What is sin?
Unfortunately, in society today, many people have lost the understanding of sin. Our Holy Father has stated that “it happens not infrequently in history, for more or less lengthy periods of time and under the influence of many different factors, that the moral conscience of many people becomes seriously clouded. . . . In our day, many people have lost the sense of sin and feel that they can do whatever they wish without considering or fearing the consequences. For such people, the term “sin” has no meaning. Yet we know that sin is a terrible evil which all of us must come to understand and with which all of us must struggle. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sin “is an offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God”
Why is Reconciliation necessary?
We need the sacrament of Reconciliation because each of us, from time to time, sins. When we recognize that we have offended God who is all deserving of our love, we sense the need to make things right. Like the prodigal son in the Gospel, we long to know again the loving embrace of a forgiving father who patiently waits for each of us. Jesus himself has established this sure and certain way for us to access God’s mercy and to know that our sins are forgiven. By virtue of his divine authority, Jesus gives this power of absolution to the apostolic ministry. We need to know that our sins are forgiven. There is something in our human nature that calls out for the assurance that our sins are actually forgiven. Confession is the visible manifestation of God’s mercy that provides us, in human terms as well, the clear awareness that God has forgiven us.
Why do I receive a penance?
To complete the process, a penance is imposed. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all disorders caused by sin. While we are not capable of truly satisfying God for the evil we have done and its consequences, we must make satisfaction for our sin through some action or prayer that will express our desire to make amends and to repair something of the disorder, damage or harm which our sinful actions have brought into the world. The penance imposed takes into account the penitent’s personal situation and serves to support his or her spiritual good. It corresponds as much as possible to the gravity of the sins confessed. It may be a prayer, an offering, works of mercy, sacrifices or service to another. But this penance is in a real way our share in the Cross and helps us to be more closely joined to Christ.
Examination of Conscience
As you prepare to make a good confession, you want to ask God’s forgiveness for any way in which you have offended him but particularly for any serious sin. Using the 10 Commandments as a guide, you can make a thorough examination of your conscience and behavior.
Essential requirements of a good confession:
(1) Examination of conscience, (2) Sorrow for sins, (3) Promise to avoid future sin, (4) Confession of sins, (5) Fulfillment of penance.
1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’S Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Types of Sin
Venial Sin, according to the Catechism, “does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it” (1855). Venial sin is a failure to observe necessary moderation, in lesser matters of the moral law, or in grave matters acting without full knowledge or complete consent”
Mortal Sin is defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as “a grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life in the soul of the sinner (sanctifying grace), constituting a turning away from God. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be present: grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and full consent of the will”.
How to go to Confession
Enter the confessional and bless yourself saying, “Bless me Father for I have sinned.
It has been ___ (months/years) since my last confession.
”List your sins, concluding with “For these and all my sins, I am truly sorry.”
Give Father a chance to speak to you and recite an Act of Contrition…
“Oh my God I am heartily sorry for having offended you
and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments,
but mostly because they offend you my God who is all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolved with the help of thy grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.”
Receive and act on the penance given to you by the priest.