Reconciliation/Confession
Confession times:
Saturday: 3:00PM - 4:30PM English/Español
- In the Main Church
Penance & ReconciLIATION
Not only does it [the Sacrament of Penance] free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
Steps for a Good Confession
- Greet the priest. Make the sign of the Cross followed by:
"Bless me father for I have sinned..."
(This is my first confession) OR (state how long). These are my sins....
2. Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest.
3. Listen to the advice the priest gives you and accept the penance from him. Then make an Act of Contrition for your sins.
Act of Contrition
(alternate form)
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.
4. The priest will then say the prayer of absolution and dismiss you with the words of praise; "The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace." And you respond saying: "Thanks be to God."
5. Pray your penance in the church. Spend some time with Our Lord thanking and praising him for the gift of his mercy. Your confession is not finished until your penance has been completed.
A new creation...
"So, whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So, we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him."
~ 2 Corinthians 5:18
