Beginning this Sunday and through Sunday, 6 April, the Sacrament of Penance will be available after the 9:30 Mass at Notre Dame and after the 11:30 Mass at Our Lady of Peace. This is in addition to our regular Saturday afternoon Confessions that are celebrated at OLP Church.
The Rite of the Sacrament of Penance begins with a greeting, and the Sign of the Cross. The penitent then expresses how long it has been since their last confession. Next, the penitent names their sins and the frequency with which those sins were committed. This helps to ascertain if the sin committed is a one-time occurrence or if the person is struggling with habitual sin. A penance is then offered – usually the recitation of prayers. This is followed by the praying of the Act of Contrition by the penitent. The penitent is then absolved of their sins and asked to give thanks and praise to God for this tremendous gift of his grace and mercy.
When you are absolved of your sins by a priest (or bishop) your sins are cleansed and removed from you. The sins that you confessed and are cleansed from are then taken on by the priest who absolved you. Recall that at the Crucifixion, Jesus became sin by likewise taking on the sins of all humanity. When we confess our sins in the Sacrament of Penance, we are recalling the Crucifixion by uniting those sins to the sacrifice of Jesus. The ritual of absolution allows that transference of sins to occur. It is then the responsibility of the priest who absolved you to offer up those sins, and all other sins he has absolved, at his next Mass. At the Eucharistic consecration those sins are then forgiven, once and for all, by God the Father.
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you.” “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this is memory of me.”
Notice that the words of consecration mention the sacrifice of Jesus – “given up for you.” As well as the purpose of that sacrifice – “for the forgiveness of sins.” Only a priest or a bishop may minister the Sacrament of Penance since only a priest or bishop may consecrate the Eucharist. A deacon is not ordained to consecrate; therefore, a deacon is not ordained to absolve sins. Similarly, privately expressing your sorrow to God apart from the Sacrament of Penance, while extremely worthwhile and spiritually uplifting, does not result in the transference or cleansing of your sins.
A precept of the Catholic Church requires Catholics to confess their sins in the Sacrament of Penance at least annually. The ninety days between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost is an ideal time for the Sacrament of Penance.
Quick Glance Catechism…
Sacraments: Confession / Reconciliation / Penance
1. Confession: Confession is when we admit something we have done is wrong by telling our sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
2. Conversion: It is a profound change of heart toward God, accepting His grace and turning away from sin.
3. Absolution: is the forgiveness of God given through the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To absolve means “to wash.”
4. Act of Contrition: is a prayer that tells God how sorry we are for our sins.
5. Examination of conscience: It is an organized way to remember and decide whether our words and actions show love for God and others. It can help us change bad habits.
6. Forgive: To forgive means to excuse or to pardon. Forgiveness is when we become friends with someone we have hurt or who has hurt us.
7. Moral virtues: The moral virtues are four spiritual qualities-temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude-that help us avoid sin.
8. Mortal sin: A mortal sin occurs when a gravely sinful act is committed with full understanding and consent of the will. If not repented in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it separates us from God’s sanctifying grace, which is needed to enter heaven.
9. Venial sin: A venial sin is a less serious sin that wounds but does not destroy the divine life in the soul. It weakens our love for God and others and can lead to mortal sin.
10. Minister of the Sacrament: A priest (or a Bishop) alone is the minister of the sacrament of penance, not a deacon.
11. Seal of Confession: The sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore, it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.