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Reconciliation

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

1 JOHN 20:21-23

“Why can’t I just confess my sins to God?”  One of the strangest truths about God is that He shares what is properly His with human beings. He worked through Moses to liberate Israel from slavery, He used the prophets to proclaim His word, and in confession, He works through priests to forgive our sins. Saint Paul considers himself to be a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1); and even goes so far as to say that God gave to him and others the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). In other words, God works through people, He reaches us through others, and He gives authority to certain ministers in the church – namely priests. Jesus gave the apostles (the first priests) the authority to forgive sins (John 20:21-23) and that gift has been alive in the Church ever since.

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Confessing our sins out loud to another human being is good for us.  The chief sin of mankind is pride, and confession is humbling – which is a good thing.  There is also such a grace and joy to hearing a priest pray the words of mercy: “May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Preparing Children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Baptized Catholic children/youth in grade 2 (or older) can be prepared for the Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation (1st Confession) in our Family Faith Formation program. Registration begins in July with an “early bird” family fee, and the program begins September 2024.

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Children/youth (age 7 or older) who are unbaptized or baptized in a non-Catholic Christian church, see information below on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults adapted for Children (RCIC).

To inquire about 1st Reconciliation, fill out the form below.

Image by Grant Whitty

Confession at Our Parish

Saturday 3:00-4:00 PM

30 minutes before Weekday Masses

Or by appointment

How to Confess

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

Before you go to confession, recall your sins. Prayerfully ask yourself what you have done with full knowledge and full consent against God’s and the Church’s commandments. Pray for God’s help, tell God how truly sorry you are for your sins, and make a firm resolution to not sin again. Use the Examination of Conscience questions to help review your sins.

  • Do I pray to God every day? Have I thanked God for his gifts to me?

  • Did I put my faith in danger through readings contrary to Catholic teachings or involvement in non-Catholic sects? Did I engage in superstitious practices: palm reading or fortune-telling?

  • Did I take the name of God in vain? Did I curse or take a false oath?

  • Did I miss Mass on Sundays or holy days of obligation through my own fault? Am I attentive at Mass? Did I keep fast and abstinence on the prescribed days?

  • Did I disobey my parents and lawful superiors in important matters?
    Did I hate or quarrel with anyone, or desire revenge? Did I refuse to forgive? Was I disrespectful?

  • Did I get drunk? Did I take illicit drugs?

  • Did I consent to, recommend, advise, or actively take part in an abortion?

  • Did I willfully look at pornography, entertain impure thoughts, or engage in impure conversations or actions? Did I use artificial means to prevent conception?

  • Was I unfaithful to my spouse? Did I engage in sexual activity outside of marriage?

  • Did I steal or damage another’s property? Have I been honest and just in my business relations?

  • Have I been responsive to the needs of the poor and respected the dignity of others?

  • Did I tell lies? Did I sin by calumny, or detraction, of others? Did I judge others rashly in serious matters?

  • Have I envied other people?

THE RITE OF RECONCILIATION

Before you go to confession, recall your sins. Prayerfully ask yourself what you have done with full knowledge and full consent against God’s and the Church’s commandments. Pray for God’s help, tell God how truly sorry you are for your sins, and make a firm resolution not to sin again. Use the Examination of Conscience questions to help review your sins.

  1. The priest gives you a blessing or greeting. He may share a brief Scripture passage.

  2. Make the Sign of the Cross and say, “Bless me, father, for I have sinned. My last confession was [give the number of weeks, months, or years].”

  3. Confess all of your sins to the priest. The priest will help you to make a good confession. If you are unsure about how to confess or you feel uneasy, just ask him to help you. Answer his questions without hiding anything out of fear or shame. Place your trust in God, a merciful Father who wants to forgive you.

  4. Following your confession of sins, say, “I am sorry for these and all of my sins.”

  5. The priest assigns you a penance and offers advice to help you be a better Catholic.

  6. Say an Act of Contrition, below, expressing your sorrow for your sins. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, then absolves you from your sins

THE ACT OF CONTRITION

God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace to confess my sins, do penance, and to amend my life.
Amen.

Learn More

The Sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from our sins and challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”

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The Sacrament of Penance is God’s gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). – from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

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