WHAT IS RECONCILIATION?
The sacrament of reconciliation can also be referred to as Penance, or Confession. This is a sacrament in which a sinner is reconciled to Christ and to the Church through our Lord's mercy. It is one out of the two sacraments of healing, which restores our relationship with God. The form of reconciliation is said by a priest/bishop, who is the minister. The words that they say are "God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of your son, you have reconciled the world to yourself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the church, may God grant your pardon and peace. And I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The matter for reconciliation consists of the individual's sins, contrition or sorrow for the sins that the he or she has committed, confession of sins to a priest, and the priest's word of absolution. The rite of Reconciliation consists of multiple steps. First, the father will welcome you and begin with making the sign of the cross. In some sessions of reconciliation, a prayer or reading is read, which is completely optional. Next, you should tell the priest how long it has been since your last confession and begin to share your sins. The priest will now give you penance to help keep you away from sin, such as a prayer. The Act of Contrition will now be read, the priest will give you absolution, and a short prayer is said. The last step is for you to do your penance. The minister of Reconciliation is a priest or bishop who represents the Church and offers us Christ's forgiveness. It is always Jesus who forgives us of our sins. Reconciliation is available to anyone who has committed a mortal sin, who desires the healing power of the sacrament, and is in need of spiritual healing or cleansing. Reconciliation has many effects such as forgiveness of serious sin, reconciliation with the Church, cleansing of soul, and restoration of grace.
MY FIRST REONCILIATION
My first reconciliation was in 2nd grade, a few weeks before I was going to receive the sacrament of Eucharist. I remember being extremely nervous to talk to the priest and tell him all of the bad things I did to offend Christ. When people were getting called up and beginning to come in and out of the closed doors, I remembered that I was shaking immensely. When I finally went into the room with the priest, I realized I was worried for nothing. The priest understood that it was the first time that I was receiving the sacrament and walked me through the process step by step and my nerves began to go away. I told him all the sins that I had committed and came out of the room feeling very fresh and renewed. I physically and spiritually felt a clean slate and that my relationship had grown closer with God.
WHEN RECONCILIATION IS OFFERED AT MY PARISH
At my parish, Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 3:45 to 4:45.
EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
To prepare oneself for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one should undergo an examination of conscience. It speaks for itself; an examination of conscience is literally examining your conscience. We can really prepare ourselves through a self-reflection. To make an examination, you should first start by setting aside some quiet time for yourself and praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance. A good way to make this examination is to go through the Ten Commandments and ask yourself "Have I...?". A good examination of conscience will really help to make talking to the priest more smooth and fluent, as well as preparing your soul to confess your sins and receive forgiveness.