Reconciliation Test

The greatest source of “joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents” is the Heavenly Father’s joy that the child:

Has matured by recognizing the evil that could harm them and intends to pursue goodness

Which statement best reflects the spiritual meaning of “laying the sin down and letting it go” after receiving absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

It means entrusting the sin to God’s mercy and accepting His forgiveness, confident that the sin no longer defines one’s relationship with Him. 

The sin of voluntarily giving up hope in our salvation from God, in the help He offers to attain it, or in the forgiveness of sins, is defined as:

despair

In most versions of the Act of Contrition, we promise not to commit the sin again and to avoid the:

Near occasion of sin

Our fallen human nature remains weak after Baptism. Overcoming that weakness requires:

Striving and struggling, with the help of God’s grace, to pursue virtue after the example of Jesus

A movement, either internal (thoughts) or external (actions), that solicits or invites a person toward sin or immoral actions is defined as:

temptation

Which of the following is NOT listed in the notes as an area around which habitual sins tend to occur?

lack of sleep and exercise

T/F: Some sin is so grave that it falls outside the reach of God’s mercy

False

T/F: Conversion is a radical reorientation of one’s whole life away from sin and evil and toward God

True

When did Jesus establish the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and how did he give it to the Apostles?

After his Resurrection, when he appeared to the Apostles, breathed on them, and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

What Gospel, Chapter, and Verse(s) contain the moment where Jesus establishes the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?

John 20:23

In what category of Sacraments are the Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick placed?

Sacraments of Healing

The word that defines the basic human inclination (or pull) toward sin, which remains even after Baptism is:

Consupiscence

Which of the following sets of conditions MUST be met for a sin to be considered mortal?

The sin must be of grave matter (serious moral code violation), committed with full knowledge, and done with deliberate/full consent (freedom).

What is the minimum requirement (precept of the Church) for a Catholic to go to confession per year, even if they don’t have a mortal sin?

Once a year

The sin that results from a failure to act or perform a good deed when we should have (like seeing someone in need and choosing to ignore them) is called:

Sin of omission

Whom does the priest represent during the Sacrament of Confession?

In the person of Christ

What is the Seal of Confession? Explain the gravity of this commitment for the priest and the consequence for breaking it. 

The Seal of Confession is a strict, unbreakable rule that forbids a priest from revealing anything he hears in the Sacrament of Confession to anyone else, for any reason. If a priest breaks the seal (even accidentally, or by sharing just enough detail to connect a sin to a person), he will be immediately excommunicated from the Church and removed from the priesthood. The Seal exists to ensure people can seek God’s mercy without any fear of exposure. 

Handout on the Parable of the Prodigal Son: What is the significance of the father giving his son a ring, a robe, and sandals? How do these items relate to our own spiritual lives after we have sinned?

The father’s actions restore his son’s dignity and identity as a family member, not a servant. Ring is a symbol of family authority and identity, robe is a sign of honor, covering his rags of failure, and sandals are worn by free family members, not slaves or servants. When we return to God, He restores our original worth, covers our shame, and confirms that we are still His cherished sons and daughters. 

What is the near occasion of sin?

The near occasion of sin is a person, place, thing, or circumstance that we know will likely lead us into temptation and cause us to sin. The promise to avoid the near occasion of sin means actively avoiding situations that make it easy or likely for us to fall back into bad habits.

T/F: God permits suffering as an opportunity for us to mature in the spiritual life

True

Is sin ever private? Provide an example of a sin that is done in the privacy of one's heart but can affect other people.

Sin is never purely private. Example: Secret hatred, resentment, or anger directly affects how that person behaves outwardly. If your heart is full of judgement toward a family member or friend, it will eventually affect your tone of voice, patience, and kindness toward them. 

How has the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation changed and developed throughout history?

In the earliest Church, Penance was a public, severe, and typically one-time ritual of remission for very grave sins. The practice introduced by Irish missionaries transformed the Sacrament into a private, personal discipline of spiritual conversion that could be repeated often for ongoing growth. 

What circumstances allow us to still be forgiven for our sins even if we don’t have a priest to confess to? Detail the motivation required in this extraordinary situation.

In extraordinary circumstances (like danger of death or being in a place without a priest), a person can receive forgiveness through an act of Perfect Contrition. The person must be moved by a deep love for God above all else (not just fear of Hell) and must have the genuine intention of confessing all mortal sins to a priest as soon as possible. 

According to St. Jerome, what is the main reason he compared sin to a snakebite, and how is this analogy used to explain the role of a priest?

St. Jerome compared sin to a snakebite because it secretly infects a person with the venom of sin. Just as a doctor cannot treat a hidden wound until it is revealed, the priest cannot apply God’s healing unless the penitent confesses the wound (the sin). Silence prevents the cure

Based on the reflection and the story of the Prodigal Son, explain the meaning of the phrase: “to confess sin is to lay the sin down and let it go.”

This phrase means that when we confess, we are not just admitting guilt; we are transferring the burden of that guilt and failure to God’s mercy. The Father’s reaction in the parable illustrates this idea because He embraces us despite our sin (He doesn’t wait for the son to clean up) and restores our dignity (ring, robe, sandals), reminding us that the sin does not define us and the shame is over.

The notes suggest a weakness in the face of certain desires often leads to habitual sin. What is the two-fold remedy recommended for outgrowing and overcoming these character weaknesses?

1. Confess the habitual sin often and right away. This helps break the cycle and keeps you accountable

2. Pray daily for the strength to resist temptation, especially around your known weaknesses