Sacrament of Reconciliation

ExaminationContritionConfessionAbsolutionPenance

Click above for USCCB movie.

The Scapegoat Leviticus 16: 20b-22

Yom Kippur

Removal of sins in the Old Testament(Before Jesus came!)

John 20:19-23

Luke 5:12-15

James 5:16

Matthew 18:18

2 Corinth 5:18-19

Confession in the New Testament

When you hurt someone you love, you want to make up for the mistake. You want your relationship to be healed.

We have hurt Jesus by our sins. It was for our sins that he had to die.

Every time we sin, we participate in crucifying Jesus. We need to say we are sorry!

Why confession?

THAT is why… Because we want to

have our relationship with Jesus healed and strengthened.

When we sin, we run away from Him. When we confess, we run back to Him.

Why confession?

Sin seriously wounds us. We NEED serious healing

for our souls. A SACRAMENT is a flood

of grace from Jesus’ heart that pours into our hearts to HEAL them.

When we receive the Sacrament, we know 100% for sure that we have been forgiven.

THAT’S why we need this Sacrament.

Okay, I get it…but why do we need a SACRAMENT?

John 20:19-23 Jesus knew he was

returning to Heaven soon. He wanted confession to be available to everyone, forever, even after he left. He left his apostles in charge of being his helpers, and continuing his work.

Okay…so why the PRIEST?

Yes! And we should do that every day!

But God also knows that we are human, and that we need to HEAR “I forgive you”. He also knows we need to say, “I’m sorry”. This is why he gives us confession –

1) so we can take responsibility for what we have done and apologize for it personally

2) so we can hear from God’s representative that we are truly forgiven – 100%.

Can’t we just confess straight to God?

What are the steps to a GOOD confession?

Contrition: be truly sorry

Examination: Think about your sins.

Confession: Say your sins to a Priest.

Absolution: Sin is washed away

Penance: Make up for your sins

Deuteronomy 6:5 Luke 10:27 Matthew 22:37 Mark 12:30

What do they all have in common? Read, pray, and then write a letter to Jesus talking about what he is telling you.

Look up in Bible…

We look at our conscience, and ask God to help us remember our sins.

We know that if we don’t tell a Doctor what is wrong, he can’t heal us. If we don’t tell Jesus what is wrong, he can’t heal us, either.

Think of the vices in your life or the commandments that you may have broken.

1. Examination

“Holy Spirit, please come and help me to see my sins so that I can confess them and get closer to you”

What to say?

In order for Jesus to be able to forgive us, we have to actually MEAN it.

If we don’t really mean it, or we don’t care that much, or we just plan to do it again anyway, we are actually NOT FORGIVEN.

2. Contrition (being truly sorry & having a firm purpose of amendment)

After we have thought (examination) And been really sorry (contrition) And have decided never to do it again… Then… We confess our sins

to a priest. Weshould be:

1) Clear 2) Complete 3) Concise

3. Confession (saying it to a Priest)

Mortal vs. venial sin

Mortal Venial

1) It’s really wrong (grave)

2) You know it’s really wrong

3) You do it anyway

* This kills grace in our soul and breaks our friendship with God.

Less serious sins, that do not kill, but wound our friendship with God.

(black, stinky heart)

If we are truly sorry, and we have said everything we can remember, Jesus forgives us through the words of the Priest.

Just as the Priest stretches his hand over us, we are reminded of how Jesus placed his hands over those whom he healed.

4. Absolution (sin is washed away)

Jesus stretching out his hand to forgive and heal…

The Priest (in Jesus’s place) stretching out his hand to forgive and heal…

It might be a prayer…

Or it might be a kindaction…

It could also be makingup for what you did wrong…

5. Penance (make up for your sin)

What absolution and penance do!

What are the form and matter?

Form: Priest’s prayer of absolution

Matter: YOU and the three things you must do

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 grant 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) Contrition2) Confession3) Penance

It is a symbol of Christ’s authority and power to take away sins.

(Only God can forgive sins. The Priest wears the purple stole to remind us that he is representing God.)

Purple is the color in the Church that standsfor penance andchanging ourlives,

Why does the Priest wear a purple stole?

1) Christ invented the Sacrament for a reason. 2) We learn a lesson in humility, which we miss if we just

confess silently to God. 3) In the Sacrament of Penance extra special graces are

given to help us to avoid future sin. 4) We’re 100% sure our sins are forgiven; We don’t have

to wonder 5) When we confess to a priest, we can get good advice

on how to improve our lives. 

Why is Reconciliation better than just confessing silently to God?

– Luke 15:11-32

Retell the story 1) Who does the son stand

for? 2) Who does the Father

stand for? 3) How does God react

when we decide to say we’re sorry and come back to him?

jeopardylabs.com/play/the-sacrament-of-reconciliation. 

jeopardylabs.com/edit/the-sacrament-of-reconciliation (to edit)

Review Jeopardy!