Reconciling everything through the cross

Good News ReflectionFriday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary TimeSeptember 4, 2009
Today's Saint: CuthbertPray for those who minister to the homebound and hospitalized:http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/Cuthbert.htm
Today's Readings:Col 1:15-20Ps 100:1b-5Luke 5:33-39http://www.usccb.org/nab/090409.shtmlUSCCB Podcast of the Readings:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_09_04.mp3
Reconciling everything through the cross
Today's first reading contains a verse that doesn't seem true: Through Jesus, God the Father has reconciled everything – EVERYTHING! – both on earth and in heaven, making peace through the Blood of Christ's cross. Then why is there still evil in the world, and in my life, and in yours? Why do we still have broken relationships? Why do wars rage in the world and in our homes and workplaces and even in our parishes?
The answer is: God does not make peace FOR us, but WITH us. We have to get involved in the reconciliation process. We have to cooperate with his work of peace-making. We cannot be lazy Christians, neglecting the Sacrament of Reconciliation and behaving like babies waiting for God to snap his almighty fingers to stop evil for us. His covenant with us has always been a partnership and always will be.
So, how do we cooperate with his peace-making? By sanctifying everything we do and every relationship we have! To sanctify something means to make it holy, purging it of impurities.
Whenever we offer up our daily chores to the glory of God instead of grumbling about it, doing the work as a loving gift for him, we sanctify our labors. This reconciles our earthly work with heaven's work.
When we honor God with our lips instead of swearing and saying unkind words about others, we sanctify our lips, thus reconciling our voice with the voice of Christ.
When we cherish our human relationships, sanctifying them with unconditional love and self-sacrificing concern, we bring God's reconciling peace into those relationships. However, both persons must cooperate with God's plan in order for the reconciliation to be complete. If we bring Christ and his ways into a troubled friendship or failing marriage, and the other person continues in unhealthiness or sin, full reconciliation might not be possible until heaven. For now, we're reconciled only with God – and that's very healing!
Peace and reconciliation, humanly speaking, are not always do-able here on earth. The greater goal is to gain the peace of Christ within our souls by reconciling with the Father whenever we lose it, which is very do-able.
When others refuse to join in the reconciliation process, we can only sanctify ourselves by preferring Christ over the broken relationship. Love for Christ replaces anger toward others. Peace with God replaces our yearnings for what we cannot have here on earth. We have sadness for the wayward person and grief for our loss, but we do not have despair.
On the cross, Jesus made it possible for us to reconcile everything in our lives with God. To live in peace, we must keep our eyes on him instead of on the damage that evil has done.
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