The Sacrament of Penance must be seen within the context of conversion from sin and a turn to God. Peter wept bitterly over his triple denial of Christ but received the grace of conversion and expressed it with a three-fold confession of love for Jesus cf. Lk ; Jn Paul was converted from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the greatest disciples of Christ who ever lived cf.
Acts These moments of conversion were only the beginning of their lifelong commitment to living in fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sin harms our relationship with God and damages our communion with the Church. Conversion of heart is the beginning of our journey back to God. Liturgically this happens in the Sacrament of Penance. In the history of the Church, this Sacrament has been celebrated in different ways. Beneath the changes, there have always been two essentials: the acts of the penitent and the acts of Christ through the ministry of the Church.
Both go hand in hand. Conversion must involve a change of heart as well as a change of actions. The Sacrament of Penance reconciles us with God. This Sacrament also reconciles us with the Church. Sin should never be understood as a private or personal matter, because it harms our relationship with others and may even break our loving communion with the Church. In the second rite, which usually happens in Advent or Lent, there is a communal service during which the Scripture is read and a homily is given.
This is followed by individual confession and individual absolution. CIC, can. Those penitents guilty of serious or grave sin are expected to make an individual confession as soon as possible but certainly within a year of receiving general absolution. Judgment as to whether the conditions for general absolution are present is a matter not for the confessor, but for the diocesan bishop to determine under the guidance of norms established by the Holy See. After we confess our sins to the priest, we are given some encouragement from the priest for our moral and spiritual growth.
The priest then gives us a penance and asks us to say an Act of Contrition. Then the priest grants absolution, that is, he sets us free from our sins, using the power that Christ entrusted to the Church and by which he pardons the sins of the penitent cf.
In the Latin Church, the priest, representing Christ and bringing us his forgiveness, absolves us from our sins with these words:. 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.
It is obvious that we need to repair certain damages that our sins have caused, such as restoring the reputation of someone we have injured, returning money that we have stolen, or rectifying an injustice. Sin also weakens the relationship we have with God and others.
Our inner life is harmed by sin and needs restoration. This is the reason for acts of penance and satisfaction for sins. The penance given by the priest helps us to begin making satisfaction for our sins.
Just as when we get physically out of shape, we need to take up some exercise, so also when the soul is morally out of shape, there is the challenge to adopt spiritual exercises that will restore it. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders that sin has caused. At the same time, we are reconciled with the Church because it is also wounded by our sins. Every time we sin, we hurt ourselves, other people and God. In Reconciliation, we acknowledge our sins before God and the Church.
We express our sorrow in a meaningful way, receive the forgiveness of Christ and his Church, make reparation for what we have done, and resolve to do better in the future. We should begin with prayer , placing ourselves in the presence of our loving God. This is called an examination of conscience. Some guided questions which may assist are below, based on the Ten Commandments.
Following the examination of conscience, tell God how truly sorry you are for your sins, and make a firm resolution not to sin again.
My Relationship with God. My Relationship with Family, Friends, and Neighbours. Priest gives a blessing or greeting. Confess all your sins to the priest. If you are unsure or uneasy, the priest will guide you. The priest assigns a penance and offers advice to help you be a better Catholic.
Say an Act of Contrition , expressing your sorrow for your sins. The priest, acting in the person of Christ, then absolves you from your sins. Act of Contrition. O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you, because you are so good, and with your help I will not sin again.
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