Reconciliation

1
Reconciliation

• We believe in the communion of saints and the
  forgiveness of sins.

2

• To those who have been far away from the
  sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving love, I
  make this appeal Come back to this source of
  grace do not be afraid! Christ himself is
  waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will
  be at peace with God!
• JPII on Sept. 13, 1987, at Westover
  Hills, San Antonio, Texas

3
Where did sin begin?

• Genesis 3
• Devil instills doubt the father of lies
• You certainly will not die!
• The center of all sin is I
• I become God and I determine what is right
  and what is wrong
• Thats not my job

4
All sin has three things

• Something good
• Something pleasing
• Something desirable

5
And sin brings death

• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
  God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Romans 623

6
For the wages of sin is death

• Sin kills
• The Spirit
• The Soul
• The Relationship
• Sin brings shame
• Sin permeates
• When we sin, the sin gets into our system, into
  our conscience, into our spirit
• We become attached to the sin, which is why sin
  can become so addictive
• Sin creates distance
• Sin destroys hope

7
The Gravity of Sin Mortal and Venial Sin

• CCC 1854 Sins are rightly evaluated according to
  their gravity. The distinction between mortal
  and venial sin, already evident in Scripture,
  became part of the tradition of the Church. It
  is corroborated by human experience.
• CCC 1855 Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart
  of man by a grave violation of Gods law it
  turns away from God, who is his ultimate end and
  his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to
  him.
• Grave matter, Full Knowledge, Complete Consent
• Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even
  though it offends and wounds it.

8
But there IS hope!

• God loves us so much ( John 316-17 )
• Jesus Christ died ONCE and for ALL to forgive
  sins forever
• Its about a relationship
• Through sin we ignore the relationship
• Through sin we reject the relationship
• Through sin we separate ourselves from Jesus
• We must reconcile ourselves with Jesus

9
Reconciling our relationship with God

• Because we rejected that love by committing sin
  thereby separating us from God and His Son we
  must reconcile
• Im sorry
• God has the right to have 1st place in our heart
  because He bought usand at what a price His
  precious body and blood
• Confession is where the one sacrifice of Christ
  is renewed in our heart
• We must participate in that oneness in the
  sacrament of Confession

10
What gives the Church the power to forgive sin?

• Matthew 1618 - 19
• And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon
  this rock I will build my church, and the gates
  of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
• I will give you the keys to the kingdom of
  heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be
  bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth
  shall be loosed in heaven.

11
Did Christ give His disciples the power to
forgive sins?

• John 2019 23
• Easter Sunday the day Christ rose from the
  dead
• He conferred the power by breathing on the
  Apostles
• The only other time God breathed on anyone was
  when He breathed life into the first human being
  ( Genesis 27 )
• Thus this was an awesome life-giving power
  delivered to the Apostles
• Jesus Christ gave the disciples the authority to
  forgive, and NOT to forgive
• This means a priest must hear sins in order to
  know whether to forgive them or hold them bound

12
Protestants say

• We confess our sins to God while Catholics
  confess their sins only to priests.
• Wrong.
• We Catholics always confess our sins to God
• We do it directly as well as through His
  ministers, because this is what God requires

13
2 Corinthians 517 - 20

• So whoever is in Christ is a new creation the
  old things have passed away behold, new things
  have come. And all this is from God, who has
  reconciled us to himself through Christ and given
  us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God
  was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
  not counting their trespasses against them and
  entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
• The Apostles are ambassadors of Christs work of
  reconciliation
• What does this mean but that they share in the
  ministry of Christ and forgive sins in His name?

14
James 513 - 16

• Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray.
  Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing
  praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should
  summon the presbyters (priests) of the church and
  they should pray over him and anoint him with oil
  in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith
  will save the sick person, and the Lord will
  raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he
  will be forgiven.
• Therefore, confess your sins to one another and
  pray for one another that you may be healed.
• James makes clear that sins of the sick are
  forgiven in the sacrament of anointing
• He specifies that a priest must be called
• They obviously had a power the ordinary Christian
  did not the power to forgive sins

15
Many Protestants believe

• Sins are wiped away in Baptism
• This means they believe their ministers are used
  by God as His instruments in the forgiveness of
  sins through a sacrament (Baptism) which they
  administer
• Catholics believe the priest is used by God as
  His instrument for the forgiveness of sins in
  three sacraments Confession, Anointing, and
  Baptism

16
John 2021

• Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you.
  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
• The Apostles are to continue the mission of
  Christ
• The essence of the mission? The forgiveness of
  sins
• Jesus knows our human nature
• He provided the Sacrament of Confession to give
  us several important gifts
• Humility
• The certainty of forgiveness
• Spiritual Direction
• The power to overcome self-deception

17
What does the Catechism say?

• 1424 It is called the sacrament of confession,
  since the disclosure or confession of sins to a
  priest is an essential element of this sacrament.
  In a profound sense, it is also a confession
  acknowledgement and praise of the holiness of
  God and of his mercy toward sinful man.

18
What does the Catechism say?

• 1449 It is called the sacrament of forgiveness,
  since by the priests sacramental absolution God
  grants the penitent pardon and peace.
• 1442 It is called the sacrament of
  Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner
  the love of God who reconciles Be reconciled
  to God. He who lives by Gods merciful love is
  ready to respond to the Lords call Go, first
  be reconciled to your brother.

19
What does the Catechism say?

• 1455 The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even
  from a simply human point of view, frees us and
  facilitates our reconciliation with others.
  Through such an admission man looks squarely at
  the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility
  for them, and thereby opens himself again to God
  and to the communion of the Church in order to
  make a new future possible.

20
In ReconciliationFREEDOM!

• You are freed from your sin
• Your sins are forgiven
• Absolution takes away eternal punishment
• Penance takes away temporal punishment
• You renew your relationship with Christ
• You become a new creature in Christ
• So,examine your conscience and reconcile
  yourself to God and allow Him to reconcile
  Himself to you!

21
Guide For a Good Confession

• Have the intention of humbly returning to God
  like the Prodigal son and of acknowledging your
  sins with true sorrow
• Examination of Conscience
• Sorrow for your sins
• Purpose of amendment
• Confession of your sins
• Fulfillment of the Penance imposed by the priest

22
After Confession

• Give thanks to God for having forgiven you once
  again
• Promptly and devoutly fulfill the penance given
  by the priest. Although you may receive holy
  communion even before performing your penance, it
  is advisable to do it as soon as possible
• If you recall some serious sin that you forgot to
  tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with
  the others, but be sure to include it in you next
  Confession

23
Before Confession

• Be truly sorry for your sins.
• The essential act of Penance, on the part of the
  penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive
  rejection of the sin committed, together with a
  resolution not to commit it again, out of the
  love one has for God (which is reborn with
  repentance). Contrition is the beginning and the
  heart of conversion. It is this that brings the
  back to God like the Prodigal son.
• The resolution to avoid committing these sins in
  the future
• Amendment is a sure sign that your sorrow is
  genuine and authentic. This does not mean that
  one has to promise never to fall again into sin.
  A resolution to try to avoid near occasions of
  sin suffices for the true repentance. Gods
  grace in cooperation with the intention to
  rectify your life will give you the strength to
  resist and overcome temptation in the future.

24
During Confession

• You can begin your confession by making the Sign
  of the Cross and greeting the priest Bless me
  Father, for I have sinned.
• The priest gives you a blessing. One response
  you might give is these words St. Peter said to
  Christ Lord you know all thing you know that I
  love you. (Jn 2117)
• Continue My last good confession was(approx.
  how long).
• Say the sins that you remember. Start with the
  one that is most difficult to say the rest will
  come easier. If you received a general
  absolution, tell this to the priest and mention
  the sins forgiven.

25
During Confession Continued

• If you do not know how to confess, or you feel
  uneasy or ashamed, simply asks the priest to
  assist you. Simply answer his questions without
  hiding anything out of shame or fear. Place your
  trust in God he is your merciful Father and
  wants to forgive you.
• If you do not remember any serious sins, be sure
  to confess at least one of your venial sins,
  adding at the end I am sorry for these and all
  the sins of my past life, especially for(mention
  in general any past sin for which you are
  particularly sorry for example, all my sins
  against charity).

26
During Confession Continued

• The priest will assign you some penance and give
  you some advice to help you to be a better
  Christian.
• Listen to the words of absolution attentively.
  At the end answer Amen. Be willing to do the
  penance as soon as possible. This penance will
  diminish the temporal punishment due to sins
  already forgiven.
• After Confession
• Give thanks to God for having forgiven you once
  again.
• Promptly and devoutly fulfill the penance given
  by the priest. Although you may receive holy
  communion even before performing your penance, it
  is advisable to do it as soon as possible.
• If you recall some serious sin that you forgot to
  tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with
  the others, but be sure to include it in you next
  Confession.

27
Frequent Confession. The Road that leads to
refinement of soul and to sanctity.

• One of the principal reasons for esteeming
  frequent Confession highly is that , when
  practiced as it should be, it is an infallible
  safeguard against tepidity. Perhaps it is this
  conviction that makes the Church recommend so
  stronglyfrequent confession. B. Baur,
  Frequent Confession
• This holiness comes about through a constant
  purification of the innermost soul, which is an
  essential condition of loving God more and more
  each day. Despising confession or being
  indifferent to it , when we easily excuse
  ourselves or delay it indicate a lack of
  refinement in our souls and perhaps even a
  lukewarmness, coarseness and lack of
  responsiveness to the motions the Holy Spirit
  arouses in our hearts.

28
Apostolate of ConfessionThe greatest good that
we can do our friends-taking them to the
Sacrament of Penance.

• The paralytic of Capharnaum In the Gospel of
  St. Mark, Jesus came to Capharnaum, many were
  gathered together so that there was no longer
  room for them, not even the door. (Mark 21-13)
• Four friends also went to the house carrying a
  paralytic, but they could not get near Jesus
  because of the crowd..
• Our mission fundamentally consists in bringing
  our friends face to face with Jesus, leaving them
  a Jesus side, and letting Him do the rest. It is
  He who does what is really important.
• Sometimes it is our indifference that others do
  not come closer to God, because they feel unable
  of their own effort to reach out to Him.

29
Apostolate of Confession

• This paralyzed man, explains St. Thomas,
  symbolizes the sinner lying in his sin. Just as
  the paralytic is unable to move, so too is the
  sinner helpless by himself. Those who carry the
  man immobilized by his paralysis represent those
  who, with their advice, lead the sinner towards
  God.
• St. Thomas, Commentary on St. Mathew

30
Examination of Conscience

• I am the Lord your God. You shall not have
  strange gods before me.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God
  in vain.
• Remember to keep holy the Lords day.
• Honor your father and your mother.
• You shall not kill.

31
Examination of Conscience

• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your
  neighbor.
• You shall not desire your neighbors wife.
• You shall not desire your neighbors goods.

32

• Consider what depths of mercy lie in the justice
  of God! For according to human justice, he who
  pleads guilty is punished, but in the divine
  court he is pardoned. Blessed be the holy
  sacrament of penance!
• The Way, 309
• St. Josemaria