Journaling my Journey into Reconciliation offers suggestions to help us acknowledge our biases, hurts and prejudices so they lose their power over us, we are able to become reconcilers ourselves and are empowered to speak out against injustice.

Reconciliation and Peace by Renato Cardinal Martino, discusses how Christian Reconciliation radically transforms not only our inner orientation but also our ways of “knowing,” and disposes us to fight against anything that places peace at risk: injustice, poverty, cultural models that degrade us, armed conflicts and civil indifference.

Creating Circles of Listening by Robert Schreiter, CPPS, suggests a method of reconciliation by creating a safe place where controversial issues can be discussed, ideas can be clarified and new connections can be made so we perceive common ground.

Our Journey into Reconciliation. In Baggage Claim: Acts 15 as a Model for Reconciliation, Joe Nassal, CPPS, suggests that in the process of reconciliation, “We need to set up a … ‘baggage claim’ area that respects where people are coming from and what baggage they carry with them.” He describes the various roles each apostle plays at the Council of Jerusalem as they disagree over a contentious issue dividing the early Church.

A Daylong Journey into Reconciliation. Based on the Resurrection narratives of the Gospels, this retreat leads participants to share their own stories in the spirit of the disciples on their way to Emmaus, to reflect on where the peace and forgiveness Jesus brought to the disciples in the Upper Room are needed today, and to move to action as they respond to Jesus’ request to “Feed my sheep” after sharing a lake side breakfast. The daylong process includes both the sharing of experiences and an analysis of the attitudes, knowledge, tools, and techniques helpful for reconciliation.