Hi Connect! It was great catching up with some of you at our meeting. I hope everyone had a great Easter celebration! If you were not able to go to reconciliation before Easter, it's not too late. Here are the notes from my presentation...
Reconciliation
Questions
Definition: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a common
name used for the
Sacrament
of Confession. Whereas "Confession" stresses the action of the
believer in the sacrament, "Reconciliation" stresses the action of
God, who uses the sacrament to reconcile us to Himself by restoring
sanctifying
grace in our souls.
http://catholicism.about.com/od/thesacraments/g/Reconciliation.htm
Q. Why do I have to confess my sins
to a priest?
Of all the objections to the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
the one most often voiced, particularly by Protestants, and sometime by Catholics
is: “I don’t need to go to confession to a priest! The priest is just
another human being! All that I need to do is to confess my sins directly to
God, and that is enough!” This objection is flawed on a number of counts.
A. Jesus Commissioned
Forgiveness through his Apostles. Jesus asked believers to approach God for
forgiveness through the apostles who were commissioned to act as his agents.
Jesus told Peter, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19). After the resurrection, Jesus breathed on his
disciples and said, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins
you retain are retained” (Jn 20:22,23).
Priests alone carry out this apostolic role (Canon 965; CCC, Nos. 1461
& 1462)
Catholic Sacraments are mediated. The sacraments celebrate
the most profound moments of our lives: birth (Baptism), the transition
to adulthood (Confirmation), lifetime commitment (Marriage and Holy Orders),
and the end of life (Anointing). Two other sacraments strengthen us for the
journey through life: Eucharist, spiritual sustenance, and Penance, the
forgiveness of sins. We need to be fed at least weekly, and because we sin so
often, we need to be forgiven regularly. The sacraments are not
self-administered. Rather, the priest is the mediator, the linkage or conduit
between God and the people, a rich channel of God’s grace.
A Personal Encounter with Christ. The priest is not just
“another human being,” but one who acts in persona Christi, in the person
of Christ. With faith we believe that when the penitent speaks to the priest,
the penitent speaks to Christ, and when the priest speaks, the priest speaks on
behalf of Christ. When the priest says, “I absolve you,” it is Christ who absolves
(Mk 2:10).
Q. How to prepare for confession
Confession is not difficult, but it does require
preparation. We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of
God, our loving Father. We seek healing and forgiveness through repentance and
a resolve to sin no more. Then we review our lives since our last confession,
searching our thoughts, words and actions for that which did not conform to
God’s command to love Him and one another through His laws and the laws of His
Church. This is called an examination of conscience.
Q. Does that mean that those
who commit mortal sins will never go to Heaven?
A. All mortal sins can
be forgiven. With a conversion of heart through the
Sacrament of Confession, the sinner can seek God's mercy and reinstate the
state of grace that was previously obtained through the Sacrament of Baptism.
To be denied entry into the Kingdom
of God, the sinner must:
1. Commit one or more sins of a grave matter;
2. Have full knowledge that the sin(s) is a mortal sin;
3. Voluntarily consent to commit the sin;
4. Reject the grace of God;
5. Reject the mercy of God by refusing to confess his sins through the
Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Q. Can you provide me with a
list of possible mortal sins?
Abortion, Anger, Adulterers, Blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit, (Eternal sin), Cowards, Defrauders, Disrespect towards parents,
Drunkenness, Envy, Greed, Idolatry, Jealousy, Murderers, Quarreling, Thieves
Activity: Share confession experiences
