1/11/2019

1/11/2019

THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION 1/11/2019

The world you and I live in is mess! The majority of the horrible things that happen in the world since the time of Adam and Eve are caused by sin(s) which each of us commit. Each time we sin we are causing misery to another, whether it is a small lie, or some horrible act against another person or humanity. Each time we sin we are not a loving child of God, which God expects us to be. God made us because He loves us and He expects us to share his love for us with each other. To do otherwise is to sin, which greatly offends God and causes great damage to our souls. 1/11/2019

By sinning we turn away from God. The more serious the sin the greater the distance we are from God. God never turns away from us, He is always waiting for us to come back to Him and He has given us the way back to Him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation that Jesus His Son, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who suffered and died for our sins gave to us, that we may return to God. When Jesus told the apostle “whose sins you shall forgive in my name they are forgiven, whose sins you shall not forgive they are not forgiven” 1/11/2019

The sacrament of reconciliation can be referred to by some other names: Penance, Confession Confession is part of the sacrament in that we confess/tell our sins to the priest, who represents Jesus in this sacrament, through the sacrament he receive in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Penance is another part of reconciliation in that we are given a penance by the priest to do some reparation for our sin(s) 1/11/2019

What is a Sacrament ? A sacrament is an outward instituted by Christ to give grace The grace we receive in the sacraments is a participation in the life of God The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the Sacraments The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments CCC 1113 1/11/2019

The Catechism tells that reconciliation is the sacrament by which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven through the absolution (forgiveness)of the priest. THE WORDS OF ABSOLUTION ARE: “God the Father of mercies, through the death and The resurrection of his Son has reconciled the World to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us For the forgiveness of sin; through the ministry of The Church may God give you pardon and peace, And I absolve you from your sins in the name of The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” 1/11/2019

HOW TO RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION 1/11/2019

STEPS IN PREPARING FOR THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Examine our conscience. 2. Be really sorry for our sins 3. Have a firm resolution of not sinning again 4 Tell our sins to the priest. 5. Perform the penance the gives us 1/11/2019

HOW TO EXAMINE OUR CONSCIENCE Kneel down in the church pew and make the sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen Ask God to help us remember the ways in which we sinned and help us to confess them with true sorrow 3. We than go through the Ten Commandments and the precepts (laws) of the Church one by one asking ourselves how we have sinned against them. 1/11/2019

“I am your God you shall have no other gods before Me.” EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE: HOW HAVE I SINNED AGAINST GOD’S COMMANDMENTS 1st Commandment: “I am your God you shall have no other gods before Me.” Did I put, myself, anyone else or anything in my life before God? Did I take time each day to pray to God? 1/11/2019

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” 2nd Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Did I use God’s name in anger or disrespect his name? Did I ask God to dam some one to hell? Did I tell someone to go to hell? Did I treat holy things with disrespect.? Did I try to bargain with God? Did I go to Holy Communion with moral sin on my soul? Did I use foul language? 1/11/2019

“Keep Holy the Sabbath Day” 3rd Commandment: “Keep Holy the Sabbath Day” Did I miss Mass on Sunday through my own fault? Was I purposely late for Mass or leave early for no good reason Did I participate at Mass or did I just sit there and let my mind wander Was I disrespectful to our Lord in the Tabernacle by not praying to Him and disturbed other by my talking. Did I spend the day doing unnecessary work? 1/11/2019

Honor Your Father and Mother 4th Commandment: Honor Your Father and Mother Did I disobey my parents, teachers, and other lawful authority? Did I speak disrespectfully to my parents, teachers and other lawful authority? Do I pray for my parents? 1/11/2019

Do I do things that can endanger my health? 5th Commandment: “Your Shall Not Kill.” Did I seek revenge on/or hold a grudge against someone? Do I lead others into sin by my bad example? Do I start fights, pick on other people? Do I do things that can endanger my health? 1/11/2019

“Your Shall Not Commit Adultery 6th Commandment: “Your Shall Not Commit Adultery Did I have any kind sex? Did I deliberately stimulate the private parts of my body in order to derive sexual pleasure? Did I have impure thoughts and take pleasure in them? Did I read pornographic material (dirty magazines or books)? Did I view on the internet pornographic material, or take part in exchanging sexual pictures or talk on the internet? Did I tell impure stories or jokes? 1/11/2019

Did I steal or deliberately destroy another’s property? 7th Commandment: “Your Shall Not Steal.” Did I steal or deliberately destroy another’s property? Did I cheat on a test? Did I help another person steal or cheat (giving them my homework to copy or an answer to a test question as their own? 1/11/2019

“You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor 8th Commandment: “You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor Did I lie about anything? Did I gossip about other people? Was I judgmental about other person(s)? Did I praise the sinful acts of another person? Did I cheat on a test or copy someone else’s work and turn it in as my own. Did assist others to do this also? 1/11/2019

You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbors Wife 9th Commandment You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbors Wife Do I dress modestly? Or dress in a fashion that someone may think I’m sexy and cause them to have impure thoughts or desires? Do I speak in a suggestive manner that can lead others into sin? 1/11/2019

Do I take care of God’s creation? 10th Commandment You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbors Goods Am I envious of what another has and wish them bad? Did I wish harm to another because of envy Do I take care of God’s creation? 1/11/2019

WHAT TO DO WHEN WE GO INTO THE CONFESSIONAL We kneel behind the screen or sit facing the priest. SAY THE FOLLOWING: Bless me father for I have sinned It is _______time since my last confession Than tell the priest yours sins and how many times you have committed each one and the circumstances around the sin(s) If you can’t remember the number of times you have committed a sin, tell the priest you are not sure of how many times you did it. 1/11/2019 Continued on next slide

When you have finished telling the priest your sins, end with the following: “For these and all of the sins of my past life I am heartily sorry.” The priest will give you some advice on how to not to commit these sins again, and will give you a penance to do. When he has finished you say the “Act of Contrition” while the priest gives you Absolution. Continued on next slide 1/11/2019

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having ACT OF CONTRITION O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because of Your just punishments, but most of all because they offend You, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the unnecessary occasions of sin. Amen When all is finished the priest will say “go in peace”, you respond: “Thank you Father” and leave the confessional. 1/11/2019

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU LEAVE THE CONFESSIONAL Kneel in the pew and do the following: Thank God for the grace you received in the Sacrament Do the penance the priest gave you. If they are prayers do them in Church, if it is an action, do it as soon as possible after leaving the Church. 1/11/2019

EFFECTS OF THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION An increase in sanctifying grace, which is Gods’ life within us The forgiveness of our sins The taking away of the eternal punishment if we have committed a mortal sin, also part of the temporal punishment due to our sins. Help to avoid sin in the future 1/11/2019

ALWAYS REMEMBER! ALL SIN IS A SERIOUS MATTER! IN THE EYES OF GOD THERE IS NOT VENIAL OR MORTAL SIN –ALL SIN IS INSULTING TO HIM! GOD LOVES YOU AND WILL FORGIVE ANY SIN YOU COMMIT PROVIDING YOU ARE TRULY SORRY AND ASK HIS FORGIVENESS, EVEN WITH YOUR DYING BREATH. GOD HAS GIVEN US THE MEANS NOT TO SIN: TEN COMMANDMENTS – THE SACRAMENTS – HIS BELOVED SON - 1/11/2019

THE SINS WE COMMIT TWO BY TWO WE WILL PAY FOR ONE BY ONE NO ONE CAN CAUSE US TO SIN. WHEN TEMPTED TO SIN RUN AWAY FROM THE TEMPTATION, CALL ON JESUS, THE BLESSED MOTHER, YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL TO HELP YOU AVOID SINNING. SHOULD YOU FALL INTO SIN, REPENT OF YOUR SIN AND SEEK GOD’S MERCY. “I’m sorry Father for having offend you, please have mercy on me a sinner. Then turn away from the thing(s),person(s), place(s) that tempt you to sin. We can’t avoid sin by ourselves, we must have God help. He has given us the help, use them!!!!! THE SINS WE COMMIT TWO BY TWO WE WILL PAY FOR ONE BY ONE 1/11/2019