Reconciliation

 The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

o The Sacrament through which sins committed after Baptism can be forgiven, and reconciliation with God and community can be effected

o It goes by all three of these names: Reconciliation, Penance, and Confession

Minister: Priest (including bishops, because bishops are priests)

Matter: The confession of sins (Other versions of the study guide say contrition, confession of sins, and intention to make amends, but the really essential matter is the confession of sins – the others just influence the validity of the sacrament)

Forms: The words of absolution that are said by the priest at the end of the Sacrament: “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

o Biblical Background for Reconciliation:

1. Logic based on biblical truths:

 God has the authority to forgive our sins.

 Jesus is God.

 Jesus has the authority to forgive sins (like He does with the paralytic who was lowered down

through the roof of the house – “Your sins are forgiven.”)

 Jesus has the authority to SHARE that authority with others who will exercise it in His name.

2. We actually see Jesus giving the Apostles authority to forgive sins:

 John 20—Jesus, on the night of His Resurrection, breathes on the Apostles and tells them,

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

o Why have a Sacrament of Confession?

1. Sin ruptures communion with God and with the Church.

2. Confession is the “second plank of salvation after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace”

(Tertullian, who is one of the Church Fathers) –

 Baptism washes away our sins, but Confession gives us a chance for spiritual healing for sins that

we commit after Baptism.

o Must confess mortal sins at least once a year (although if you are aware that you have committed a grave sin, you

should try to go to Confession as soon as possible)

o If I have committed a mortal sin, I must not receive the Eucharist until having gone to Confession for it. To do so

would be to commit the grave sin of sacrilege (mistreatment of something that is holy).

o The Church takes the importance of the Sacrament of Confession and the dignity of penitents so seriously that it has

the seal of Confession.

1. The Seal of Confession – A priest must keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have

confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that he learns in Confession.

2. There are no exceptions to the seal of Confession. A priest must not break it for any reason.

 Sin (and Not Yet Sin)

o Concupiscence: inclination to sin (part of our fallen nature)

o Temptation: an attraction to sin, either from outside or from within oneself

 It is not a sin until your will says “yes”

o Personal sin: sin you have personally committed (as opposed to original sin)

o Habitual sin: sin that has been repeated multiple times and has become a habit that is hard to break

o Venial sin: less serious sin; failure to observe moderation in lesser matters of the moral law, or acting

without full knowledge or complete consent in grave matters

o Mortal sin: serious sin that destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law

 3 conditions for sin to be mortal:

 Grave matter

 Full Knowledge

 Complete Consent

o Sin of omission: sin resulting from a failure to act when you should have

o Culpable: deserving of blame

o The 3 acts of the penitent (the penitent is the person who is going to Confession):

1. Contrition (sorrow at the sins I have committed and a firm resolution not to sin again)

 I must be motived at least by imperfect contrition:

o Imperfect Contrition—sorrow for sin motivated by fear of Hell

o Perfect Contrition—sorrow for sin motivated by love of God

 Examen: daily exercise of reflecting on the morality of one’s conduct

 The good disposition required for the Sacrament of Confession is contrition

2. Confession of Sins

 Must at least confess each mortal sin (serious sin) and not consciously hide them when making one’s confession

 Also strongly encouraged to confess venial sins (less serious sins) as well

o “The regular confession of our venial sins helps us (1) form our conscience, (2) fight

against evil tendencies, (3) let ourselves be healed by Christ and (4) progress in the

life of the Spirit.” (CCC 1458)

 Absolution: the total remission of the guilt and penalty of sin

 Act of Contrition: a prayer in which we express sorrow for our sins out of love for God, as well as our commitment not to sin again

3. Penance/Satisfaction (an outward expression of sorrow)

 Do the penance the priest asks you to do.

o This is usually something like a prayer to pray, an act of charity to accomplish, or an act

of self-denial.

 Gives us a chance to help repair the harm done by sin and to cooperate with Christ in making amends for our sin. It also helps us to turn back to the habits of being a disciple of Christ.

 Completing your penance is an essential part of receiving forgiveness through this Sacrament. If you forget to do your penance, you should confess that later.

o Effects of Reconciliation:

1. Reconciles us with God (restored friendship with Him)

2. Reconciles us with the Church

3. Gives peace of conscience (You get the relief of not having carry that sin anymore.)

4. Gives the grace to fight against sin in the future

5. Takes away the eternal punishment (If committed a mortal sin, no longer have to go to Hell. That sin has

been forgiven. You’re back in friendship with God.)

6. Takes away at least part of the temporal punishment due to sin

 Sin has a double consequence –

o Grave sin comes with eternal punishment, meaning that if it goes unrepented and

unconfessed, it makes the person incapable of having eternal life in heaven.

o All sin, though, spiritually injures and weakens the sinner and his or her relationships

with God and others. It builds up unhealthy attachments in the sinner that need to be

purified before heaven. These results of sin are called temporal punishment. The

purification that needs to happen in response to temporal punishment can take place

during one’s life on earth (through the graces of Confession, prayer, works of mercy, acts

of penance, indulgences, etc.) and, if necessary, also after one’s death in Purgatory.

o Penitential Seasons

1. Lent: a time of prayer and penance to examine our lives and deepen our conversion to Christ

2. Advent: a time to practice waiting patiently for Christ (in our lives, in our world, at Christmas, and at his Second Coming)

3. Every Friday of the year: the Church requires us to offer some sacrifice, in union with Christ’s passion

o Indulgences

1. A spiritual practice that allows the faithful to receive partial or complete (plenary) remission of the temporal punishment for previously committed sins whose guilt has already been sacramentally forgiven

2. NOT a way to merit or “purchase” God’s forgiveness, or to “build up” forgiveness for possible future sins

Five Parts of the Mass (be able to list the five major parts of the Mass in order)

1. Opening Rites

a. Sign of the Cross

b. Penitential Rite (Kyrie / Lord Have Mercy)

c. Gloria (on feast days and solemnities)

d. Collect (opening prayer)

2. Liturgy of the Word

a. First Reading

b. Psalm

c. Second Reading (on feasts or solemnities)

d. Alleluia and verse

e. Gospel (proclaimed by priest or deacon)

f. Homily (given by priest or deacon)

g. Profession of faith (on solemnities, Sundays, and special occasions)

h. Prayers of the Faithful

3. Liturgy of the Eucharist

a. Offertory

b. Eucharistic Prayer

i. Preface (priest expresses thanksgiving and praise for all of God’s gifts)

ii. Sanctus / Holy, Holy, Holy

iii. First half of the Eucharistic Prayer

1. Epiclesis (priest extends his hands over the bread and wine and calls down the Holy Spirit upon

them)

2. Consecration (priest holds the gifts and pronounces the words of Institution over them. They

become the Body and Blood of Christ)

iv. Second half of the Eucharistic Prayer

1. Anamnesis (Memorial Acclamation)

2. Oblation (the priest prays and offers the sacrifice to the Father)

3. Intercessions (the priest invokes the saints, and prays for the dead)

v. Doxology (“Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours,

Almighty Father, forever and ever)

vi. Amen

4. Communion Rite

a. The Lord’s Prayer

b. The Sign of Peace

c. Agnus Dei / Lamb of God (during the Lamb of God, the priest breaks the host and places a small part of the host in

the chalice, praying prayers quietly)

d. Communion

e. Prayer after

5. Closing Rites

a. Optional announcements

b. Greeting and blessing

c. Dismissal (said by a deacon, if one is present)