen to the whole community. They used to have mass maybe once a month, sometimes even once a year. And then what would happen before Mass, or right before at the time of the penitential rite, mass used to take a whole day pretty much. And they would come up, and people would come up to the front, and in front of the priest and in front of the whole congregation, they would one by one confess their big sins. I committed adultery, I did this and I did that. And everyone would look and pretend to offer mercy and forgiveness, but then of course there would be village gossip, and it would be to the detriment of the penitent. So the church and then started to put this, you see, even the forgiveness of the whole community, the forgiveness of Christ, started to respect the individual. And it became a one-on-one with God in the person of the priest. You see, I'll just say this. There are three things. One, you're never going to impress the priest. Two, the priest is there to offer mercy and forgiveness. And three, I just want to remind you of confessional secrecy. That the priest can never disclose what you say in confession. But you know, he will himself be excommunicated if he even alludes to what you have confessed in confession. It's a place of mercy. It's a place of forgiveness. And I encourage you to go. I encourage you to receive that mercy, that embrace of God the Father. He wants to break the chains, to loose on earth so that we will be loosed in heaven. God's mercy is abundant, it's free. And in a crazy word to use, it's also ridiculous. How ridiculous that God would love us so much that He would forgive us, simply us, by asking. Lord, forgive me. Lord, give me the courage to go to confession.

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Thanks for listening to Homilies with Father Rob Galia, part of the Outside the Chapel Network. If today's reflection encouraged you, we'd love to help you continue the conversation. Visit outside the chapel.com to subscribe to the podcast, explore more shows across the network, and join our free newsletter to receive the latest episodes and updates. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.