Rodrigo's Reconcile

Rodrigo's Reconcile

Reconciliation means to bring back together. In Reconciliation the way we are brought back together with the community is by asking forgiveness. Forgiveness means to pardon or spare. In Greek it means to send forth, put away, and yield up. The other meaning is to give up the desire to punish or to cancel a debt. Jesus gave us the sacrament of Reconciliation. We were granted this sacrament so whenever we turn away from God we have the choice of asking forgiveness so we can be reunited with Him.

The four steps in the sacrament of Reconciliation are confession, contrition, penance, and absolution. The first step is confession which allows people to reunite with God by admitting their sins. Before you can heal mentally and spiritually you have to admit your sins. Rodrigo, who was a former slave trader and mercenary, committed a grave sin. He killed his younger brother who he raised as a kid when his parents died. Rodrigo didn't mean to kill his brother, but it happened during a time of rage against his brother for stealing his girlfriend. Rodrigo knew and accepted the fact that he killed his brother, but he couldn't let it go. He was really hard on himself.

After realizing you have sinned against someone, the next step is asking forgiveness from God. Rodrigo Mendosa after killing his brother could not ask forgiveness from God. It was because he couldn't forgive himself. He needed someone to help him and be with him. At this time along came a man, Father Gabriel, who would help him. They made the trip of reconciliation together.

After all of this, Rodrigo's next step was to do his penance. The only thing was that Rodrigo issued his own penance which was harder than was needed. He fasted for a long period of time. After he fasted he dragged around his armor and sword symbolizing his faults in his former job. He climbed the waterfall with his luggage and also climbed a mountain. He realized that he had done many wrongs in his life by being a slave trader and a mercenary. He knew that he couldn't have an easy penance. He became upset when Father Gabriel cut off his pack full of armor because he knew that Father Gabriel was not the person he was asking forgiveness from.

After doing his penance the only step left was absolution. The weird thing about it was that he didn't let Father Gabriel give him