MEETING JESUS IN THE SACRAMENTS

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MEETING JESUS IN THE SACRAMENTS

• CHAPTER 6
• THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION

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Whats Going on with Confession?

• The Church teaches the necessity of confessing
  your sins at least once a year by receiving this
  sacrament
• Yet, a majority of Catholics surveyed believed
  that you could be a good Catholic without going
  to Confession.
• So, whats going on with Confession?

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Four Dimensions of the Sacrament of Penance

• Memorial
• Celebration
• Communion
• Transformation
• The sacrament is necessary because it provides
  the grace to cleanse our souls of sin.

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Names for this Sacrament

• CONVERSION
• CONFESSION
• PENANCE
• FORGIVENESS
• RECONCILIATION

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Understanding the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation

• The sacrament is rooted in the forgiving actions
  of Jesus himself
• Only God forgives sinsbecause of Christ, we are
  no longer only sinners we are sinners who have
  been forgiven.

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Gods Infinite Mercy

• We cannot be united with God unless we freely
  choose to love him
• The Sacrament of Penance offers us the
  opportunity to repair our relationship with God
  and receive his mercy

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Ongoing Conversion

• The movement of a contrite heart, drawn and moved
  by grace to respond to the merciful love of God
  who loved us first

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The Church and the Sacrament of Penance

• Jesus chose to give his Apostles the power to
  forgive sins in his name
• The Churchs ministers of the sacrament are
  bishops and priests

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A Brief History of the Sacrament of Penance

• In early years, Christians who committed serious
  sins after Baptism were enrolled in the Order of
  Penitents and underwent rigorous penitential
  discipline.
• In 7th century, Irish missionaries began to hear
  private confession because no bishops were
  present.
• The justice aspect of sin was overemphasized
• In early 20th century most Catholics went weekly
• Vatican II emphasized the reconciliation aspect
  of the sacrament.

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Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation

• Private individual confession
• Communal celebration with individual confession
  and individual absolution
• Communal celebration with general confession and
  general absolution

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Examination of Conscience

• An honest assessment of how well we have lived
  Gods covenant of love, beginning with the Ten
  Commandments. This examination leads us to
  accept responsibility for our sins and to realize
  our need of Gods merciful forgiveness.

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SinConditions for Mortal Sin

• The moral object must be of grave (serious)
  matter
• The person must have full knowledge of the
  gravity of the sinful action
• The person must completely consent to the action

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Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation

• Contrition

• Confession of Sins

• Heartfelt sorrow and aversion for the sin
  committed along with the intention of sinning no
  more
• Perfect contrition sorrow for sin because we
  love God and want to be in relationship with him
• Imperfect contrition sorrow for sin because we
  fear being punished for sin

• All mortal sins committed since our last
  confession of which we are aware after making a
  serious examination of conscience must be
  confessed
• This confession also expresses our belief in the
  goodness of the Church that will welcome us back

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Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation

• Satisfaction

• Absolution of Sins

• The confessor imposes a penance in line with the
  gravity and nature of the sins committed
• The penances help configure us to Christ and
  help us suffer with him

• The prayer by which a priest, by the power given
  to the Church by Jesus Christ, pardons a
  repentant sinner
• After a persons genuine confession and Act of
  Contrition, the priest extends his hands over
  that person and pronounces Gods forgiveness

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The Grace of Penance and Reconciliation

• SIN DAMAGES OUR CONNECTION WITH GOD AND OTHERS
• The Sacrament of Penance brings about forgiveness
  of sin, which in turn makes communion with God
  possible

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The Nature of Reconciliation

• RECONCILIATION to restore to union, to rejoin,
  to put together again
• The whole power of the sacrament . . . consists
  in restoring us to Gods grace and rejoining us
  with him in an intimate friendship

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The Grace of Penance and Reconciliation

• Reconciliation with God is the purpose and effect
  of this sacrament.
• The sacrament also restores us to fellowship and
  communion with the Church.
• The sacrament also brings about peace and
  serenity of conscience with strong spiritual
  consolation.

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What Are Indulgences?

• A partial or total wiping away of punishment due
  for sins that have been forgiven
• We must work off temporal punishment in this
  world or in Purgatorythe Church
  Sufferingthrough acts of penance
• The process of asking for and receiving the
  assistance of the Churchthe Communion of
  Saintsis what is entailed in the granting and
  asking of indulgences

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We Are Changed by Gods Forgiveness

• Rise, pick up your stretcher
• and go home
• Go in peace
• Go, and from now
• on do not sin any more

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We Are Changed by Gods Forgiveness

• PRACTICAL DISCIPLINE
• RETURN FORGIVENESS
• REFRAIN FROM ANGER AND REVENGE
• PURSUE JUSTICE AND PEACE
• ANSWER THE CALL TO PERFECTION

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St. John Vianney

• The humble, gentle, and patient Cure of Ars who
  is considered the patron saint of parish priests
• Put yourself on good terms with God . . . You
  will sleep as quietly as an angel.