SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Absolution
also known as confession or penance is a sacrament
instituted by Christ in His love and Mercy to offer
sinners forgiveness for offenses committed against
God.
Confessions allow us to hold ourselves accountable
for these sins and seek true forgiveness.
Confession brings reconciliation between God and the
penitent, between penitent and others, and to the
individual penitent.
5 REASONS TO GO TO CONFESSION
1. Cleanse your soul.
2. Grow your relationship with God.
3. Experience divine forgiveness.
4. Relinquish (surrender) your guilt.
5. Acknowledge your sinful ways.
5 STEPS OF CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience.
2. Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3. Confess your sins.
4. Resolve to amend (change) your life.
5. After confession do the penance that priest
assigns.
DURING CONFESSION HOW DO I GO TO CONFESSION?
1. Confess your sins aloud to the priest, who
listens lovingly on behalf of Christ and the
Church.
2. Receive penance through the prayers or good
deeds the priest gives you, to begin healing
relationships hurt by your sins.
3. Act of contrition is a simple expression to God
that you are sorry for your sins and that you
resolve to leave a sin behind.
4. Receive absolution, is the word of the priest
speaks which reconcile you to God and the
Church.
AFTER CONFESSION GO IN PEACE
1. Rejoice through the grace of the sacrament of
reconciliation God has reminded you of His
unending love.
2. Resolve to leave sin behind and live in the
light.
3. Respond and follow through penance and
share the mercy you receive with others.
4 ELEMENTS OF SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION
1. Contrition
2. Confession
3. Penance
4.
5 EFFECTS OF CONFESSION
1. It reconciles us with God and the Church – we
regain the grace we lost because of sin and
we recover the relationship with God and the
Church.
2. We are forgiven – we receive the forgiveness
of all sins (mortal and venial)
3. It reduces purgatory time – confessing
diminished (reduce) at least in part, the time
we should be in purgatory for our venial sins.
4. It gives us peace – confession gives us peace
of conscience and spiritual consolation
(support) we long for.
5. It strengthens us – it provides us with the
strength we need for our spiritual battle.
Mortal sin – destroys our relationship with God and
with one another; full knowledge; eternal
punishment; forgiven by confession.
Venial sin – weaken our relationship with God and
with one another; lesser sin; temporal punishment;
forgiven by mass, penance or purgatory.
Note: repeatedly committed venial sin can LEAD us to
commit mortal sin.
7 CAPITAL SINS OR DEADLY SINS
1. Pride – is unhealthy egotistical
competitiveness.
2. Gluttony – to over-indulge, especially by over-
eating
3. Envy – Jealously towards another happiness.
4. Greed – the excessive desire for material
things.
5. Wrath – uncontrolled feelings of hatred or
anger.
6. Sloth – laziness, lack of effort.
7. Lust – unrestrained sexual craving.