Sacrament of Reconciliation

Without confession, love is destroyed.

It is impossible to imagine a vital marriage or deep friendship without confession and forgiveness. If you have done something that damages a relationship, confession is essential to its restoration. For the sake of that bond, you confess what you’ve done, you apologize, and you promise not to do it again.

In the context of religious life, confession is what we do to safeguard and renew our relationship with God whenever it is damaged. Confession restores our communion with God.

The purpose of confession is not to have one’s sins dismissed as non-sins but to be forgiven and restored to communion. As the Evangelist John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9) The apostle James wrote in a similar vein: “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (Jas 5:16)

Confession is more than disclosure of sin. It also involves praise of God and profession of faith. Without the second and third elements, the first is pointless. To the extent we deny God, we reduce ourselves to accidental beings on a temporary planet in a random universe expanding into nowhere. To the extent we have a sense of the existence of God, we discover creation confessing God’s being and see all beauty as a confession of God. We discover that faith is not so much something we have as something we experience — and we confess that experience much as glass confesses light. The Church calls certain saints “confessors” because they confessed their faith in periods of persecution even though they did not suffer martyrdom as a result. In dark, fear-ridden times, the faith shone through martyrs and confessors, giving courage to others.

In the Catholic Church we have different forms for confession:

Private Confession:

The penitent prepares to receive the Sacrament of Penance with a careful Examination of Conscience, recalling the Commandments of God,

• Ten Commandments  

  • You shall honor no other god but me
  • You shall not misuse the name of the Lord Your God
  • Remember to keep holy the Sabbath
  • Honor your father and mother
  • You shall not kill
  • You shall not commit adultery
  • You shall not steal
  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
  • You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
  • You shall not covet your neighbor's goods

and the Precepts of the Church,

• Precepts of the Church

  • You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

  • You shall confess your sins at least once a year.

  • You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.

  • You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation.

  • You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.

and the duties of a particular state of life. Silent Reflection should be accompanied by prayer, especially to the Holy Spirit, and Scripture reading. One should recall and regret all of the sins committed since the last Confession.

After the penitent has recalled all of the sins to be confessed and mentally expressed genuine sorrow for them, the confessional or other place set aside for the celebration of the Sacrament is entered.

After being welcomed by the priest, the penitent makes the sign of the cross saying: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

The priest may read a short Scripture passage, then the penitent states the time since the last confession and confesses the sins recalled during the examination of conscience, including all mortal sins.

After the sins are confessed, the priest counsels the penitent and asks the penitent to do a penance, usually some prayers or a charitable work. The penitent accepts the penance.

The penitent expresses sorrow for sin in his or her own words, or by saying an Act of Contrition,

“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the occasions of sin. Amen.”

 or by saying a short psalm of sorrow.

The priest then gives absolution saying:

"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."

The penitent replies, "Amen."

The priest then says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."

The penitent replies, "His mercy endures forever."

The penitent is then dismissed by the priest in the peace of Christ.

Communal Confession:

Communal Penance Services are usually held here at St. Bede before Christmas and Easter. The people gather in Church to prepare for the sacrament by listening to the Word of God, reciting or singing penitential psalms and hymns and participating in community prayer. The priests will help those present to examine their conscience, the penitents will then approach one of the priests. Each penitent individually confesses his or her sins. This would include all mortal sins and any others he or she wishes to confess. You then accept a penance from the priest and receive absolution. Some parishes may, after everyone has gone to confession, come back together as a community for prayer in thanksgiving for the reconciliation.

For more information please contact the rectory (847) 587-2251

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Last modified: 10/07/09