RECONCILATION
Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
Wed 11:45 am - 12 noon
Thur 11:45 am - 12 noon
Fri 11:45 - 12 noon
Sat 5:00 pm - 5:20 pm
Sun 7:40 am - 7:55 am 10:30 am - 10:55 am 7:40 pm - 7:55 pm
The whole Church, as a priestly people, acts in different ways in the work of reconciliation which has been entrusted to it by the Lord. Not only does the Church call sinners to repentance by preaching the Word of God, but it also intercedes for them and helps penitents with care and solicitude to admit their sins and so obtain the mercy of God. The Church becomes the instrument of the conversion and absolution of the penitent through the ministry entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and their successors when he breathed on them after his resurrection and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, shall be forgiven…” (see Gospel of John). One of the ways the Church seeks to fulfill this call to be Christ’s ambassador of reconciliation is through the sacrament of Reconciliation which in times past has been called by such names as “Penance” and “Confession” because of those elements of the sacrament. The priest in his role thus serves as a sign of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, which in communion with Jesus its “head” serves as a channel of the Father’s mercy, emptying the heart of sin and filling it anew with the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of holiness.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered 30 miniutes before Saturday evening mass from 5:00 pm to 5:20 pm. and 30 minutes before each Sunday morning mass from 7:30 am to 7:50 am & 10:30 am to 10:50 am. There are also special Advent and Lenten communal celebrations of the sacrament (according to Form II) which are offered in those seasons as we prepare as a people for the festive seasons of Christmas and Easter as we seek to be more dead to sin and alive anew in Christ’s Spirit of holiness. Catholics may also schedule an appointment for the sacrament if their work schedule or need necessitate seeking the sacrament outside of the regularly scheduled times. They only need to call the pastor (361-387-1312) to set a date and time for the celebration of the sacrament. First Reconciliation is scheduled by the Director of Religious Education during the months prior to First Communion. Those in the RCIA program usually are invited to schedule for the sacrament during the months prior to their reception into full communion with the Church.
There are four steps in the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
The Sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from sinful patterns of behavior and calls us to complete conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships.
- We feel contrition for our sins and a conversion of heart to change our ways.
- We confess our sins and human sinfulness to a priest.
- We receive and accept forgiveness (absolution) and are absolved of our sins.
- We celebrate God’s everlasting love for us and commit to live out a Christian life.
- Sin hurts our relationship with God, ourselves and others. As the Catechism states:
The sinner wounds God’s honor and love, his own human dignity…and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone. To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for the sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world. (CCC 1487, 1488)
A mature understanding of sin includes reflecting upon our thoughts, actions and omissions as well as examining the patterns of sin that may arise in our lives. With contrite hearts, we are also called to reflect upon the effects of our sins upon the wider community and how we might participate in sinful systems.
Contrition and conversion lead us to seek a forgiveness for our sins so as to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. We believe that only ordained priests have the faculty of absolving sins from the authority of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ (CCC 1495). Our sins are forgiven by God, through the priest.
The Spiritual effects of the Sacraments of Reconciliation include:
- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
- reconciliation with the Church
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle (CCC 1496.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from sinful patterns of behavior and calls us to complete conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships.
Great Catholic families make mistakes: As Catholics, we believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God ... but this doesn’t mean that we are gods. The older we get, the more we realize how human we all are. We let each other down. We fail. We sin. And yet, to thrive as individuals and as a family, we have learned that there is a fine line between making a mistake and believing that you are a mistake. God does not make mistakes. We are each created with dignity, and we are all special in God’s eyes. Great Catholic families know that shame is hard to undo once it’s done. Even the biggest mistakes require a healthy dose of patience and love in order to ensure that they don’t become weak spots in an otherwise strong family. Faith Builder: Does your family keep alive old wounds? Take some time together to bury old mistakes and genuinely move on from them. Great Catholic families fight fair: As much as we wish family life were perfect, the reality is that all families experience conflict. We’re going to fight. Not selling siblings into slavery like Joseph’s brothers did is a good start, but even fighting has rules. Families that fight fair carry with them an application of the Ten Commandments, even when they are in the middle of a family crisis. Some examples: Steering clear of using the Lord’s name in vain in a heated debate. Honoring mothers and fathers (and daughters and sons and sisters and brothers and so on). Telling the truth, gently, even though it may hurt. Family members who fight for personal victory miss out on how great it feels to work through a struggle together, and win as a team. Great Catholic families check tempers, are respectful of one anothers’ strengths and weaknesses, and always remember that obstacles make us stronger Faith Builder: Create and display your family’s rules for conflict: “No sulking, no lying, no grudges, etc.” This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Gracious God, your ways are greater than our hearts can comprehend; Your love is immense; your mercy and forgiveness stretch beyond the limits of our understanding. Teach us to know your ways, and give us the grace to focus always on your love, so that we may share that love in the world through our stewardship of all we are and have and will be. We ask this in the name of the One whose way is our way, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. This article comes to you from Grace In Action ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Lk 14:1, 7-11 Jesus tells the guests at the home of the Pharisee that self-exaltation must not be sought as in a guest seeking the place of honor at the dinner table. Jesus then addresses the host by saying that invitations must never be given with the expectation of some reciprocal act. To be humble and to serve generously and freely is the better way. May we always be humble and generous as God wills. St. Charles, pray for us. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
“Each time we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give Jesus something to eat and drink; we clothe, we help, and we visit the Son of God (cf. Mt 25:40). In a word, we touch the flesh of Christ.” — Pope Francis Reflection : How do you to contribute to efforts that ensure others have their basic needs met? How do these actions of touching the flesh of Christ connect to your touching the flesh of Christ in the Eucharist? This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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