Reconciliation with God

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Reconciliation with God
VAN DYCK, Sir Antony (1599-1641) The Penitent
Apostle Peter Oil on canvas, 1617-1618 Hermitage,
St Petersburg

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Compendium of the Catechism

• 303. What are the acts of the penitent?
• 1450-14601487-1492
• They are a careful examination of conscience
  contrition (or repentance), which is perfect when
  it is motivated by love of God and imperfect if
  it rests on other motives and which includes the
  determination not to sin again confession, which
  consists in the telling of ones sins to the
  priest and satisfaction or the carrying out of
  certain acts of penance which the confessor
  imposes upon the penitent to repair the damage
  caused by sin.

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Introduction

• The following is an episode from the life of
  Saint Cyril of Jerusalem It was Holy Week and
  many people were waiting to go to Confession.
  Saint Cyril saw the devil among them, and the
  bishop asked him what he was doing there. The
  devil said that he was doing an act of
  reparation.
• You, reparation?replied the bishop.
• () Is it not reparation giving back what one
  has taken away? I took away the shame for sinning
  from all those who are here, and now I am giving
  them back that shame to confess their sins.

Baciccio (1639-1709) The Pietà (Mary Lamenting
the Dead Christ) Oil on canvas, 1667 72 x 45 5/8
inches (183 x 116 cm) Galleria Nazionale d'Arte
Antica, Rome
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Main ideas
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1. Conditions for a good confession

• Five things are necessary for a good confession
  
• an examination of conscience,
• sorrow for ones sins,
• the resolution not to sin anymore,
• telling ones sins to the confessor
• and the act of penance.
• These conditions should be fulfilled trying not
  to act out of routine, because each confession is
  a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

STOMER, Matthias (1600-1650) The Penitent Saint
Peter Oil on canvas 21 3/8 x 25 1/2 inches (54.5
x 64.8 cm) Public collection
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2. Examination of conscience

• Before going to confession, we have to remember
  all the mortal sins that we have committed since
  our last valid confession. We have to consider
  carefully
• Gods commandments,
• the Churchs commandments
• and the obligations of our own status in life.
• If we remember any mortal sin committed since our
  last valid confession, we have to make clear what
  kind of sin it is, the circumstances, and the
  number (or average number) of each sin committed.
• It is also fitting that we should confess our
  venial sins.

SHEITS, Matthias David y Nathan 1672 Hamburger
Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
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3. Sorrow

• Sorrow for sins can be either of attrition (due
  to fear of the punishment or due to the ugliness
  of the sin) or contrition (caused by having
  offended God, God being who He is).
• Contrition or perfect sorrow comes from a sincere
  love of God, whom we have offended. When it is
  impossible to go to confession, this kind of
  sorrow reconciles man with God before receiving
  the sacrament of Penance. But this sorrow does
  not excuse the penitent from the oral confession
  of sins it presupposes the desire to confess all
  ones sins and it is ordained to oral confession.
• Imperfect sorrow or sorrow of attrition does not
  of itself achieve forgiveness of sins, but is
  sufficient for receiving the sacrament of Penance.

EL GRECO (1541-1614) The Penitent Magdalene Oil
on canvas 34 x 26 3/8 inches (86.4 x 67.3
cm) Private collection
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4. Resolution not to sin anymore

• Jesus made this explicit when He told the sinful
  woman Go and do not sin anymore (John 811).
• Even if one is not sure of being able not to
  offend God anymore, he has to be willing to apply
  the means not to do so. This means to avoid close
  and voluntary occasions of sin such as
  frequenting the company of bad friends, readings
  contrary to faith or morals, immoral
  conversations, etc. It also means to make the
  supernatural and human effort to strengthen our
  will in order not to sin anymore.

BOTTICELLI, Sandro The Lamentation of
Christ c.1490 Alte Pinakothek, Munich
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5. Confession or accusation of sins

• For a valid confession, all mortal sins have to
  be confessed, detailing their number and the
  circumstances that could change the gravity of
  the sin
• For instance, stealing might be accompanied by
  violence, in which case it would count as two
  sins.
• Consciously omitting the confession of a mortal
  sin would make that confession a sacrilege,
  rendering it invalid. If one forgets to confess a
  sin and realizes it afterwards, there is no need
  to worry that sin is forgiven, provided that one
  includes it in the next confession. In the
  meantime, it is appropriate to receive Holy
  Communion.
• Even though it is not absolutely necessary, it is
  fitting to confess venial sins also.

TISSOT, James Jacques Joseph (1836-1902) The
Return of the Prodigal Son Oil on canvas,
1862 Private collection
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6. Doing the penance

• The penance or punishment given by the confessor
  is for the satisfaction of the debt due to God
  because of ones sins.
• Besides doing it as soon as possible, it would be
  good to make more acts of penance so as to
  manifest ones sorrow for the seriousness of
  ones sins and to atone more for them.
• If one intends to fulfil the penance imposed by
  the confessor, but forgets to do it, the
  confession is valid. Nevertheless, forgetting it
  could mean in some cases a certain negligence.

VAN ALSLOOT, Denys (1570-1626) The Flagellation
Of Christ Oil on canvas Private collection
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7. Some practical advice for confession

• Before confession
• Some preparatory prayer.
• While examining your conscience, try to feel real
  sorrow for each and every one of your sins.
• Make a firm resolution not to sin anymore.
• During confession
• Kneel down and you can start saying Bless me
  Father for I have sinned.
• The penitent says all his sins briefly, clearly
  and sincerely.
• Then he listens to the questions, recommendations
  and the penance imposed.
• After that he recites some words of contrition.
• After confession
• the penance imposed should be done as soon as
  possible.
• One should thank God for His mercy and beg help
  from Our Lord and Our Blessed Lady

CRESPI, Giuseppe Maria Confession,
1712 Gemäldegalerie, Dresden
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8. The celebration of the sacrament of Penance

• Though in some exceptional cases there are other
  ways to celebrate it, the individual and complete
  confession of all serious sins, followed by the
  absolution by the priest, is the only ordinary
  way for reconciliation with God and the Church.

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9. Indulgences

• Indulgences remit the temporal pain which might
  remain after the sins have been forgiven. To
  obtain an indulgence one has to be in Gods grace
  and do what the Church prescribes.
• There are many ways of obtaining indulgences,
  like offering ones work or study, saying the
  Angelus, the Rosary, The Way of the Cross, a
  spiritual communion, a prayer for the Pope, or
  using a medal or a crucifix that has been
  blessed, etc.

BOUGUEREAU, William (1825-1905) Compassion! Oil
on canvas, 1897 Private collection
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Resolutions for Christian life
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Resolutions to move forward

• Learn to make a good confession, as it has been
  explained in this lesson, asking the priest, your
  parents, teacher or catechist, to resolve any
  doubts you might have.
• Prepare to make a good confession and do it soon.