The Sacrament of Penance

The Sacrament through which sins

committed after Baptism can be forgiven

Also known as:

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Healing

The Sacrament of Confession

The Prodigal Son
Jesus spent much of his ministry healing those who
were sick and forgiving sins….

What are some stories you can think of that

show God forgiving sins?
Woman caught in adultery John 8:10-11

“Father, forgive them for they

know not what they do.”
“Go, your sins are forgiven.”

Thief on the cross Lk 23:39

“Repent and believe in the gospel”

“Your faith has saved you”

Jesus healing and forgiving on the Sabbath

Mk 2:8-12

Mary Magdalene washes Jesus’ feet with her

tears and anoints his feet Lk 7:37
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and
his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax
collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but
the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.‘
For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
At Baptism, all of our sins are washed away. Because we live
in a fallen world, however, we have a tendency to sin again at
least once between our baptism and our death. For this
reason, Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance.

When we sin, we freely and

deliberately choose evil instead of
good.

To be forgiven, we must first

have a conversion of heart.

A conversion is a “turning”. In this case, away

from sin and towards the Gospel.
 The penitent (one confessing) goes through 3 steps during the
Sacrament of Penance

1. Contrition – true sorrow for the sins

committed, a rejection of the sin committed and a
resolve not to sin again.

Perfect contrition
arises out of a pure love of
God.
Imperfect contrition
This leads to a remittance of venial arises out of the ugliness of
sins and the forgiveness of mortal sin and our fear of eternal
sins if there is a firm resolution to damnation or other
celebrate the sacrament of Penance penalties.
as soon as possible
This disposes us to obtain
forgiveness but does not
obtain the forgiveness of grave
sins
2. Confession – the telling of sins to the priest involves admitting guilt and
taking responsibility for the sins we have committed.

All grave sins that

are remembered
through an
examination of
conscience must be
confessed.

The confession of venial sins is strongly recommended but is not

necessary.
Why do we have to confess to a priest?

Because Christ set it up that way:

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church…I will
give you the key to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven. Matt 16:16

When we sin we not only hurt God, we hurt

ourselves and the body of Christ…the Church.

Therefore, we must ask forgiveness from God AND from the

Church….both of them are present in the priest.
 We also need to heal…

Doing something concrete

helps us take visible steps
forward on our walk with
God.

Priests can offer good

advice to help us
overcome sins.

Confession itself is a remedy to pride!

 The Seal of Confession
The minister of the sacrament CANNOT
reveal to ANYONE what is confessed in the
sacrament!

Many priests have DIED

upholding this command!

If the seal is broken, the priest

can no longer celebrate the
sacraments….
 3. Satisfaction – repairing the damage caused by the sin

Penance – a voluntary suffering or

punishment to show repentance for a
wrong doing.

Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving are the

three main ways to perform penance.

Some others may include: Standing up for what is right

Reaching out to those in need Reading Sacred Scripture
Participating in the liturgical seasons and Asking forgiveness from
days of penance, especially Lent someone we have harmed

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the

Our Father and other prayers
After we have confessed our sins, said an act of contrition and
promised to fulfill an act of penance, the priest can offer us
absolution – complete forgiveness of our sins.

Acting in the name of Christ,

the priest will extend his hands
over the penitent and say…

God, the father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his
Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit for
the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God
give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Going to confession and performing our penance frees us
from the eternal punishment of sin.
God says, “I forgive you”.

The Temporal Punishment for sin remains after the

sacrament. This can be paid by purifying ourselves of unhealthy
attachment to this world either in this life or in purgatory.

We still have to pay for the window

that was broken!

An indulgence is a special mercy the Church offers to rid us from the

temporal punishment. It generally consists of making a specific sacrifice,
going to confession, receiving the Eucharist at Mass and saying certain
prayers.
Remember, Christ came to heal the sick…

The Church requires that you go to confession

at least once a year.

Most spiritual advisors recommend once a month.

 In a nutshell…
Essential elements:
Matter – contrition, confession and
Minister:
a firm purpose of amendment Only an ordained priest or bishop
Form – words of absolution by the
priest or bishop
Effects:
Implications: 1. Forgiveness of ALL sin
2. Grace to resist sin in the future
1. Thanksgiving for God’s
forgiveness of sins indicated
by efforts to keep the promise
to avoid sin in the future.

2. Ongoing conversion – turning from sin

and to the Lord by penance and an intention
to sin no more.
 Tips for making a good confession:

•To make a good confession, you must truly be

sorry for your sins and make the promise not to
•Be Honest and truthful in there! sin again and to stay away from situations that
lead you into sin.

•Go in and say “bless me father for I

have sinned, it has been ______ •Tell him your sins. If it is mortal, say so and say
since my last confession” what it was and why you chose to do it…also
how many times you have done it.
•If you are not sure whether or not
•If you forgot a big sin in a past
something is a sin…ASK!
confession, tell the priest and
•Listen to the priest’s advice and ask him confess it to him.
questions if you do not understand something. •Receive your penance and make
sure you understand it.
Make and act of contrition and meditate
on Christ’s sacrifice while you receive Do your penance promptly
absolution. – Remember you are and devoutly as soon
promising not to sin again! as you can.