Sacrament of penance | provincial-custody

Sacrament of reconciliation

is called, "the house of God,"

for sinners are reconciled there,

just as the prodigal son was

reconciled with his father who

welcomed him back home.

It is also called, "the gate of paradise,"

because through it the penitent

can kiss the feet, the hands,

and the face of our heavenly Father.

O house of God!

O Confession,

O gate of Paradise

St. Anthony of Padua.

ACT OF CONTRITION

Holy Father,

like the prodigal son

I seek your mercy.

I have sinned against you,

I am no longer worthy

to be called your child.

Jesus Christ,

Savior of the world,

You opened the doors of Paradise

to the Good Thief.

Remember me in your kingdom.

Holy Spirit,

source of peace and love,

help me to be purified from every sin

and reconciled to the Father

so that I might always

live as a child of the light

Once you recieve absolution for your sins, you will hear the priest say: "Praise the Lord for He is good." Your response is : "His mercy endures forever."

After you leave the confessional,

you can express your gratitude to the Lord

who welcomed and pardoned you.

Now that you have been reconceiled with God,

you should try to live each day as a

living witness to God's reconciliation

When the Holy Spirit inspires someone to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it means that the Spirit is calling that person to:

-----return to God's love with his/her whole heart. This means that one is willing to express contrition for one's sins and is proposing not to commit thise sins again. (The commitment to conversion is essential for the validity of the sacrament.)

-------confess his/her sins to the Church which received the Holy Spirit from the risen Christ for the forgiveness of sins: "Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive ... (Jn 20:23). God grants forgiveness of sins through the priest who acts in the name of the Church.

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Before Going for Confession

It is good idea to spend some time in SILENCE and PRAY, opening one's heart to the LORD. Ask God to inspire you with HIS WORD, and REFLECT upon what ha happened since last confession (including both the gifts that God has given you and the sins that you have committed.)

Examination of Conscience

Guide your reflection with the Word of God

"You Shall love the Lord your God, with your whole heart..."
"You shall tìlove your neigbour as yourself." (Mt. 22:35-40)

Take that bold step and enter the Confessional

When you enter the confessional, feel free to confess behind the gate or face to face with the priest. After he has greeted you, you can let him know when you last time you had confession. You might also let him know how old you are, what you do for living, what your family status is, etc. This will help the priest to understand better what you are saying and to give you some appropriate advice.

When you confess your sins, responding to whatever questions the priest might have, listening to the advice he offers. The penance he assigns is a sign of your commitment to conversion. You will then be asked to express your sorrow for your sins with an

act of contrition