The Sacrament of Reconciliation
"Let us pray that we may experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the forgiveness and infinite mercy of God. When I go to confession, it is in order to be healed, to heal my soul. To leave with greater spiritual health. To pass from misery to mercy. The center of confession is not the sins we declare, but the divine love we receive, of which we are always in need." (Pope Francis)
"May we not neglect Reconciliation, but rediscover it as the sacrament of joy ... If God is the protagonist, everything becomes beautiful, and confessing becomes the Sacrament of joy. Yes, of joy: not of fear and judgment, but of joy." (Pope Francis)
What is Reconciliation?
- The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a Sacrament of Healing in the Catholic Church. Recently, Pope Francis has also referred to it as a Sacrament of joy.
- Through our Baptism, we are called to live in a relationship of love with God and with others. When we choose to reject this call and live without love we reject God, rupture relationships and cause pain. This rejection and rupture are what we call sin. God, through His Church, is always seeking us out and inviting us to reconciliation. God waits patiently and mercifully for us to respond to His invitation.
- Responding to God's invitation to repentance and reconciliation, we acknowledge our sin and seek with confidence to be reunited with God and others.
- Sin is a rejection of our truest identity as children of God made in God's the image and likeness. Sin is choosing our own imperfect will over the Divine Will that leads to the perfect freedom and happiness.
- The sacrament of Reconciliation respects our freedom as human beings to change our hearts. Our own desire to return to God and to walk faithfully in the way of Jesus, is the beginning of repentance. This desire in us begins with God's loving desire for us.
- In the sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest is called to proclaim the Gospel of forgiveness and joy. He is to pray with and on behalf of sinners. Especially, he is to welcome, accept, listen to, and understand the sinner. He imparts God's absolution in the name of Jesus Christ. The priest is never a judge, there to condemn sinners.
This sacrament gives us the opportunity to reconcile, or to make peace, with God, our neighbor, ourselves, and our whole community. It goes beyond just "telling" our sins to a priest. It includes an opportunity to seek advice as to how to grow as one of Jesus' disciples by making better choices. It helps us to grow in our spiritual life.
In preparing your child for First Reconciliation, it is important that he or she understands what it means to take responsibility for our choices, words and action, to be sorry when these cause harm to our relationship with God, others and to ourselves, or fail to offer support, healing, comfort and charity to those in need.
We need to give them our example of what saying "I'm sorry" really means. Try to establish the weekly family practice of expressing sorrow to one another by saying:
- I'm sorry that I _____________
- I'll try to make it up to you by _____________
- I promise that in the future I will first __________________ so I don't hurt you again.
- Will you forgive me?
A child who has learned to ask for and give forgiveness is a child who will truly understand why the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a celebration of mercy and joy.