Reconciliation

" When you go to confession, you must understand what you are about to do: you are about to un-nail our Lord. The Lord is more anxious to forgive our sins than a woman is to carry her baby out of a burning building." St. Jean Vianney

 

"In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on aacount of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance." - St. Thomas Aquinas

 

"Confession is an act of honesty and courage - an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God." - Saint John Paul II

Confession Schedule

Wednesday:: 8:30am (until last penitent)


Thursday:: 7:00pm - 8:00pm


Saturday:: 3:30pm (until last penitent)


Please check our main page on our website or our Facebook page for any changes or cancellations. Thank you. 

"The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibilty for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible." Catechism of the Catholic Church 1455

Courtesy from The Light is On

 

Before Confession

Pray and Prepare

Consider using an examination of conscience to reflect in preparation for your confession.

 

Here are two versions of the examination of conscience, both based on the Ten Commandments. 

During Confession

  • 1.) Confess: Confess your sins aloud to the priest, who listens lovingly on behalf of Christ and the Church.
  • 2.) Receive Penance: The prayers or good deeds the priest gives us, so that you may begin healing the relationships hurt by your sins.
  • 3.) Act of Contrition: A simple expression to God that we are sorry for our sins and that we resolve to leave sin behind and live in the light. 
  • 4.) Receive Absolution: The words the priest speaks which reconcile us to God and the church. 

ACT OF CONTRITION

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. in choosing to do wrong and failling to do good. I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. 

Greeting: The priest will welcome you; he may say a short blessing or read a Scripture passage. 

 

Sign of the Cross: Together, you and the priest will make the Sign of the Cross. You may then begin your confession with these or similiar words: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (give weeks, months, or years) since my last confession." 

 

Confession: Confess all your sins to the priest. If you are unsure what to say, ask the preist for help. When you are finished, conclude with these or simliar words: "I am sorry for these and all my sins."

 

Penance: The priest will propose an act of penance. The penance might be prayer, a work of mercy, or an act of charity. He might also counsel you on how to better live a Christian life. 

 

Act of Contrition: Say an Act of Contrition, expressing sorrow for you sins and resolving to leave sin behind and live mroe like Jesus Christ! 

 

Absolution: the priest then blesses you in the person of Christ as he says the prayer of Absolution which fress you from your sins. 

After Confession 

Go in Peace

 

  • Rejoice: Through the grace of the sacrament of reconciliation God has reminded you of His unending love!
  • Resolve: Resolve to leave sin behind and live in the light! 
  • Respond: Follow through with thte penance the priest gave you and share the mercy you received with others.

FAQs (Courtesy of Catholic Answers)

Why do I have to go to a priest for confession instead of going straight to God? After all, the Bible says that "there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5)

 

The Lord does want us to come to Him when we fall into sin. He wants to bring us forgiveness so much that He gave the apostles the power to forgive sins. This power given to the apostles and their successors does not come from within them but from God. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus gave the apostles authority over unclean spirits, the authority to heal, the authority to raise people from the dead, etc. No Christian assumes that these powers came from the men themselves, since God is the one that has chosen to use them to manifest His power and mercy. 

 

In the words of Paul, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18). The apostles and their successors are merely ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), bringing His forgiveness to the world through the sacraments and the message of the gospel. If God has chosen to bring His message of forgiveness to the world by means of sinful, human ambassadors, why would He not be able to give these messengers the power to forgive and retain sins? Any why would this not be a natural way for Jesus to extent His merciful presence on earth for all generations?

 

If Jesus has set up a way for us to draw near to Him and receive His grace, why should we prefer another route? We would be like the three-year-old with his father who, in a rush to get home from the store, begins to run. "Let me pick you up," the father offers. The child says, 'No, Dad. I'm fast. Just watch me." It takes them much longer to get home because the child's pride prevents him from accepting his father's help. Likewise, God does hear us when we ask for forgiveness, but it is dangerous and often prideful to stay away from what the saints call the "medicine box" - the confessional. Why would a person wish to overcome their sins alone when they have the God-given power of the apostles' successors at their disposal?

 

Doesn't confession of one's sins imply that Christ's work was insufficient? The Bible says that if I believe that Jesus is Lord, I'll be saved. 

 

The passage you reffered to is Acts 16"31, which reads, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." Sounds pretty simple. However, the Bible says much more about salvation and forgiveness. Jesus repeatedly affirmed that if we do not forgive others, we will not be forgiven (Matt. 6:15). When Jesus breathed on the apostles in John 20, He gave them the power to retain sins. Buf if one's salvation is contingent upon nothing other than a verbal profession of faith, then there is no reason why Jesus would given any man the power to reatin sins. In the midst of all of these passages what we need to be careful of is that we do not camp out on one particular Bible passage without consulting the rest of Scripture. 

 

It is because of the work of Christ that we obtain forgiveness. All Christians can agree on that. What needs to be discussed is how that forgiveness come to mankind. When Ananias spoke to Paul in Acts 22:16, he said, "And now why do you wait? Rose and be baptized, and wash away your sins" (Acts 22:16). Later in the New Testament, the forgiveness of sins is tied to the sacrament of the annointing of the sick (James 5:13-15). Just as these Biblical practives are channels of God's forgiving grace, the sacrament of confession does not add to or take away from the finished work of Christ. It is evidence of the finished work of Christ in our midst.