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Advent is a great time to go to Reconciliation. Here is a refresher on how to prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation.

First, find a good examination of conscience. This is relatively easy by simply “googling” “Examination of conscience for reconciliation.” You’ll find dozens. There are also good apps for your phone. Take the examination to prayer and pray asking the Lord what He is putting on your heart to confess. “Lord, as I read and meditate on this, what sins are you showing me?” He is a merciful Lord so He won’t beat you up; He will just let you know. Once you have prayerfully examined your conscience, then it is time to go to Confession. Our parish Penance service is Sunday December 14 at St Patrick Chapel. Confessions are normally heard Saturday mornings from 9-11am at Sacred Heart, 5:30-6:20pm Wednesday evenings at St. Patrick, and first Sundays after each Sunday Morning Mass (except after 10am.) Or, make an appointment with a priest. We priests want to absolve sins! We are available!

So, now for the absolutely most difficult part… show up! Walk across that threshold from not in the confessional to now in the confessional. Satan is going to put up any number of roadblocks to keep you paralyzed and wrapped up in your sins. He DOES NOT want you to cross that threshold… because once you do… HE LOSES! GOD WINS! And he absolutely knows that. The good news? God also knows that! God is calling you with arms wide open (so wide open, He had them nailed to a cross) to cross that threshold. Satan may remind you (numerous times) you don’t know how to go; you’re nervous; you don’t know how long it’s been; you don’t remember the act of contrition; the priest will make fun of you or scold you or make you feel bad; why tell your sins to a priest, anyway… Relax! Fear not! Be Not Afraid! God wins. Just go! The priest absolutely knows how to get you through every step of this and totally gets that you may be nervous or uncomfortable. You’re with an all merciful God; the priest will do all he can to help you be alright in this sacrament.

You’ve crossed the threshold! You’re in! God wins; Satan loses! Now what?

Choose whether you want to sit face to face or go behind the screen anonymously. Your choice. Then, begin by saying and making the sign of the cross so Father knows you are there. After the sign of the cross, you may say “Father forgive me, it has been” – however long – “since my last confession.” Or, just wait for Father to speak. He will offer some comforting words because he too knows God wins and Satan loses here. Then, he will ask you how long since your last confession. Give a rough estimate. A few weeks; a few months; several years. If you can be precise, then by precise. He will ask you what your sins are; then you confess the sins you remember. He doesn’t need the back story or the excuses as to why the sins were committed. He doesn’t need other people’s sins. Just name the sins and if you can think about how many times, that is fine to name the number of times. However, if you don’t know the number you can use words like “several” or a couple” or “often times.” What might happen is that you know all the sins you are going to confess and when Father asks you to name your sins you blank out half way through your list. Give it a minute, and if nothing else comes to mind, you are not intentionally withholding the sins; you have forgotten them. All sins that are named and all sins that are forgotten in this sacrament are forgiven. Intentionally withholding a sin – I know I need to confess this sin, but I am not going to say it out loud – those sins are not forgiven, so make sure you say everything out loud that you are thinking. But, everything forgotten is forgiven. I tell people if you leave here and remember, just say “Get behind me Satan. I know these sins were forgiven. Jesus, thank you for forgiving me and giving me peace of mind and heart.”

Once your sins are named, Father will reassure you, give brief words of encouragement and then give you a penance. A penance is cooperating with God’s graces moving forward. The penance is done immediately after leaving the confessional. Then Father asks you to pray the Act of Contrition. There are cards with the words on them in our confessionals and Father can help you make a good act of contrition if one is not available and you don’t have one memorized. Then, Father prays the prayer of absolution which is the prayer that takes away the sins. It happens not because of anything he is doing; it happens because this is what Jesus, the High Priest, says He will do in the sacrament of reconciliation. Then after the prayer of absolution, there is the closing prayer and you are free to go, free of sin and ready to do your penance to cooperate with the graces just received.

Please come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation!