Confession

Sometimes we take a wrong turn in our lives that leads us away from God and we need to begin again.

Reconciliation or Confession is the Sacrament of pardon and peace.

In it the Holy Spirit lifts the burden of sin from us and restores our relationship with the Father and Christ's body the Church.

In Confession God also strengthens us from within as we try to live our Christian life in the middle of the world.

How to prepare for Confession

Introduction

Whether you go to confession frequently, or whether it has been many years since your last confession, we went to help you get the most out of this wonderful Sacrament. Don’t forget that the priest is there to help you. If you are not sure about something or don’t know what to say feel free to ask. Listen carefully to any advice he may give you.

Many Names one Sacrament

Although known most commonly as ‘Confession’ in popular culture, the Church also has other names for this Sacrament each of which highlights a different aspect. ‘Confession’ puts the emphasis on what we do when we ‘confess’ or ‘speak forth’ our sins. ‘Reconciliation’ emphasises the effect of the Sacrament in restoring our relationship with God. ‘Penance’ emphasises our desire to turn away from and make amends for our sins. Sometimes Confession is also called the ‘Sacrament of Pardon and Peace’.

The Examination of Conscience

We prepare for the sacrament by looking honestly at what we have done since we last went to confession. This review of our life is called an “examination of conscience”. It is good to examine our conscience regularly, even daily, because it not only helps us recognise our sins but also enables us to see other areas of our lives where God is inviting us to respond more generously to the call to holiness.

The Gravity of Sin

Some sins we commit are relatively minor. We call them venial sins. It would be very difficult to confess them all, but it is good for us to mention some in confession, especially those which represent an area we are struggling with. Other sins are more serious or grave. They are called mortal sins. We are bound to mention in confession all our mortal sins, including as far as possible, the number of times we have committed them. We cannot receive Holy Communion until we have sought forgiveness for mortal sins.

For a sin to be mortal three conditions must be met:

  1. The offence must be serious or “grave”;

  2. We must know we are committing a serious sin;

  3. There must be full consent of the will to the sin.

Sorrow for our Sins

Sorrow isn’t a question of how bad we feel about something we have done. If you are not sure whether you are sorry, ask yourself whether you want to do the same thing again. Contrition is sorrow for our sins. In the Church we sometimes distinguish between Perfect and Imperfect Contrition (also known as ‘attrition’). Perfect Contrition is a sorrow for our sins that springs from our love of God. Imperfect Contrition is a sorrow for our sins coming from any other motive (disappointment with ourselves, fear of hell, etc). Imperfect Contrition is sufficient for our sins to be forgiven in confession.

Sacrament of Confession

Confession is available after the 10:00am mass on Saturday morning, and also by appointment.