Immersed in Christ: Friday, July 16, 2021

Personal But Communal

There is always a communal dimension, both to sin and to reconciliation. We cannot sin against God without sinning against other human beings. And we cannot seek reconciliation with God without involving other human beings. We might not like the idea of confessing our sins to the Church. But if we do not—in some form or another—we are leaving things unfinished when we confess them to God. When we acknowledge our sins to the Church, we are reaffirming—and in that act reexperiencing, deepening, and reinforcing—our identity as co- responsible members of the community of faith. We are in the Church. We truly belong, and accept our belonging, as members committed to give as well as to receive. In the maturity of our relationship with other believers we recognize that we owe it to the community, as well as to God, to live in a way that makes our profession of faith credible. This is an experience of grace. Whether we consciously think of it that way or not, it is an experience of sharing in the divine life of God.