25 Mar Monday

Of the fifteen times that the word reconciliation, καταλλαγητη, five of these occurrences are here in the second reading, therefore, it is one of the premier sites for a theology of reconciliation. It is the Father who reconciles, through Christ, all things to himself; it is the Father in Revelations who makes all things new. So, again the Father as in the gospel appears here in the readings.

The Father send us as ambassadors, in the text not a noun but a verb, which suggests the activity of the role and not the status. The usual word for a political ambassador is not used, but rather suggests a person seasoned with experience and wisdom and discipleship.

This “ambassadorship” has a ministry component (διακονια = diaconate) and a message (λογος), which means an “account”. This accounting or narrative is twofold: it is at once the fundamental kergyma of the gospel and also the hearing out of the person’s story, both victim and perpetrator, those near and those far off.