Form:
"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us 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."
Matter:
The individual's sins, contrition, the confession of sins, and the priest's words of absolution is the matter of Reconciliation.
Minister:
A priest or a bishop are the only ones who may hear a confession and absolve sins in the name of Christ
It is always Jesus who forgives our sins.
The priest/bishop stand in, representing the Church and offers us Christ's forgiveness.
Rite:
Reconciliation begins with the examination of Conscience. The person hoping to receive Reconciliation must examine their conscience to find their sins, both mortal and venial. Once in the Church, the person must go to the priest, where they say, "Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been (time) since I have last been to confession." The person will confess all of their sins to the priest, confessing mortal sins first, the most serious sins, and venial sins after, sins that weaken our relationship with God, but do not destroy it. After all the sins are confessed, the priest says, "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us 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." After the sins are forgiven, the person is given a penance, or punishment for their sins. These can vary based on the severity and relevance to the sins. All sins confessed are forgiven once the penance is done.
"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us 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."
Matter:
The individual's sins, contrition, the confession of sins, and the priest's words of absolution is the matter of Reconciliation.
Minister:
A priest or a bishop are the only ones who may hear a confession and absolve sins in the name of Christ
It is always Jesus who forgives our sins.
The priest/bishop stand in, representing the Church and offers us Christ's forgiveness.
Rite:
Reconciliation begins with the examination of Conscience. The person hoping to receive Reconciliation must examine their conscience to find their sins, both mortal and venial. Once in the Church, the person must go to the priest, where they say, "Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been (time) since I have last been to confession." The person will confess all of their sins to the priest, confessing mortal sins first, the most serious sins, and venial sins after, sins that weaken our relationship with God, but do not destroy it. After all the sins are confessed, the priest says, "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us 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." After the sins are forgiven, the person is given a penance, or punishment for their sins. These can vary based on the severity and relevance to the sins. All sins confessed are forgiven once the penance is done.
My First Reconciliation Experience
On my first Reconciliation, I was very nervous to confess my sins. I thought that the priest would judge me for all my sins, even though I knew I have not committed and mortal sins. I remember walking into the Church with my 2nd grade class and we were all very nervous. When we got into the Church, we saw that there were many different priests we could go to. I chose my favorite priest and I remember him being very nice to me, which comforted me and made me less nervous. Once I confessed my sins, I felt so much better. The priest was very understanding and it helped my nerves so much. Once I was cleansed from all my sins, I realized how much God meant to me and I had a new respect and love for him. As nervous as I was going into my first reconciliation, I came out of it feeling like a changed person.
When is Reconciliation offered at St. Agnes?
Reconciliation is offered at St. Agnes on Saturdays, the Eve of Holy Days, Mondays following the 7:30pm Mass, the Eve of the First Friday from 4:00pm-4:45pm, and Wednesdays following the 7:45am and 12:10pm masses.
Examination of Conscience
An examination of conscience is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God.” It is used before Reconciliation to help the person find the sins they committed to be prepared to confess them. It is a way of searching the mind to prepare yourself for confession and to keep yourself from sinning again.
On my first Reconciliation, I was very nervous to confess my sins. I thought that the priest would judge me for all my sins, even though I knew I have not committed and mortal sins. I remember walking into the Church with my 2nd grade class and we were all very nervous. When we got into the Church, we saw that there were many different priests we could go to. I chose my favorite priest and I remember him being very nice to me, which comforted me and made me less nervous. Once I confessed my sins, I felt so much better. The priest was very understanding and it helped my nerves so much. Once I was cleansed from all my sins, I realized how much God meant to me and I had a new respect and love for him. As nervous as I was going into my first reconciliation, I came out of it feeling like a changed person.
When is Reconciliation offered at St. Agnes?
Reconciliation is offered at St. Agnes on Saturdays, the Eve of Holy Days, Mondays following the 7:30pm Mass, the Eve of the First Friday from 4:00pm-4:45pm, and Wednesdays following the 7:45am and 12:10pm masses.
Examination of Conscience
An examination of conscience is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God.” It is used before Reconciliation to help the person find the sins they committed to be prepared to confess them. It is a way of searching the mind to prepare yourself for confession and to keep yourself from sinning again.