Penance and Reconciliation
Penance and Reconciliation has three elements:
- Conversion
- Contrition
- Celebration
Conversion to Christ, the new birth of Baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Body and Blood of Christ received as food have made us "holy and without blemish," just as the Church herself, the Bride of Christ, is "holy and without blemish." Nevertheless the new life received in Christian initiation has not abolished the frailty and weakness of human nature, nor the inclination to sin that tradition calls concupiscence, which remains in the baptized such that with the help of the grace of Christ they may prove themselves in the struggle of Christian life. This is the struggle of conversion directed toward holiness and eternal life to which the Lord never ceases to call us.
Contrition -"Penance requires... the sinner to be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction." In this sacrament, we receive God's unconditional forgiveness; as a result, we are called to forgive others.
Celebration
Confessions
Every Saturday
3:30 PM
Chapel
Examinations of Conscience
Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, one should prepare oneself with an examination of conscience, which involves reflecting prayerfully on one's thoughts, words, and deeds in order to identify any sins.
The UCCB provides us with various types of examinations of conscience but regardless of which one you use to prepare yourself for the Sacrament it should be rooted in Scripture