The document discusses the sacrament of reconciliation (also known as confession or penance). It describes reconciliation as a sacrament that allows people to repair their relationship with God after sinning. The document outlines the key elements of the sacrament, including the rituals, symbols, and steps involved in the reconciliation process. These include an examination of conscience, confession of sins to a priest, receiving absolution and penance. The goal of reconciliation is to allow people to be forgiven and start anew after confessing their sins to a priest.

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There are Seven Sacraments that were given to us. These sacraments touch all the important stage and important moments of life. The Seven Sacraments are divided into three groups.
We will start today with the first sacrament of healing: Reconciliation or Penance or the most common Confession.
What exactly is the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are all sacraments of initiation. To recognize and celebrate the conversion of people deciding to follow and live through God’s word. We as humans have a tendency to sin breaking our connection and relationship with God. Of choosing other things that bring us comfort for a short period than of God’s relationship. The only form for us to start repairing the bond with God and with the church is through the sacrament of Reconciliation which is better known as Confession.
The Sacrament of Confession is a wonderful gift given to us. This Sacrament is one of the scariest and embarrassing sacrament however once you receive absolution you will walk out as a brand new person. People come out feeling clean again but only if one is serious and does open up.

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What are the symbols for the Sacrament of Confession?
Compared to the other sacraments they are not as unique.
The symbols are
1. Priest
2. Church Building
3. Confessional or Reconciliation Room
4. Bible
What are the rituals during the ceremony of Confession?
This sacrament is much more individually centered.
Rituals
1. Welcome
2. Scripture Reading
3. Confession of Sins
4. Act of Contrition
5. Absolution
6. Penance
7. Proclamation
How do you go to Confession? What are the steps?
Confession
1. Examination of Conscience (more details are on the website www.slideshare.net/dlrs_vasquez on The Sacrament of Penance document)
2. Contrition
3. The actual confessing of your sins to God through His priests
4. The assigning of penance
5. Act of Contrition
6. Absolution
7. Carrying out your penance

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Priest
Church Building
 The priest is a symbol of Jesus.
 His presence in the Reconciliation room or in the body of the Church expresses the closeness of Jesus Christ to his faithful
Although this sacrament may be received in many surroundings, the church building often brings the person closer to the feeling of the sacred and this provides an environment suitable for reflection and reconciliation with God.

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Confessional or Reconciliation Room
 The reconciliation room provides an atmosphere of privacy and confidentiality.
Bible
The Bible, placed in a place of prominence, is used with reverence to express that it contains the reconciling words of God, not mere human words..

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Welcome
 The priest greets the person in a warm manner.
 This helps the individual to feel comfortable.
 Remember that God is the one welcoming you as well. For it has been who knows how much times since you were able to sit down and talk to him.
Scripture Reading
 The word of God is read to affirm the connection between sin and God’s forgiveness.

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Confession of Sins
Act of Contrition
The person admits his or her sins, confessing his or her wrongdoing.
The person expresses sorrow for the action

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Absolution
Penance
The priest blesses the person in the name of Christ and through this prayer, reconciles the sinner with the Church. This formula expresses both God’s forgiveness and the return to the bosom of ht people of God
The priest assigns a prayer or activity to the person which will support the person in the new way of life.

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Proclamation
At the close of the ritual, the person is sent forth with a prayer of joy that recognizes the reconciliation event.
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What are the steps?
1st Examination of Conscience Part 1
As Catholics we are required to go to Confession once a year (during lent).
We are encouraged to go weekly and if not at least monthly.
If you want to receive the Eucharist you need to go to confession.
There are two ways to go to confession: behind the window or face to face.
What should you confess?
Go over the 10 Commandments. Remember that we covered many examples in class of what goes against and follows the commandment. If you are not sure if what you did or said is a sin ask the priest.
10 Commandments: Some questions to keep in mind
Commandment 1-3: Duties to God and the Church
 Do I love God with all my heart, soul, and strength?
 Do I pray?
 Does something or someone- a material thing, a person, a behavior, an attitude- come between me and God?
 Have I Used God’s name as a curse word or cursed God?
 Have I broken promises, oaths, or vows to God?
 Have I experimented with magic, the occult, spiritism, willful psychic phenomena, Ouija boards, etc?
 Have I defended God and His Church when it was necessary
 Have I kept Sunday holy by attending Mass and refraining from servile work?
 Have I lied to a priest during the Sacrament of Penance or intentionally failed to confess a sin I should have confessed?
 etc
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What are the steps?
1st Examination of Conscience Part 2
10 Commandments: Some questions to keep in mind
Commandment 5-10 & Deadly Sins: Duties to Society
 Do I evangelize with prudence and intelligence, and without being annoying and judgmental?
 Do I pray for others, including those in authority and for my enemies?
 Have I taken anything I had no right to take?
 Have I cheated anyone out of anything that is rightfully theirs?
 Have I given to the poor as my means allow?
 Do I betray others’ secrets that I had no right to betray?
 Do I engage in malicious gossip?
 Do I make promises I do not intend to keep?
 Have I cheated on a test or homework at school or otherwise plagiarized the work of others?
 Have I curse another (i.e., called down physical or moral evil on a rational creature, not for the sake of a good, such as justice or punishment, but out of malice or for personal gain)?
 Have I used alcohol or any other drug recreationally to the point wher my judgment and will were affected?
 Do I dress and behave immodestly or without concern for how my appearance and behavior may lead others to the sin of lust?
 Have I intentionally lusted after someone?
 Etc.

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What are the steps?
1st Examination of Conscience Part 3
10 Commandments: Some questions to keep in mind
Commandment 4: Duties to Family
 Have I caused any member of my family to get unrighteously angry or to be unjustly hurt?
 Have I forgiven my parents, spouse or children for past faults?
 Do I give my family my time and undivided attention when possible?
 Have I used contraception and failed to keep my marital acts open to life?
 Do I over-praise or under-praise my children?
 Do I treat male children and female children with equal dignity, with respect for their God-given individual talents and vocations, but also with respect for Natural Law and their God-given differences as male and female?
 Etc
Duties to Yourself
 Am I too scrupulous and hard on myself, treating myself much more harshly than I would others I love?
 Am I too easy on myself?
 Am I honest with myself about my gifts and limitations?
 Do I overestimate or underestimate my importance?
 Do I treat myself as an icon of God, made I His image?
 Do I trust that God is in control or do I worry needlessly?
 Etc.

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What are the steps?
2nd Contrition
Contrition: willful regret for one’s sins
 Rooted in the will not emotions
 What matter is the conviction: are they willing NOT to offend God no more and make reparation as far as possible, do penance, and patiently bear the temporal effects of sins.
 Without contrition, Confession is not valid
 “Imperfect Contrition” or “attrition” is regret out of fear towards God’s punishment for the sins one has committed
 Main key is to desire to be rid of all one’s sins
 Do not lie to yourself and decide to skip one or two sins because you are ashamed

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What are the steps?
3rd Confessing your sins through His priests
The Sacrament of Confession is offered on different day depending on where you feel more comfortable. Here is a list of a few places and times:
Church Name:
Address:
Date
Time
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
966 W. Orchard St, Santa Maria Ca
Thursday
Saturday
6:30pm-7:30pm
4:00pm-6:00pm
St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church
414 E. Church St, Santa Maria, Ca
Saturday
Thursday before first Friday
3:00pm-4:30pm & 7:30pm-8:30pm
4:00pm-5:00pm
St. Louis de Montfort Parish
5075 Harp Road, Santa Maria, Ca
Saturday
Spanish is available
3:30pm-5:00pm &
8:00pm-9:00pm
St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
298 S. Thompson Av., Nipomo, Ca
Saturday
3:00pm-4:30pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
1164 Obispo St., Guadalupe, Ca
Saturday
4:00pm-5:00pm &
7:15pm-8:30pm
When you are ready to begin:
1. You: Make the sign of the cross
2. You: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been _____(years/months/weeks/days) since the last time I have sinned.”
3. Priest: (maybe) Read from the Bible
4. Priest: He will ask you to confess your sins.
5. You: “I first want to start off with….”
6. You: Once finished. “I am sorry for these and all my sins”
7. Continue with Penance

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What are the steps?
4th Penance
7. Priest: Give you penance
The father will give you certain prayers, read part of Scriptures, a good deed, etc. Whatever he asks you to do complete it as soon as possible once you have exited the Confessional room.
5th Act of Contrition
8. You: Pray Act of Contrition
6th Absolution
9. Priest: Will absolve you of all your sins
10. You: Make the sign of the cross
11. Priest: will finish with a prayer
12. You: “His mercy endures forever.”
13. You: Leave quietly.
7th Carrying out your Penance
 Carry out the penance the priest gave you
 Remember to do all you can to avoid near occasions of sin
 Make restitution to anyone you have harmed
 You may add penance of your own if you wish but you cannot replace it with what the priest gave you.