Lent is not just the season of repentance; it is the season for reconciliation. Playwright Eugene O’Neill wrote that we are born broken and spend our lives mending. The grace of God is the glue. That grace comes to us in many ways but particularly through confession, the sacrament of reconciliation.

Sin is real. It distances us from Jesus, but it also separates us from others. Guilt disrupts our relationships with others. We feel out of sync. We know that we are broken and yearn to be made whole. Our separation from the Body of Christ, the Church, is very real when we are separated from the Eucharist.

Confession, the Sacrament of Penance, the Rite of Reconciliation is not so much about sin as it is about reconciliation. Sin is our Good Friday and Reconciliation is our Easter.

Once again this year the parishes of the Diocese of Dallas are all participating on The Light is on for You, an initiative to welcome Catholics to reconciliation with God, the Church and yourself. On the evenings of Wednesday March 20 and Wednesday, March 23 all parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas will have their “lights on” for confession and quiet prayer so that Catholics can come to or return to this incredible source of God’s grace, mercy and healing. Check with your parish for the times.

Forgiveness is priceless and it is yours for the asking.