We Are Reconcilers: Ministers of Reconciliation
Readings: Exodus 19:2-6a; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36–10:8
One of the greatest tragedies of our world today is broken relationships. We live in a time marked by divisions between nations, conflicts within families, polarization in politics, hostility among ethnic groups, and even estrangement within the Church. Many people carry wounds caused by betrayal, injustice, misunderstanding, and hatred. Human beings desperately long for peace, yet they often struggle to achieve reconciliation.
Into this fractured world, today’s readings proclaim a powerful message: God is the great Reconciler, and He calls us to become ministers of reconciliation. The entire history of salvation can be understood as God’s tireless effort to reconcile humanity to Himself and to one another. The Scriptures reveal that God does not abandon His people when they wander away. Instead, He continually reaches out, heals divisions, restores relationships, and invites humanity back into communion with Him.
In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, God reminds Israel of His saving love. Having liberated them from slavery in Egypt, He brings them to Mount Sinai and says: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Ex 19:4). Notice those last words: “brought you to myself”. Gods purpose in the Exodus was not merely political liberation; it was reconciliation. He rescued His people so that they might belong to Him. He desired to establish a covenant relationship with them. God then declares: “You shall be my treasured possession among all peoples… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:5-6).
A priest is fundamentally a bridge-builder between God and humanity. Therefore, when God calls Israel a “kingdom of priests,” He is entrusting them with a mission of reconciliation. Their vocation is not simply to enjoy God’s blessings but to become instruments through whom others encounter God. The same vocation belongs to the Church today. Through Baptism, each Christian participates in Christ’s priesthood and receives the mission of helping others draw closer to God.
The second reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans reveals the deepest foundation of reconciliation. Paul reminds us that reconciliation begins not with human effort but with divine initiative: “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). Paul does not say that Christ died for us after we became righteous. He died for us while we were sinners. This is the astonishing nature of God’s love.
Human beings often wait for others to make the first move. We wait for an apology. We wait for compensation. We wait until we feel justified. But God acts differently. He takes the first step toward us. Paul continues: “While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son”(Rom 5:10). Christian reconciliation is therefore rooted in the Cross. The Cross is the supreme sign that God refuses to allow sin, hatred, and division to have the final word. Every time we look at the crucifix, we see the cost of reconciliation. Reconciliation is never cheap. It demands sacrifice, forgiveness, humility, and love. Jesus paid that price with His own blood. Having received such reconciliation, Christians cannot remain agents of division. A reconciled people must become a reconciling people.
A story comes to mind. A hunter once found an eagle’s egg and placed it among the eggs of a village hen. When the eggs hatched, the eaglet grew up among chickens. It scratched the ground, searched for worms, and fluttered only a few feet above the earth. One day, it saw a magnificent eagle soaring high in the sky. Looking up with admiration, it asked the hen, “Who is that majestic bird?” The hen replied, “That is an eagle, the king of birds. But do not bother about him. You are a chicken like us. Stay on the ground.” The eaglet believed the lie. It spent its entire life pecking in the dust and never discovered the greatness for which it was created.
Many Christians live like that eaglet. Sin convinces us that we are merely creatures of the earth, prisoners of our failures, grudges, resentments, and divisions. We forget who we truly are. Yet reconciliation restores our identity. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, we discover once again that we are sons and daughters of God, created not to crawl in the dust of hatred but to soar in the freedom of divine love.
A person who has been reconciled with God can no longer live as a slave to anger, revenge, prejudice, or bitterness. Having rediscovered his or her true identity, such a person becomes capable of helping others rediscover theirs. That is why every reconciled Christian is called to become a reconciler. We help others rise above old wounds and broken relationships so that together we may soar toward God. This leads us to today’s Gospel.
Matthew tells us that Jesus looked upon the crowds and was moved with compassion because they were: “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36). The Greek word used for compassion suggests a deep stirring from within. Jesus does not merely observe human suffering; He feels it deeply. Moved by compassion, He does not simply pray. He also acts. He calls the Twelve Apostles and sends them forth. Notice the mission He gives them: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons” (Mt 10:8). At first glance, these seem to be miraculous works. Yet, at a deeper level, they are all ministries of reconciliation.
The sick are reconciled to health.
The dead are reconciled to life.
The lepers are reconciled to society.
Those possessed by demons are reconciled to freedom.
In every case, Jesus restores what has been broken.
The ministry of Christ is fundamentally a ministry of reconciliation. The same mission is entrusted to the Church. Today, Christ sends each of us into a wounded world to become reconcilers. Not everyone is called to preach from a pulpit, but everyone is called to heal relationships: Parents reconcile children. Spouses reconcile one another. Priests reconcile sinners to God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Teachers reconcile students to truth. Friends reconcile hearts wounded by loneliness. Christians become ambassadors of peace wherever they live and work. This mission is urgently needed today. Our families need reconcilers. Our communities need reconcilers. Our nations need reconcilers. Our Church needs reconcilers. Even our FIFA World cup needs visa reconciliation.
Too often we become experts at criticism rather than reconciliation. We identify problems but do not build bridges. We remember offenses but forget forgiveness. We seek victory rather than communion. Yet Jesus calls us to something greater. A reconciler is not someone who ignores injustice. Rather, a reconciler confronts wounds with truth and heals them with love. Reconciliation does not deny wrongdoing; it overcomes wrongdoing through grace.
Saint Paul elsewhere tells us: “God has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). Notice that he does not say this ministry belongs only to bishops, priests, or religious. It belongs to every baptized Christian. Each day God places opportunities before us: To forgive instead of retaliating; To listen instead of condemning; To unite instead of dividing; To heal instead of hurting; To love instead of hating. These ordinary acts become powerful ministries of reconciliation.
As we gather around the altar today, we celebrate the supreme sacrament of reconciliation. In the Eucharist, Christ reconciles us to the Father and unites us with one another. We who share one Bread become one Body. Therefore, reconciliation is more than the forgiveness of sins; it is the recovery of our true identity. God reconciles us to Himself so that we may remember who we are: His treasured possession, a royal priesthood, and a holy people. Once we have been reconciled, we are sent into the world as ambassadors of reconciliation, helping others return to the loving embrace of the Father.
May this Eucharist transform us into authentic ministers of reconciliation.
May we imitate the God who brought Israel to Himself.
May we imitate Christ who died for us while we were still sinners.
May we imitate the Apostles who were sent to heal, restore, and reconcile.
And may the world recognize in us not agents of division, but ambassadors of God’s peace, mercy, and reconciliation.