There is a sadness in the world, a brokenness that cries out for healing. It is the sadness and brokenness of people who are alienated from their families, their friends, and sometimes even from themselves.

There is a joy in the world when individuals, families, and communities are united by forgiving and being forgiven. It is the joy of being at peace with one another. It is the joy of wholeness.

In and through Jesus we receive the healing gift of God. Christ is healer. He reconciles us with one another. In his own time Jesus was an outcast because he associated with sinners and forgave them their sins. Today he forgives us. He calls us to forgive one another, to be reconciled, to become one with God and God's community.

At Church we celebrate wholeness and healing in each Eucharistic Liturgy and in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We celebrate the love that forgiveness expresses and the unity that forgiveness brings. In unity we are then sent out to be ministers of reconciliation to others.

[Source: Supplement, St. Paul Roman Catholic Cathedral, Saskatoon, SK, Canada; March, 2010]