RECONCILIATION FORM "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spiri among us for the forgiveness; through the ministry of the Church may Godgive you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
RECONCILIATION MATTER The individual's sins, contrition, the confessions of sins, and the priest's words of absolution are all matter for Reconciliation.
RECONCILIATION MINISTER A priest or a bishop are the only ones who may hear a confession and absolve sins in the name of Christ.
RECONCILIATION RITE 1. Father welcomes you. 2. Begin with: + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen. 3. Listen to the prayer or reading. optional 4. Tell Father that this is your first confession. If this is not your first confession, tell Father how long it has been since your last confession. 5. Share your sins with Father. Father may talk with you about your sins and give you some advice. 6. Listen to and remember your penance. To help you keep away from sin, Father will give you something to do. 7. Pray the Act of Contrition: 8. Father will give you absolution by praying: 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 sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 9. Give Praise to God . Father will say a short prayer. You say: Thanks be to God. 10. Do your penance. Remember to do your penance that Father asked you to do.
THE EFFECTS OF RECONCILIATION The effects of Reconciliation are the forgiveness of serious sins, reunification with the Church, cleansing of the conscience, and the restoration of Grace.
MY FIRST TIME ATTENDING RECONCILIATION Attending Reconciliation for the first time scary because it was so new to me. When I was in elementary school, my school teacher took my class and me down to the church where we were told we were going to have to tell the priest all the the things we have done wrong and are sorry for. I was terrified! I did not want anyone to judge me, or thing of me in a bad way. I remember when choosing between doing screen or no screen was a big controversy between me and my classmates. I realized afterwards that it was not that bad and that it felt good to be free of sin, until I ended up sinning again which I accepted as normal.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, one should prepare themselves with an examination of conscience. An examination of conscience is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God” — Glossary, The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Confessions at St. Christopher's Church Saturday 4:00pm - 4:45pm