Reconciliation

Catholics are invited for the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance each week from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Saturday afternoons. Please feel free to call the parish and set up a meeting with Fr. Patrick Farley or Fr. Herb Hauck if the Saturday Confession time does not work for you. 480-488-2229.

During the Holy Season of Advent, the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance is offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:30pm to 7:30pm in the Church. Have you been away from the Church? Come; be welcomed back in the Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance! It is indeed good to be One in the Lord!

The Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance

Christ "loved the Church and gave himself up for it to make it holy" (Eph 5:25-26) and he united the Church to himself as a bride." Christ fills the Church with his divine gifts, because the Church is His Body. It is through the Church that Christ continually spreads truth and grace upon all.

The members of the Church, however, are exposed to temptation and often fall into the wretchedness of sin. As a result, whereas Christ, 'holy, harmless, undefiled' (Heb 7:26), knew no sin (see 2 Cor 5:21) came solely to seek pardon for the sins of his people (see Heb 2:17), the Church, having sinners in its midst, is at the same time holy and in need of cleansing, and so as members of Christ’s body, we are to be unceasingly intent on repentance and reform.

The people of God accomplish and perfect this continual repentance in many different ways. We share in the sufferings of Christ by enduring our own difficulties, carrying out works of mercy and charity, and by adopting ever more fully the outlook of the Gospel message. By the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, the People of God expresses the need for union with God and sorrow for disunion with our Father and Creator. We are sinners, who have need to ask pardon of God and of our brothers and sisters to become who we are and build a civilization of love. We do this throughout the Sacred Liturgy, but particularly and especially in the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation. In the sacrament of penance the faithful obtain from God's mercy, pardon for having offended him and at the same time reconciliation with the Church, which we have wounded by our sins. God’s mercy moves us to charity, good example, and prayer in conversion to the Good News of Jesus Christ and a life lived in discipleship.

Since every sin is an offense against God that disrupts our friendship with him, the ultimate purpose of penance is that we should love God deeply and commit ourselves completely to him. Therefore, the sinner who by the grace of a merciful God embraces the way of penance comes back to the Father who "first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19), to Christ who gave himself up for us, and to the Holy Spirit who has been poured out on us abundantly.

The hidden and gracious mystery of God unites us all through a supernatural bond: on this basis one person's sin harms the rest even as one person's goodness enriches them. Penance always therefore entails reconciliation with our brothers and sisters who remain harmed by our sins. It’s true to say that people frequently join together to commit injustice. But it is also true that we help each other in doing penance; to be freed from sin by the grace of Christ, whereby we become, with all persons of good will, agents of justice and peace in the world.

Followers of Christ who have sinned but who, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, come to the sacrament of penance should above all be wholeheartedly converted to God. This inner conversion embraces sorrow for sin and the intent to lead a new life. It is expressed through confession made to the Church, due expiation, and amendment of life. God grants pardon for sin through the Church, which works by the ministry of priests.

In order that this sacrament of healing may truly achieve its purpose among the faithful, it must take root in their entire life and move them to more fervent service of God and neighbor.

The celebration of this sacrament is thus always an act in which the Church proclaims its faith, gives thanks to God for the freedom with which Christ has made us free, and offers its life as a spiritual sacrifice in praise of God's glory, as we hasten to meet the Lord Jesus.

What do I need for confession?

CONTRITION- Contrition is sorrow of the soul and expresses disdain for sin committed, joined with the resolution not to sin again. An examination of conscience would be very helpful in preparing to receive this sacrament. Using the 10 commandments is a great guide for examining one’s conscience.

CONFESSION OF SINS- The priest acts in the person of Christ, in persona Christi. 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 we squarely look at the sins we are responsible for, we take responsibility for them, and therefore open ourselves to God and to the communion of the Church in order to be renewed in grace. Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance. "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession. According to the Church's command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.

SATISFACTION- Many sins wrong our neighbor. We outght do what is possible in order to repair any harm we may have done (e.g. return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries.) Simple justice requires as much. Raised up form sin, the sinner must still recover full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin. The person must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" sins. This satisfaction is called "penance." It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial or some form of sacrifice that builds up our relationship with God and neighbor.



Remember that the priest is there to help you! Confess your sins with confidence in God’s promise of mercy. Seek from God, the grace to fully encounter the forgiveness offered in Christ Jesus and the joy of being reconciled to God and the Church in the Sacrament.