The Ministry of Reconciliation - exchange 4

Friends in Venice

Arching the heavens, canoeing the cannels

  

Dear William,
This sharing is a wonderful experience.
Thank you for leading into deeper associations. 
At the same time. it feels as if we are only scratching the surface.
God bless.
from Donald

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: WILLIAM . . .
To: Donald . . . 
Sent: Sat, 23 July, 2011 13:54:11
Subject: Re: Reconciliation

Dear Father Donald,

 

Thank you very much! Navarre is crystal clear, and I can take with me to the RCIA session the paragraph below, which ends with that wonderful statement by John Paul II. That, together with a print of the 'Biblos' extract you sent me [which will cause much interest, introducing the value of textual translation / interpretation] will confirm the biblical basis of the sacrament, which was where my research began.

  

Sacra Pagina had my brain going round in circles on this occasion (page 105) trying to work out how to interpret it for the RCIA group! - such technical analysis (reconciliation and representation, substitution and vicarious atonement, justification / expiation) would only cause dismay on the faces around the rectory table!

 

In a small 2nd hand bookshop in a nearby town, Penrith, for £8 I came upon a copy of Xavier Leon-Dufour's 'Dictionary of Biblical Theology' (the same edition on the internet compared on my return I found to be quite out of my league!), and I am finding helpful sentences under "Reconciliation", although as I read on it does attempt to widen the scope of the 'ministry of reconciliation' to more general apostolic activity, even to "architects of the peace which they announce"... which I suppose if I were of a modern mind, could be further extend to "friends of God"... 

 

So especially thank you for unfolding before me the original meaning of the text!

 

I do so delight in this research, thank you for sharing with me!

 

. . . in Our Lord, 

William.

 

--------

 

Navarre Bible Commentary

The Ministry of Reconciliation   

2 Corinthians 5:18-21.  The reconciliation of mankind with God--whose friendship we lost through original sin--has been brought about by Christ's death on the cross. Jesus, who is like men in all things "yet without sinning" (  Heb_4:14  ), bore the sins of men (cf.  Isa_53:4-12  ) and offered himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for all those sins (cf.  1Pe_2:22-25  ), thereby reconciling men to God; through this sacrifice we became the righteousness of God, that is, we are justified, made just in God's sight (cf.  Rom_1:17  ;   Rom_3:24-26   and notes). The Church reminds us of this in the rite of sacramental absolution: "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his son has reconciled the world to himself [...]." Our Lord entrusted the Apostles with this ministry of reconciliation (v. 18), this "message of reconciliation" (v. 19), to pass it on to all men: elsewhere in the New Testament it is described as the "message of salvation" (  Act_13:26  ), the "word of grace" (  Act_14:3  ;  Act_20:32  ), the "word of life" (  1Jo_1:1  ). Thus, the Apostles were our Lord's ambassadors to men, to whom St Paul addresses a pressing call: "be reconciled to God", that is, apply to yourselves the reconciliation obtained by Jesus Christ--which is done mainly through the sacraments of Baptism and Penance. "The Lord Jesus instituted in his Church the sacrament of Penance, so that those who have committed sins after Baptism might be reconciled with God, whom they have offended, and with the Church itself whom they have injured" (John Paul II, "Aperite Portas, 5).  

KJV

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God

Greek Study Bible (Apostolic /Interlinear)

Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ οὖν πρεσβεύομεν ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι’ ἡμῶν·δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ θεῷ.

Greek

Transliteration

English

Ὑπὲρ

uper

on behalf

Χριστοῦ

christou

of anointed

οὖν

oun

therefore

πρεσβεύομεν

presbeuomen

we are ambassadors

ὡς

ōs

as though

τοῦ

tou

θεοῦ

theou

God

παρακαλοῦντος

parakalountos

beseech

δι’

di

through

ἡμῶν

ēmōn

us

δεόμεθα

deometha

we plead

ὑπὲρ

uper

on behalf

Χριστοῦ

christou

of anointed

καταλλάγητε

katallagēte

be you reconciled