The Sacrament of Penance

The Sacrament through which sins

committed after Baptism can be
forgiven
Also known as:
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Healing
The Sacrament of Confession

The Prodigal Son

Jesus spent much of his ministry healing those who

were sick and forgiving sins.

What are some stories you can think of that

show God forgiving sins?

Woman caught in adultery John 8:10-11

Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do.
Go, your sins are forgiven.
Thief on the cross Lk 23:39
Repent and believe in the gospel
Your faith has saved you
Jesus healing and forgiving on the Sabbath
Mk 2:8-12

Mary Magdalene washes Jesus feet with her

tears and anoints his feet Lk 7:37

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many

tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and
his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his
disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors
and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not

the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. But go and learn what this means:
'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I
have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners."

At Baptism, all of our sins are washed away. Because we live

in a fallen world, however, we have a tendency to sin again at
least once between our baptism and our death. For this
reason, Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance.
When we sin, we freely and
deliberately choose evil instead of
good.

To be forgiven, we must first

have a conversion of heart.

A conversion is a turning. In this case, away

from sin and towards the Gospel.

The penitent (one confessing) goes through 3 steps during the

Sacrament of Penance

1. Contrition true sorrow for the sins

committed, a rejection of the sin committed and a
resolve not to sin again.

Perfect contrition
arises out of a pure love of
God.
This leads to a remittance of venial
sins and the forgiveness of mortal
sins if there is a firm resolution to
celebrate the sacrament of Penance
as soon as possible

Imperfect contrition
arises out of the ugliness of
sin and our fear of eternal
damnation or other
penalties.
This disposes us to obtain
forgiveness but does not obtain
the forgiveness of grave sins

2. Confession the telling of sins to the priest involves admitting guilt and
taking responsibility for the sins we have committed.

All grave sins that

are remembered
through an
examination of
conscience must be
confessed.

The confession of venial sins is strongly recommended but is not

necessary.

Why do we have to confess to a priest?

Because Christ set it up that way:

You are Peter and upon this rock I

will build my ChurchI will give
you the key to the kingdom of
heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. Matt
16:16

When we sin we not only hurt God, we hurt

ourselves and the body of Christthe Church.

Therefore, we must ask forgiveness from God AND from the

Church.both of them are present in the priest.

We also need to heal

Doing something concrete
helps us take visible steps
forward on our walk with
God.

Priests can offer good

advice to help us
overcome sins.

Confession itself is a remedy to pride!

The Seal of Confession

The minister of the sacrament CANNOT
reveal to ANYONE what is confessed in the
sacrament!

Many priests have DIED

upholding this command!

If the seal is broken, the priest can

no longer celebrate the
sacraments.

3. Satisfaction repairing the damage caused by the sin

Penance a voluntary suffering or

punishment to show repentance for a
wrong doing.
Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving are the
three main ways to perform penance.

Some others may include:

Standing up for what is right

Reaching out to those in need

Participating in the liturgical seasons and
days of penance, especially Lent

Reading Sacred Scripture

Asking forgiveness from
someone we have harmed

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the

Our Father and other prayers

After we have confessed our sins, said an act of contrition and

promised to fulfill an act of penance, the priest can offer us

absolution complete forgiveness of our sins.

Acting in the name of Christ,

the priest will extend his hands
over the penitent and say

God, the father of mercies, through the death and

resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit 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.

Going to confession and performing our penance frees us

from the eternal

punishment of sin.
God says, I forgive you.

The Temporal Punishment for sin remains after the

sacrament. This can be paid by purifying ourselves of unhealthy
attachment to this world either in this life or in purgatory.
We still have to pay for the window
that was broken!

An indulgence is a special mercy the Church offers to rid us from the

temporal punishment. It generally consists of making a specific sacrifice,
going to confession, receiving the Eucharist at Mass and saying certain
prayers.

Remember, Christ came to heal the sick

The Church requires that you go to confession

at least once a year.

Most spiritual advisors recommend once a month.

In a nutshell
Essential elements:
Matter contrition, confession and
a firm purpose of amendment

Minister:
Only an ordained priest or bishop

Form words of absolution by the

priest or bishop

Effects:
1. Forgiveness of ALL sin

Implications:
1. Thanksgiving for Gods
forgiveness of sins indicated
by efforts to keep the promise
to avoid sin in the future.

2. Grace to resist sin in the future

2. Ongoing conversion turning from sin

and to the Lord by penance and an intention
to sin no more.

Tips for making a good confession:

Be Honest and truthful in there!

To make a good confession, you must truly be

sorry for your sins and make the promise not to
sin again and to stay away from situations that
lead you into sin.

Go in and say bless me father for I

have sinned, it has been ______
since my last confession

Tell him your sins. If it is mortal, say so and say

what it was and why you chose to do italso
how many times you have done it.

If you are not sure whether or not

something is a sinASK!
Listen to the priests advice and ask him
questions if you do not understand something.
Make and act of contrition and meditate on
Christs sacrifice while you receive
absolution. Remember you are
promising not to sin again!

If you forgot a big sin in a past

confession, tell the priest and
confess it to him.
Receive your penance and make
sure you understand it.
Do your penance promptly
and devoutly as soon
as you can.