THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION & THE MESSAGE OF LA SALETTE [2]

THE SACRAMENT OF 
RECONCILIATION 
THROUGH THE LENS
      OF 
  LA SALETTE [2]
(Reflection by Isabel Dion)






3.  At La Salette: Above, we said that our Lady mentioned “My Son”, six times in her message to the children. She also wore a crucifix with the instruments of the crucifixion on her breast.  These indicate to us that her message is centered on Christ, her Son. She came to speak in the name of her SON.  She came to call her people to live God’s original plan. What is this original plan?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (374) tells us that “humans were created good; had a perfect relationship with God; with themselves; and with all creation.” Incidentally, the La Salette Mountain where Our Mother chose to appear is symbolic of the perfection of creation.  It is so majestic, so beautiful, so pristine, and so serene.  It tells us of the mountain where her SON often went to pray and commune with His Father. On this mountain she calls us to return to God’s plan for the first humans who possessed a state of “original justice and holiness...” (CCC, 375)

4. Church and Scripture:  That was unfortunately disrupted because they disobeyed God’s covenant with them. That disobedience is what we call Original Sin, which we all inherited. Despite that disobedience, God did not abandon us. In fact in the book of  Genesis  3:15 God said: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; they will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” This passage in Genesis is called the Protoevangelium ("first gospel"): Christian tradition views this as the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer. It is a battle between the serpent and the Woman whose descendants will win the final victory.

God sent His Son Jesus in the form of a human being to show us His great Love manifested in His passion, death and resurrection that we celebrate in baptism and which redeems us from original sin. 

5. At La Salette:  Our Lady’s call to honor and respect Lent is so appropriate because this is a time to enter into our inner selves and find out what we need to change and renew. Our Lady will help us to discover those things as we continue to reflect on her message of conversion and reconciliation and its relationship to the sacrament of Reconciliation. 

6. Right here and Now:  It is important to note that although we have been redeemed from original sin through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, it is still a fact that we suffer through its consequences. These consequences result in a weakened human nature manifested in its ever present inclination to evil (or concupiscence).  This is the attraction to the sin that we commit day in and day out. 

7. More Catechism:  So what is sin? Sin is the breaking of the relationship with oneself, with others and with God. Our Lady’s call to honor and respect Lent is so appropriate because this is a time to enter into our inner selves and find out what we need to change and renew.

8. At LaSalette, Our Lady calls us to restore a relationship that is broken by sin. What are the sins that make her Son’s arm so heavy? She mentions two:

1) “I gave you six days to work, I have kept the seventh for myself.”  She quotes Genesis 2:2 “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”

2) “Those who drive the carts cannot swear without using the name of my Son.”  You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.  (Ex.20:7)