meeting jesus in the sacraments chapter 6 the sacrament of penance and reconciliation
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MEETING JESUS MEETING JESUS IN THE IN THE
SACRAMENTSSACRAMENTS
CHAPTER 6CHAPTER 6
THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATIONAND RECONCILIATION
What’s Going on with What’s Going on with Confession?Confession?
The Church teaches the necessity of The Church teaches the necessity of confessing your sins at least once a year by confessing your sins at least once a year by
receiving this sacramentreceiving this sacrament
Yet, a majority of Catholics surveyed Yet, a majority of Catholics surveyed believed that you could be a good Catholic believed that you could be a good Catholic
without going to Confession.without going to Confession.
So, what’s going on with Confession?So, what’s going on with Confession?
Four Dimensions Four Dimensions of the Sacrament of the Sacrament
of Penanceof Penance
MemorialMemorial CelebrationCelebration CommunionCommunion
TransformationTransformation
The sacrament is The sacrament is necessary necessary because it because it
provides the provides the grace to cleanse grace to cleanse our souls of sin.our souls of sin.
Names for this Names for this SacramentSacrament
CONVERSIONCONVERSION
CONFESSIONCONFESSION
PENANCEPENANCE
FORGIVENESSFORGIVENESS
RECONCILIATIONRECONCILIATION
Understanding the Sacrament Understanding the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliationof Penance and Reconciliation
The sacrament is rooted in the forgiving The sacrament is rooted in the forgiving actions of Jesus himselfactions of Jesus himself
Only God forgives sins—because of Christ, Only God forgives sins—because of Christ, we are no longer only sinners; we are we are no longer only sinners; we are
sinners sinners who have been forgiven.who have been forgiven.
God’s Infinite God’s Infinite MercyMercy
““We cannot be united We cannot be united with God unless we with God unless we
freely choose to love freely choose to love him”him”
The Sacrament of The Sacrament of Penance offers us the Penance offers us the opportunity to repair opportunity to repair our relationship with our relationship with God and receive his God and receive his
mercymercy
Ongoing Ongoing ConversionConversion
The movement The movement of a contrite of a contrite heart, drawn heart, drawn
and moved by and moved by grace to grace to
respond to the respond to the merciful love of merciful love of God who loved God who loved
us firstus first
The Church and The Church and the Sacrament the Sacrament
of Penanceof Penance
Jesus chose to Jesus chose to give his Apostles give his Apostles
the power to the power to forgive sins in his forgive sins in his
namename
The Church’s The Church’s ministers of the ministers of the sacrament are sacrament are bishops and bishops and
priestspriests
A Brief History of the A Brief History of the Sacrament of PenanceSacrament of Penance
In early years, Christians who committed serious sins In early years, Christians who committed serious sins after Baptism were enrolled in the Order of Penitents after Baptism were enrolled in the Order of Penitents and underwent rigorous penitential discipline.and underwent rigorous penitential discipline.
In 7In 7thth century, Irish missionaries began to hear private century, Irish missionaries began to hear private confession because no bishops were present.confession because no bishops were present.
The justice aspect of sin was overemphasizedThe justice aspect of sin was overemphasized In early 20In early 20thth century most Catholics went weekly century most Catholics went weekly Vatican II emphasized the reconciliation aspect of the Vatican II emphasized the reconciliation aspect of the
sacrament.sacrament.
Celebrating the Sacrament Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation
Private individual confessionPrivate individual confession Communal celebration with Communal celebration with
individual confession and individual confession and individual absolutionindividual absolution
Communal celebration with Communal celebration with general confession and general general confession and general absolutionabsolution
Examination of ConscienceExamination of Conscience
An honest assessment An honest assessment of how well we have of how well we have
lived God’s covenant of lived God’s covenant of love, beginning with the love, beginning with the Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments.
This examination leads This examination leads us to accept us to accept
responsibility for our responsibility for our sins and to realize our sins and to realize our need of God’s merciful need of God’s merciful
forgiveness.forgiveness.
SinSinConditions for Mortal SinConditions for Mortal Sin
The moral object must be of grave The moral object must be of grave (serious) matter(serious) matter
The person must have full The person must have full knowledge of the gravity of the knowledge of the gravity of the sinful actionsinful action
The person must completely The person must completely consent to the actionconsent to the action
Celebrating the Sacrament of Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and ReconciliationPenance and Reconciliation
ContritionContrition
Heartfelt sorrow and aversion Heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin committed along with for the sin committed along with the intention of sinning no morethe intention of sinning no more
Perfect contrition: sorrow Perfect contrition: sorrow for sin because we love for sin because we love God and want to be in God and want to be in relationship with himrelationship with him
Imperfect contrition: Imperfect contrition: sorrow for sin because we sorrow for sin because we fear being punished for sinfear being punished for sin
Confession of SinsConfession of Sins
All mortal sins committed All mortal sins committed since our last confession of since our last confession of which we are aware after which we are aware after making a serious making a serious examination of conscience examination of conscience must be confessedmust be confessed
This confession also This confession also expresses our belief in the expresses our belief in the goodness of the Church that goodness of the Church that will welcome us backwill welcome us back
Celebrating the Sacrament of Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and ReconciliationPenance and Reconciliation
SatisfactionSatisfaction
The confessor imposes a The confessor imposes a penance in line with the penance in line with the gravity and nature of the gravity and nature of the sins committedsins committed
The penances help The penances help “configure us to Christ” and “configure us to Christ” and help us suffer with himhelp us suffer with him
Absolution of SinsAbsolution of Sins
The prayer by which a The prayer by which a priest, by the power given to priest, by the power given to the Church by Jesus Christ, the Church by Jesus Christ, pardons a repentant sinnerpardons a repentant sinner
After a person’s genuine After a person’s genuine confession and Act of confession and Act of Contrition, the priest Contrition, the priest extends his hands over that extends his hands over that person and pronounces person and pronounces God’s forgivenessGod’s forgiveness
The Grace of Penance and The Grace of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation
SIN DAMAGES OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD SIN DAMAGES OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD AND OTHERSAND OTHERS
The Sacrament of Penance brings about The Sacrament of Penance brings about forgiveness of sin, which in turn makes forgiveness of sin, which in turn makes
communion with God possiblecommunion with God possible
The Nature of The Nature of ReconciliationReconciliation
RECONCILIATION: RECONCILIATION: “to restore to union, “to restore to union,
to rejoin, to put to rejoin, to put together again”together again”
““The whole power of The whole power of the sacrament . . . the sacrament . . .
consists in restoring consists in restoring us to God’s grace us to God’s grace and rejoining us and rejoining us with him in an with him in an
intimate friendship”intimate friendship”
The Grace of Penance and The Grace of Penance and ReconciliationReconciliation
Reconciliation with God is the purpose Reconciliation with God is the purpose and effect of this sacrament.and effect of this sacrament.
The sacrament also restores us to The sacrament also restores us to fellowship and communion with the fellowship and communion with the Church.Church.
The sacrament also brings about “peace The sacrament also brings about “peace and serenity of conscience with strong and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation.”spiritual consolation.”
What Are Indulgences?What Are Indulgences?
A partial or total wiping away of punishment due for sins that have A partial or total wiping away of punishment due for sins that have been forgivenbeen forgiven
We must work off temporal punishment in this world or in We must work off temporal punishment in this world or in Purgatory—the Church Suffering—through acts of penancePurgatory—the Church Suffering—through acts of penance
The process of asking for and receiving the assistance of The process of asking for and receiving the assistance of the Church—the Communion of Saints—is what is the Church—the Communion of Saints—is what is
entailed in the granting and asking of indulgencesentailed in the granting and asking of indulgences
We Are Changed by God’s We Are Changed by God’s ForgivenessForgiveness
““Rise, pick up your stretcher Rise, pick up your stretcher and go home”and go home”
““Go in peace”Go in peace”
““Go, [and] from now Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more”on do not sin any more”
We Are Changed by God’s We Are Changed by God’s ForgivenessForgiveness
PRACTICAL DISCIPLINEPRACTICAL DISCIPLINE
RETURN FORGIVENESSRETURN FORGIVENESS
REFRAIN FROM ANGER REFRAIN FROM ANGER AND REVENGEAND REVENGE
PURSUE JUSTICE AND PURSUE JUSTICE AND PEACEPEACE
ANSWER THE CALL TO ANSWER THE CALL TO PERFECTIONPERFECTION
St. John VianneySt. John Vianney
The humble, gentle, The humble, gentle, and patient Cure of Ars and patient Cure of Ars who is considered the who is considered the patron saint of parish patron saint of parish
priestspriests
““Put yourself on good Put yourself on good terms with God . . . terms with God . . . You will sleep as You will sleep as
quietly as an angel.”quietly as an angel.”