1. + Welcome Parents Thank you for coming! Parent Night for First Penance & First Eucharist November 12, 2014

2. As we begin our Sacrament time together, let us pray… Gracious and loving God, We come to you tonight to look upon the light you have given to us. Look upon us your people with love as we walk together With our children. Help our pastor Father Perry and our priests to be true representatives of your Son Jesus in the sacraments. Help our teachers to be people of deep faith and generous in sharing their Understanding of your desire to reveal yourself to us. Help us parents to be models of your love for your children, patient and understanding of the gift they are to our family and our church. Most of all Lord, bless the children we bring to you this year. Send the Holy Spirit into their hearts for conversion and bring them into the friendship of your Son, Jesus. Let us pray together in the words of Jesus: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

3. + Important Dates Parent Sacraments Meeting #2 Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 6 PM First Penance Tuesday, February 10, 2015, 7 PM Home conversations more important than ever. Parent & Child Workshop for First Communion Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 6:00 PM First Communion Sunday, May 10, 2014, 9:30 AM

4. + Dress First Reconciliation: DRESS UNIFORM First Eucharist: Boys: Long sleeve white dress shirt, solid navy tie, blue and black dress pants, dress shoes (no tennis shoes) Girls: White Dress, Veil, Dress Shoes *No gloves *Religious Articles may be blessed after the Mass, nothing in your child’s hands during the Mass

5. + New Names, New Ritual, New Approach Confession: a detailed telling of faults, am important and integral part of the process, a term not fully adequate. Penance: allowing the spirit to be overturned in order to make it turn toward God. Through this ritual we undergo a kind of conversion; we change our hearts under the Lord’s grace Reconciliation: restores, heals and strengthens our relationships with God, with one another, with the community, the Church, and with our inner self

6. + Reconciliation is… Reconciliation is a sacrament by which a person renews a love relationship with God and the community. Through the sacrament of Reconciliation, a person makes a peace with the community. In the sacrament of reconciliation, a sinner celebrates God’s forgiving love. Through the sacrament, we receive help to live a better life. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, even good people draw closer to God

7. + First Penance/ First Reconciliation Children begin to view this sacrament of forgiveness and grace in a more complete way when they talk about preparing for First Penance or First Reconciliation, the terms we use instead of First Confession.

8. + What is necessary for the reception of the sacrament? The child must be able to express sorrow for their sins and the intention not to sin again.

9. + Prayer of Absolution God, the Father of Mercies, Through the death and resurrection of his Son, Has reconciled the world to himself And sent the Holy Spirit among us For the forgiveness of sins; Through the ministry of the Church May God give you pardon and peace, And I absolve you from your sin In the name of the Father, and of the Son, And of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Rite of Penance)

10. + What is communal reconciliation? Communal reconciliation consists in a service by which the individuals of a community recognize the social nature and harm of sin. We share publicly in a preparation of the sacrament, there is a reading of the Word of God, a brief homily, then the ministers go to different areas to be used for the celebration of the sacrament. The penitents remain until all have celebrated the sacrament, then all will offer praise for God’s love and mercy.

11. + When is the sacrament of reconciliation celebrated at Saint Bernard’s? Thursday 6:30-7:00 pm Saturday 3:30-4:30 pm

12. + What First Penance Means First penance is the first time your child will meet Jesus when he or she is sorry for doing something wrong ON PURPOSE. The child expresses sorrow to Jesus and the Christian community. Your child will be welcomed back by the priest in the name of Jesus and the Christian community.

13. + Things to Do 1. Be consistent about what you tell your child is right or wrong 2. Help your child to know the difference between things done “by accident” or “on purpose” 3. Train your child to forgive, to lend, to share, to make friends, to pray 4. Discuss real situations and help our child to make judgments about them. 5. Pray with your child 6. Model forgiveness Things not to do 1. Do not suggest sins to your child. If no sins are recognized, then the child is not responsible for them. 2. When something wrong is done, help to understand WHY it is wrong. Do not confuse what annoys you with what is really wrong. 3. Do not bear a grudge about something already forgiven. Forgive completely yourself. 4. Do not expect your child to become a saint overnight 5. Do not even indirectly instill fear into your child about anything to do with confessing

14. + Parents are themselves living signs of forgiveness and reconciliation You should: 1. Distinguish between who the child is and the child’s behavior 2. Permit mistakes 3. Admit mistakes 4. Allow feelings of sorrow 5. Allow expression of sorrow 6. Ask for forgiveness 7. Give forgiveness 8. Permit change 9. Welcome change 10. Celebrate the sacrament with your child

15. + Guidelines for the sacrament of First Penance The Parents The position of the parents in the sacramental preparation of the child is of primary importance. Therefore, parents presenting their child for the reception of the Sacraments of First Penance and First Holy Communion MUST attend the parent sessions provided by the parish. The emphasis of the Sacrament of Penance is reconciliation with God and others. Therefore, the reception of First Penance for children is a communal celebration in which the parents present their child to the priest. In as much as Penance and Holy Communion are two important and very individual celebrations, Penance will be separated from Holy Communion by a reasonable period of time. This will allow the child to appreciate these sacraments as distinct gifts of God. Each sacrament is a distinct moment in the child’s encounter with God.

16. + Guidelines for the Sacrament of Penance The Child It is expected that your child is already celebrating Mass each Sunday together with the family. Your child must also attend regularly the prescribed classes and receive the necessary addition help at home from parents and family. Your child requires this basic knowledge for First Penance: The ability to distinguish between right and wrong Awareness of his/her need for forgiveness and trust in Jesus’ forgiving love Ability to express sorrow Ability to describe wrong-doing in his/her own words.

17. + Dress First Penance Dress Uniform First Communion Boys: Long sleeved white dress shirt, dark blue tie, black or blue dress pants, belt and dress shoes Girls: White veil, white dress, white dress shoes No gloves, or artifacts with the child during the ceremony Religious artifacts may be blessed after the ceremony

18. + First Communion Remember there will be a Wednesday Evening Workshop for the Parent(s) and their child If you are interested in providing some donations for the various activities, please let me know. Thank you!

19. + QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR COMING!