Church of the Annunciation
1st Reconciliation Parent Meeting
January 10, 2016
Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense
committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded
by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion. (CCC 1422)
Catechism: 1422-1498
Important Dates:
 1st Reconciliation Retreat: March 2nd or March 12th
--chosen by majority vote via Doodle Poll (coming through email)
 Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation: Saturday, April 2nd at 11:30
Discussion Questions:
 What was the last time you had to forgive someone?
 What was the last time you had to ask for forgiveness from someone?
 Which is more difficult: forgiving or asking for forgiveness?
 What are examples of forgiveness from society?
 How does your family “do” forgiveness?
Sacrament:
 Action of God breaking into the history of our lives
o 7 definitive moments
 Cause of grace in our lives
 Baptism
o Tangible sign of God’s love in the world
o Complete and irreversible transformation
o Points us to Eucharist
o Effect:
 Forgiveness of Sin (Original)
 Membership in Body of Christ
 Eucharist
o Primary, source and summit of life as a Catholic
o All Sacraments (and all of life) point to and flow from the Eucharist
 Reconciliation
o Brief History
 Early Church, “confessing of sins”, public, once in a lifetime, long penance
 Irish Monks in 6th Century made it private
 4th Lateran Council, 1215 became official Sacrament
o Point was to be back in “communion” with the Body of Christ—Eucharist
Signs of Readiness:
 Able to recognize the difference between actions done “accidentally” or “on purpose”
 Know the 3 elements of sin:
o Doing something wrong
o Knowing it is wrong
o Doing it on purpose
 Says “I’m sorry” without prompting
 Forgives others
 Interest in receiving God’s forgiveness
 Being sorry for fear of punishment versus being sorry for offending God whom we love
Vocabulary:
 Sin
 Contrition
 Confession
 Penance
 Absolution
Concepts:
 God our Father made us because He loves us.
 Baptism makes us children of God, members of His family, the Church.
o ALL sin is communal. It hurts our relationship with God, and with the Church.
o ALL forgiveness is communal. It brings us and the Church back together again.
 God always loves us, no matter what. He never stops loving s.
 God wants us to love Him, others and ourselves.
 Listening to God’s Word and following his laws makes us free and gives us peace.
 We sin when we disobey God on purpose. Sin offends God.
o Sin is any willful thought, word or action that disobeys God
o Venial Sin—hurts our friendship with God
o Mortal Sin—completely destroys our relationship with God
 Sacrament of Reconciliation—we receive and celebrate God’s loving mercy and forgiveness of
our sins
 God is always ready to forgive our sins when we are sorry. With joy he welcomes us back to his
family
 God wants us to forgive others, too. (Think: Our Father, “…forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive…”
 Reconciliation--- re: again conciliation: to bring together
o God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament brings us, and the others (the Church) back together
again
Scripture:
 Authority to Forgive Sin—Jn.20:21-23; Lk. 10:16; Mt.16:19, 28:18-20
 Church’s Authority--Mt.16:19, 18:18




The Lost Sheep and Lost Coin—Luke 15:1-10
The Prodigal Son—Luke 15:11-32
Forgiveness—Matthew 18:21-22
God’s Complete Love—Romans 8:31-39
Act of Contrition:
 Sorrow for sin (Oh my God, I am heartily sorry…)
 Renunciation of sin (I detest all of my sins…)
 Firm purpose of amendment (I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace…)
Prayer of Absolution:
God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of your son, you have reconciled the
world to yourself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of
the church, may God grant you pardon and peace. And I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Effects of the Sacrament:
1. The restoration or increase of sanctifying grace
2. The forgiveness of sins
3. The remission of the eternal punishment, if necessary, and also of part, at least, of the temporal
punishment, due to our sins
4. The help to avoid sin in the future
5. The restoration of the merits of our good works if they have been lost by mortal sin
Steps for the Sacrament:
1. Sign of the Cross, Welcome and Invitation
2. Confession (“Bless me Father, for I have sinned. This is my first Confession. These are my sins…”)
3. Counsel and Penance
4. Act of Contrition
5. Absolution and Farewell
6. Penance
“The pastoral question is not whether or not a child at this age can commit mortal sin, but rather the
moral and pastoral assumption that children this age are "de facto" in need of healing and
reconciliation. The entire pastoral tone and teaching is one that emphasizes that we have a
responsibility to teach children how to discover God's grace in their own hearts and how to recognize
evil and sinful trends which may now touch their lives and which later may bring them profound harm.
Therefore, we should lead children to thank God for the gift of grace that they have received and help
them to be more aware of their need to be healed, to forgive, and to be forgiven. We want to lead the
child to "the greatest purity" and this purity is fostered in the frequent us of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.” Congregation for Sacraments and Divine Worship, 1977
Examination of Conscience:
1st Commandment- You shall not have other
6th Commandment-You shall not commit
gods besides Me
adultery
 Do my daily actions show I love God?
 Have I shown respect for my body and
the bodies of others?
 Do I live “loving God with my entire mind,
all my heart, and all my soul”?
 Am I modest in the way I dress, speak
and act?
 Do I choose to do what God wants for me
over what I want for myself?
 Have I told, listened, or watched things
that I know I shouldn’t?
 Do I replace God in my life with things
from this world: TV, Video Games, sports,
 Have I been virtuous in the things I think,
etc.
say and do?
2nd Commandment-You shall not use God’s
name in vain
 Do my words show I respect God, myself
and others?
 Have I used God’s Name when I was not
really talking to Him or about him?
 Do I use bad words?
7th Commandment-You shall not steal
 Do I take care of my own property?
 Have I shown respect for the things that
belong to others?
 Have I taken something which does not
belong to me?
 Do I avoid cheating in school?
3rd Commandment-Remember to keep God’s
day holy
 Do I listen and pay attention at Mass?
 Have I misbehaved during Mass?
 Do I complain about going to Mass?
8th Commandment-You shall not lie
 Do I try to tell the truth at all times?
 Have I told things that were only partly
true?
 Do I gossip about others or say bad things
about them?
 Do I tease people or call them names?
4th Commandment—Honor your father and your
mother
 Do I obey my parents?
 Have I obeyed my parents even when
they are not present?
 Am I kind and helpful to all family
members?
 Do I follow the rules at home and in
school?
5th Commandment-You shall not kill
 Do I take care of my health?
 Have I been kind to others?
 Do I try to avoid fighting or hurting
others?
 Have I fought with anyone?
 Have I expressed my anger in unhealthy
ways?
9th Commandment-You shall not covet your
neighbor’s wife
 Do I should love for all family members?
 Am I jealous of my siblings or friends?
 Do I demand constant attention?
10th Commandment-You shall not covet your
neighbor’s goods
 Am I satisfied with what I have or am I
feeling jealous of others?
 Do I make sure that others have a fair
share?
 Do I take care and respect my
possessions, and the possessions of
others?
 Am I wasteful?