The Ministry of Reconciliation - exchange 1

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Donald Nunraw
To: William J Wardle
Sent: Fri, 22 July, 2011 17:12:11
Subject: Fw: Lost in translation? be you reconciled

Dear William,

Thank you.

Beautifully daunting. (needs my CCC formation). 

Leads powerfully to the reconciliation sacrament. 

For the moment from Biblos, as below table

"be you reconciled" Greek KJV

καταλλάγητε

katallagēte

2644

V-2APM-2P

be you reconciled

And even clearer in the Vulgate

pro Christo ergo legationem fungimur tamquam Deo exhortante per nos obsecramus pro Christo reconciliamini Deo.

Yours
 Donald    

PS. The Amplified Bible translation illuminating.  

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: William J . . . .
To: Donald . . .
Sent: Fri, 22 July, 2011 14:41:10
Subject: Lost in translation?

Dear Father Donald,

We are coming to the close of RCIA sessions with the subject "The Practice of Confession". The Church bemoans the fact that the faithful seem to disregard it. Having prepared for the session (just as a sponsor) and become familiar with the Catechism's references to the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5), I was perplexed at the translation being used (coincidently) in the breviary's Office of Readings this week.

The translation selected is taken from the [TEV] Today's English Version (now known as the [GNT] Good News Translation) which has substituted the word 'reconciliation' with 'become the friends of God'. Jesus indeed called his own disciples 'friends', as opposed to 'servants' (Jn 15:14/15), but doesn't such friendship follow 'reconciliation'?

I have concern at what I sense / fear to be a 'dilution' of the sacrament that is - thus - presented in the breviary, andcannot help asking myself, has reconciliation (therefore the practice of confession) been lost in translation?

With my love in Our Lord, William.

-------

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

1424. It is called the sacrament ofReconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the life of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:20).

1442. Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the "ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:18). The apostle is sent out "on behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and pleading: "Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor 5:20).

[NRSV] - traditional

2 Corinthians 5: 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, whoreconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, bereconciled to God.

[TEV / GNT] - as in the Divine Office

2 Corinthians 5: 17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. 18 All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. 19Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ.God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. 20Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!