MEETING JESUS MEETING JESUS IN THE IN THE

SACRAMENTSSACRAMENTS

CHAPTER 6CHAPTER 6

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATIONAND RECONCILIATION

What’s Going on with What’s Going on with Confession?Confession?

The Church teaches the necessity of The Church teaches the necessity of confessing your sins at least once a year by confessing your sins at least once a year by

receiving this sacramentreceiving this sacrament

Yet, a majority of Catholics surveyed Yet, a majority of Catholics surveyed believed that you could be a good Catholic believed that you could be a good Catholic

without going to Confession.without going to Confession.

So, what’s going on with Confession?So, what’s going on with Confession?

Four Dimensions Four Dimensions of the Sacrament of the Sacrament

of Penanceof Penance

MemorialMemorial CelebrationCelebration CommunionCommunion

TransformationTransformation

The sacrament is The sacrament is necessary necessary because it because it

provides the provides the grace to cleanse grace to cleanse our souls of sin.our souls of sin.

Names for this Names for this SacramentSacrament

CONVERSIONCONVERSION

CONFESSIONCONFESSION

PENANCEPENANCE

FORGIVENESSFORGIVENESS

RECONCILIATIONRECONCILIATION

Understanding the Sacrament Understanding the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliationof Penance and Reconciliation

The sacrament is rooted in the forgiving The sacrament is rooted in the forgiving actions of Jesus himselfactions of Jesus himself

Only God forgives sins—because of Christ, Only God forgives sins—because of Christ, we are no longer only sinners; we are we are no longer only sinners; we are

sinners sinners who have been forgiven.who have been forgiven.

God’s Infinite God’s Infinite MercyMercy

““We cannot be united We cannot be united with God unless we with God unless we

freely choose to love freely choose to love him”him”

The Sacrament of The Sacrament of Penance offers us the Penance offers us the opportunity to repair opportunity to repair our relationship with our relationship with God and receive his God and receive his

mercymercy

Ongoing Ongoing ConversionConversion

The movement The movement of a contrite of a contrite heart, drawn heart, drawn

and moved by and moved by grace to grace to

respond to the respond to the merciful love of merciful love of God who loved God who loved

us firstus first

The Church and The Church and the Sacrament the Sacrament

of Penanceof Penance

Jesus chose to Jesus chose to give his Apostles give his Apostles

the power to the power to forgive sins in his forgive sins in his

namename

The Church’s The Church’s ministers of the ministers of the sacrament are sacrament are bishops and bishops and

priestspriests

A Brief History of the A Brief History of the Sacrament of PenanceSacrament of Penance

In early years, Christians who committed serious sins In early years, Christians who committed serious sins after Baptism were enrolled in the Order of Penitents after Baptism were enrolled in the Order of Penitents and underwent rigorous penitential discipline.and underwent rigorous penitential discipline.

In 7In 7thth century, Irish missionaries began to hear private century, Irish missionaries began to hear private confession because no bishops were present.confession because no bishops were present.

The justice aspect of sin was overemphasizedThe justice aspect of sin was overemphasized In early 20In early 20thth century most Catholics went weekly century most Catholics went weekly Vatican II emphasized the reconciliation aspect of the Vatican II emphasized the reconciliation aspect of the

sacrament.sacrament.

Celebrating the Sacrament Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation

Private individual confessionPrivate individual confession Communal celebration with Communal celebration with

individual confession and individual confession and individual absolutionindividual absolution

Communal celebration with Communal celebration with general confession and general general confession and general absolutionabsolution

Examination of ConscienceExamination of Conscience

An honest assessment An honest assessment of how well we have of how well we have

lived God’s covenant of lived God’s covenant of love, beginning with the love, beginning with the Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments.

This examination leads This examination leads us to accept us to accept

responsibility for our responsibility for our sins and to realize our sins and to realize our need of God’s merciful need of God’s merciful

forgiveness.forgiveness.

SinSinConditions for Mortal SinConditions for Mortal Sin

The moral object must be of grave The moral object must be of grave (serious) matter(serious) matter

The person must have full The person must have full knowledge of the gravity of the knowledge of the gravity of the sinful actionsinful action

The person must completely The person must completely consent to the actionconsent to the action

Celebrating the Sacrament of Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and ReconciliationPenance and Reconciliation

ContritionContrition

Heartfelt sorrow and aversion Heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no morethe intention of sinning no more

Perfect contrition: sorrow Perfect contrition: sorrow for sin because we love for sin because we love God and want to be in God and want to be in relationship with himrelationship with him

Imperfect contrition: Imperfect contrition: sorrow for sin because we sorrow for sin because we fear being punished for sinfear being punished for sin

Confession of SinsConfession of Sins

All mortal sins committed All mortal sins committed since our last confession of since our last confession of which we are aware after which we are aware after making a serious making a serious examination of conscience examination of conscience must be confessedmust be confessed

This confession also This confession also expresses our belief in the expresses our belief in the goodness of the Church that goodness of the Church that will welcome us backwill welcome us back

Celebrating the Sacrament of Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and ReconciliationPenance and Reconciliation

SatisfactionSatisfaction

The confessor imposes a The confessor imposes a penance in line with the penance in line with the gravity and nature of the gravity and nature of the sins committedsins committed

The penances help The penances help “configure us to Christ” and “configure us to Christ” and help us suffer with himhelp us suffer with him

Absolution of SinsAbsolution of Sins

The prayer by which a The prayer by which a priest, by the power given to priest, by the power given to the Church by Jesus Christ, the Church by Jesus Christ, pardons a repentant sinnerpardons a repentant sinner

After a person’s genuine After a person’s genuine confession and Act of confession and Act of Contrition, the priest Contrition, the priest extends his hands over that extends his hands over that person and pronounces person and pronounces God’s forgivenessGod’s forgiveness

The Grace of Penance and The Grace of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation

SIN DAMAGES OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD SIN DAMAGES OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD AND OTHERSAND OTHERS

The Sacrament of Penance brings about The Sacrament of Penance brings about forgiveness of sin, which in turn makes forgiveness of sin, which in turn makes

communion with God possiblecommunion with God possible

The Nature of The Nature of ReconciliationReconciliation

RECONCILIATION: RECONCILIATION: “to restore to union, “to restore to union,

to rejoin, to put to rejoin, to put together again”together again”

““The whole power of The whole power of the sacrament . . . the sacrament . . .

consists in restoring consists in restoring us to God’s grace us to God’s grace and rejoining us and rejoining us with him in an with him in an

intimate friendship”intimate friendship”

The Grace of Penance and The Grace of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation

Reconciliation with God is the purpose Reconciliation with God is the purpose and effect of this sacrament.and effect of this sacrament.

The sacrament also restores us to The sacrament also restores us to fellowship and communion with the fellowship and communion with the Church.Church.

The sacrament also brings about “peace The sacrament also brings about “peace and serenity of conscience with strong and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation.”spiritual consolation.”

What Are Indulgences?What Are Indulgences?

A partial or total wiping away of punishment due for sins that have A partial or total wiping away of punishment due for sins that have been forgivenbeen forgiven

We must work off temporal punishment in this world or in We must work off temporal punishment in this world or in Purgatory—the Church Suffering—through acts of penancePurgatory—the Church Suffering—through acts of penance

The process of asking for and receiving the assistance of The process of asking for and receiving the assistance of the Church—the Communion of Saints—is what is the Church—the Communion of Saints—is what is

entailed in the granting and asking of indulgencesentailed in the granting and asking of indulgences

We Are Changed by God’s We Are Changed by God’s ForgivenessForgiveness

““Rise, pick up your stretcher Rise, pick up your stretcher and go home”and go home”

““Go in peace”Go in peace”

““Go, [and] from now Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more”on do not sin any more”

We Are Changed by God’s We Are Changed by God’s ForgivenessForgiveness

PRACTICAL DISCIPLINEPRACTICAL DISCIPLINE

RETURN FORGIVENESSRETURN FORGIVENESS

REFRAIN FROM ANGER REFRAIN FROM ANGER AND REVENGEAND REVENGE

PURSUE JUSTICE AND PURSUE JUSTICE AND PEACEPEACE

ANSWER THE CALL TO ANSWER THE CALL TO PERFECTIONPERFECTION

St. John VianneySt. John Vianney

The humble, gentle, The humble, gentle, and patient Cure of Ars and patient Cure of Ars who is considered the who is considered the patron saint of parish patron saint of parish

priestspriests

““Put yourself on good Put yourself on good terms with God . . . terms with God . . . You will sleep as You will sleep as

quietly as an angel.”quietly as an angel.”