1. Does God place limits on his mercy?

2. Jesus’ saving mission is the work of God’s healing and reconciliation in the world. Jesus’ prayer from the Cross for his executioners was, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34). Jesus’ words from the Cross reveal that God does not place limits on his offer of mercy and forgiveness. Mercy – God’s undeserved forgiveness

3. Does God place limits on his mercy? God’s way of forgiving is a mystery beyond our full comprehension. Jesus told Peter and the other disciples that forgiving another person ‘seven’ times was not enough. Jesus said, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times’ (Matthew 18:22). *Seven = perfection or completeness In other words, they were to place no limits on their forgiveness of those who sinned against them. Jesus also included forgiving those who treated them as enemies. Do you find it difficult to offer forgiveness to others as God offers forgiveness to you? What kind of things make it difficult?

4. Does God place limits on his mercy? The divine response to sin is the divine offer of forgiveness and reconciliation. In giving the Eleven the power and authority to forgive sins, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation(Matt:16:16-19; John 20:21-23) In this Sacrament God offers forgiveness through the priest (or bishop), who acts in the name of Jesus, to all the baptized who are truly sorry for their sins. Penitents also receive the grace of peace of conscience, graces to resist temptations, the assurance of remission of the punishment that is a consequence of their sin, both eternal (eternal life) and temporal (purgatory.)

5. Life renewed and transformed Jesus constantly invited his listeners to repent―to ‘be of the same mind as God’, to believe in the Gospel and live for the reign of God. *Metanoia (Greek word meaning ‘a change of heart or direction’) Repentance is a life-long process of turning toward God with all our heart, living as his faithful children and turning away from sin and evil. Our Baptism is the beginning of our life of conversion. Other names for this Sacrament – Sacrament of Conversion, Sacrament of Confession, Sacrament of Forgiveness The Sacrament of Reconciliation is vital to the process of lifelong conversion to Jesus Christ.

6. Life renewed and transformed The Rite of Reconciliation with Individual Penitents consists of the following three actions of the penitent: Repentance or contrition: Penitents name, acknowledge and accept responsibility for their sins. We express our sorrow for having offended God and others (‘sense of remorse’) Confession of sins: Penitents are required to name all their mortal sins. The Church recommends that we also name our venial sins. *Seal of confession – obligation of secrecy Absolution – complete forgiveness of sins *Forgiveness offered in the Sacrament of Reconciliation comes from God, in the form of the priest, through the authority of Jesus.

7. Life renewed and transformed Intention to make reparation: Accepting and doing our penance is an expression of our desire to mend the harm we have caused and is a sign of our sorrow for our sins and of our gratitude to God for his forgiveness. Minister – Priest Required State – in mortal sin; desiring the graces of confession Frequency – min. of 1x/year; as frequent as necessary Effects – forgiveness of sins, cleansing of conscience, restores grace Form & Matter – sin, confession and priestly words of absolution

8. Confession is good for the soul Consider the parable of the Prodigal Father and Son (Luke 15:11-32) in light of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Peace and serenity of conscience are among the effects, or graces, of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Having experienced God’s ‘prodigal’ generosity, we approach others with the same ‘prodigal’ generosity. We offer forgiveness to those who have trespassed against us. We seek and accept forgiveness from others. Reconciled with God and the Church, we have a deep inner feeling of relief!

9. Confession is good for the soul With the graces of Penance and Reconciliation we can develop a stronger habit of paying attention to what we are doing; to the people we are with; to what our motivations are; to how well we are living as disciples of Jesus. Moments of temptation take us less and less by surprise. We are better able to deal head-on with all that tries to lead us away from God and his love.

10. Social Reconciliation Sin has personal and social, or communal, consequences. Personal sin: An offense against God, in which a person freely and knowingly chooses evil over good. Personal sin causes harm to the Church as well as to the person who commits the sin. Social Sin: Sins that produce unjust social laws and oppressive institutions. They are the expression and effect of personal sins. The graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation strengthen us to work toward healing the divisions within the Church and within society as a whole.

11. Social reconciliation Jesus proclaimed, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). Being a ‘peacemaker’ is central to the identity of a Christian. We are to be instruments of God’s peace in our families, in our Church, and in our society. By working for social peace and harmony, and denouncing and acting against social sins, we glorify the Lord God.