Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation Chapter 12

Sin Harms our Relationship with God How does Sin affect our relationship with God Example of relationship with Parents and others you love very much, how does your behavior affect your relationship with them

Sin When we freely choose to turn away from God and turn toward something that is not God, we sin Sin is a thought, word, deed or omission against God’s law that harms us and our relationship with God and others Sin is a personal choice. We live in a world where sin is all around us and we are tempted, but temptation is not a sin.

Different types of sin Mortal Sin is a very serious sin that turns us completely away from God Three Conditions of Mortal Sin 1. The sinful action or attitude must involve a grave and serious matter We must have clear Knowledge that what we are doing is mortally sinful We must freely choose and fully consent to this serious evil All three conditions must be met for any sin to considered mortal

2nd Type of Sin Less serious sin that weakens our friendship with God but does not turn us away from Him is called Venial Sin Jesus taught us that God’s mercy far exceeds any wrong or harmful action on our part. By his death and resurrection Jesus saves us from sin. But we must be willing to admit our weakness and turn to God for forgiveness and compassion

Celebrate God’s Love and forgiveness Jesus Christ forgave the sins of those who truly believed in him. Jesus willed his Apostles to do the same (John 20:21-23) Only bishops (the successors of the Apostles) and priests forgive our Sins in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation They do this in the person of Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Celebrate God’s Love and forgiveness continued The sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the sacrament by which our relationship with God and the church is restored and our sins are forgiveness When we are Baptized, Original Sin, and all sin we have committed are forgiven. However the grace we receive at Baptism does not keep us from sinning.

Conscience Conscience is our ability to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong Conscience is always to be formed by the teachings of Christ and his Church We are called upon to continue forming our conscience through out life and to obey the judgment of our conscience

Forming our Conscience By learning all we can about our faith and the teachings of the church By praying to God, asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us By reading and reflecting on scripture By seeking advice from wise people we respect, such as parents, teaches, parish priests, and responsible friends By examining our conscience on a regular basis, thinking about how we have treated God, ourselves and others

Sacrament of Penance Four Main Parts Contrition – is sadness for the sin we committed and the desire to sin no more. Confession of Sin – in confessing our sin with the priest we take responsibility for our actions. Seal of Confession…what is it? Penance – since sin weakens our relationship with God the priest gives us an act of penance to show we are truly sorry. Absolution – the priest, in the person of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit absolves us our sins by making Sign of the Cross and saying the prayer of absolution

Faith Words Sin p.77 Mortal sin p.77 Venial sin p.78 Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation p.78 Conscience p.78