First Reconciliation
Session 1 - Happy hearts
Welcome God, our Father you want us to be happy. You gave us Jesus to show us how to be happy and to live together with happy hearts. Help us to show your love to others. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Happy Hearts… What do you think happiness is? What is something about you that shows you have a happy heart? Think of a time when you showed love to someone. What did you do? How did that person show he/she was happy?
Proverbs 3:1-2 My child, do not forget my teaching, Let your heart keep my words Because these will give you great happiness. The Word of the Lord. ALL: Thanks be to God.
Proverbs 3:1-2 What does the proverb say will give us great happiness? What do you think it means to “Let your heart keep my words?”
Jesus told his followers: to trust in God; to be gentle and kind; to forgive others and be a peacemaker; to think good things about others; to stand up for those who are not treated fairly; to comfort those who are sad and to always try and do what is right. We call this the way of the Beatitudes or “happy attitudes”.
Let’s think about ways we can show others a happy heart each day. Happy Hearts… Let’s think about ways we can show others a happy heart each day. With your mum or dad think of how you can show a happy heart to someone who is sick? Sad? Poor? Share with the group.
Sacrament of Reconciliation The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sign that we want to stay close to God and to show love and forgiveness to all God’s people. 9
Things to remember.. We all belong to God’s people. When we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation we remember that we belong to God’s people, and that is very much like belonging in a family. God loves us very much. We remember that God our father loves and cares for us. People in God’s family love us. We remember the people who care for us and those who are kind to us. We remember those who help us to have happy hearts. We all have a job to do in God’s family. We remember that it is our job to be kind and to care for others, and that our acts of love spread to others like ripples of water.
Blessing….. May the God who gives us peace make you good in every way and hold you close to his loving heart. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Session 2 Signposts to choices
Help us to stop and think when we have choices to make. Loving and forgiving God, help us to understand that sometimes our choices bring sadness and hurt to ourselves and others. Help us to stop and think when we have choices to make. Please help us to choose what’s best for everyone, not just ourselves. Amen.
Signposts help us to make choices.. What would happen if you followed the wrong sign to get somewhere? Think about the choices you had to make today – who to play with, who to talk to…. How did you make someone’s life happier today because of the choice you made?
Luke 15:11-13 One day, Jesus told a story about a father who loved his son very much. But the son was tired of living at home. He had big plans that did not involve work! He wanted to leave home and have fun. But to do that he needed money. He thought and thought about what he could do. He did not stop to think about how his decision might affect his father or his family.
Signposts help us to make choices.. Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a country far away, where he wasted all his money in wild living. The Word of the Lord. ALL: Thanks be to God.
What does sign mean? Sometimes we make wrong choices. We choose to be selfish, to think about what we do, and not what God wants us to do. When we do this we say sin. There is an “I” in the middle of sin. It reminds us that sin is about being selfish and thinking only of what we want. Sin hurts others and pulls us away from a loving relationship with God and those around us.
Prayer for Reconciliation that I have sinned against you, O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, because you are so good, and with your help, I will not sin again.
As we walk together in love… May we be good followers of Jesus All: As we walk together in love. May we spread the message of God’s love May we care for the earth
Blessing May the Spirit of Jesus guide you in your choices. May the wrong choices you make turn into goodness. May the wind carry away your selfishness. May the blessing of God rest upon us. Amen.
Session 3 – The Hug
The Hug Loving God, we know you love us just as we are. We are sorry for the times we have been selfish. Help us to be strong and to say sorry when we need to so that we can always show your love to one another. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
What do you think you need to do when that happens? When we choose to be selfish instead of loving, our selfish acts also spread out and hurt others just like ripples in the water. Sometimes we hurt others by what we say or do, or by something we decide not to do, and we can feel very uncomfortable about what has happened. What do you think you need to do when that happens? Can you think of a time when you had to say you were sorry? What happened? How did you feel before you said you were sorry? How did you feel afterwards? 23
Luke 15:13-19 Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat. He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing. Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father’s workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.” The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The younger son made some choices - What were some of the things he chose to do? Why do you think they were wrong choices? What happened to the money his father gave him? How do you know when you have made a wrong choice?
What made the younger son begin to come to his senses? What do you think helped him make the hard decision to go home? What were the words he decided to use? What words would you use? Is there anything else you would do? What?
Reconciliation is a big word that means to WALK TOGETHER AGAIN. First I remember the good choices I made; Now I remember the times I upset someone by being selfish; Next I want to make things right; I tell God I am sorry; Now I try harder to live like Jesus.
Prayer for Reconciliation that I have sinned against you, O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, because you are so good, and with your help, I will not sin again.
May the God who gives us peace, make you holy, in every way, and keep your whole self, free from selfishness.
Blessing May the God the Father who loves us, Jesus the Son who forgives us and the Holy Spirit who teaches us to forgive bless us all. Amen
Session 4 – The Sunflower
The Sunflower Loving God, We thank you for the golden sunflower that turns its head to follow every movement of the sun so it can grow tall and beautiful. Help us to turn to you in love and to grow more like Jesus. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
The Sunflower What does the face of the sunflower remind you of? Why do you think it turns its head to follow the sun? Who is someone we can turn our hearts to and follow?
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ Luke 15:21-24 The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.” But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
The son comes home to make things right with his father. What did he say to his father? What did the father do? The son was prepared to do anything if only he could be close to his father again. What did the father do to show that he wanted his son to be one of the family? What would you have done if you had been the father? What do you think God expects us to do when someone hurts us? Why do you think Jesus told this story? Learning how to follow Jesus is something that takes a long time. What do we know about how God feels about us?
Penance means “making up”. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God is the loving father to us. After we have said our “sorry” prayer, the priest asks us to do something or to say a prayer to make up for the times we have been selfish. This is called PENANCE. Penance means “making up”.
Sometimes we hurt others by what we say or do We want to make things right We say sorry We try to make up for what we have done - we call this doing PENANCE We try harder to be a better person We are closer to God and to one another again – We feel good all over!
Prayer for Reconciliation that I have sinned against you, O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, because you are so good, and with your help, I will not sin again.
God, give us leaders who will show us how to care for your world. Let us pray for peace in and hearts and in our world. The response to our prayer is Help us to make things right in our world. God, give us leaders who will show us how to care for your world. Help us to make things right in our world. God, give us leaders who will show us how to care for people who are poor, sick or sad. God, send us people who to show us how to care for those who have nowhere to live. God, help us always to remember your love so that we will live like Jesus.
Blessing Loving Father, you are with these children as they make their journey to your forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Open their ears and hearts to the teaching of your son, Jesus. Fill them with the Spirit of love, peace, joy and kindness. Amen.