In Medjugorje, Our Lady calls us all to conversion and to reconciliation, priests as well as people. This message is not new. It is the familiar cry of the prophets to turn away from sin and to turn to God. “Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and new spirit.” 

Also, "As I live says the Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man's conversion, that he may live." (Ez. 18:30) It was the message of John the Baptizer, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand—Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." 

John the Baptizer prepared the way for the one who would reconcile us to the Father, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary. Jesus came to re establish a relationship between God and man. Reconciliation implies a relationship with someone, in this case with God. 

The discourse of Jesus in John 15 tell us of the closeness of our relationship with Jesus. He is the vine. We are the branches. His desire is that we remain united to Him. "Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit."—"As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love." Jesus continues by saying. "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father," etc. Here we see a real relationship. 

Sin destroys relationships. When a friend betrays a mend, there is anger, vengeance, hard feelings and anxiety of every kind. We have all witnessed the pain of broken relationships. When we forgive from the hearts, we re establish relationships, friendships. We become one again.

We often hear someone say, I forgive you, but I will never forget what you have done. Certainly such a person has never forgiven from the heart. Reconciliation has not taken place. There remains a tension between the two. Such a person does not seek to speak to you, but rather avoids you. In fact, they desire no real relationship with you, only something superficial. That is not the way it is with God. God forgets. A forgiveness that forgets leads to reconciliation. “It is I, I who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses; your sins I remember no more.” (Is. 43:25). God desires that we imitate Him in forgiving. We read in Matthew 6:14, "If you forgive the faults of others your Heavenly Father will forgive you yours, if you do not forgive others, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you." 

Reconciliation between humans is often so imperfect. When God reconciles us to Himself he takes us to Himself. According to St. Paul He calls us sons and through the gift of the spirit we cry, "Abba." (Father, Daddy, really). This is a very affectionate term, and that even when we were sinners. 

Again, when we speak of reconciliation, it is not so much that we have loved God, but that He has loved us, spared nothing. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." ( In. 15: 13) When a parent truly loves a child, they spare nothing for the welfare of that child. God, our Father, did not spare His own Son. He became obedient even until death. 

Our reconciliation to God took place on the cross. He loved us to the end, like a good parent who gave all that the child might live. He forgave and forgot. 

The Mass is the memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus. In the Mass we become victims with Him on the altar. When Padre Pio celebrated Mass, people saw him crowned with thorns and suffering terribly. He bore in his own body the wounds of Jesus. We, too, are reconciled to God when we become victims with Him on the altar, when we offer ourselves together with Jesus as a sacrifice pleasing to God. 

All forgiveness and reconciliation takes place on the cross. The Eucharist is the primary act of forgiveness. Without the Eucharist, confession or the Sacrament of Reconciliation, mean nothing. The cross made forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation possible, so before we speak of confession or reconciliation, let us thank Jesus for His cross. Let us offer ourselves with Jesus at Mass more sincerely and with greater love. Then confession will make more sense. True reconciliation will be a joy.