…leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift…
Matthew 5:24
Like so many children with Downs syndrome, my daughter, Sarah, struggled with her weight. As a family, we were always trying to help her make good food choices. When Sarah was a teenager, her two sisters made her a food chart with stickers of broccoli, carrots, and lettuce. Every time Sarah ate a vegetable, we’d all clap and cheer.
But one night, around midnight, I heard the sound of cupboard doors opening in the kitchen. When I came down the stairs, I saw Sarah sitting at the table, eating a package of Swiss Cake Rolls.
With her mouth full, she mumbled: “Mom, Will you forgive me?”
Did Sarah sneak the treats again and again? Of course.
But with great humility, she always asked for mercy.
Perhaps this Lent finds you in need of forgiveness. Or maybe you need to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply.
God will meet you, with open arms, in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Don’t worry if it’s been awhile since you’ve gone to confession. God’s mercy is yours for the asking.
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