Sacraments Chp 8 Why Confess & Social Reconciliation

Why Confess & Social Reconciliation

Chp 8 Embrace the Vision and Think it Through Sections

Poll

Which do you personally find most meaningful?

• Forgiving others

• Being forgiven

• Both

So, why do we confess?

• God's love is prodigal - “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance...”

• Sacramental Graces: Forgiveness; Heal past wrongs/shape our future; Peace and Serenity of Conscience; Assures that all is right (God, us, Church); Relief; Better able to deal with future temptations

Confession is Good for the Soul

You are speaking directly to Christ and given the opportunity to anticipate and prepare for our Particular Judgment and on Judgment Day.

Open Ended

What has 'getting something off your chest' taught you over the course of your life? In other words, when you apologize or try to let go of your burdens, what have you learned? 

With God's many graces...

• Stronger habit of paying attn to what we are doing AND to the people we are with

• Realizing what our motivations are...

• Awareness of how well we are living as disciples of Jesus

Multiple Choice

Apply your knowledge - Over time, by fully acknowledging our misdeeds, examining our conscience, experiencing contrition and repentance, we are led to a greater ____ of our attitudes and actions that need transforming so we can be of the same mind as God.

• awareness

• progress

• forgiveness

• mindset

Food for Thought...

One might say on a very natural level that one of the reasons our Blessed Lord chose to institute confession this way is because we are human. Often, a very important part of the healing process comes in being able to name our transgression and fault and then expressing that to others. Bringing forth these hidden faults and sins into the light of Christ’s mercy has an essential role in the healing that our Blessed Lord wishes to offer. Additionally, one often finds a great deal of comfort in verbalizing these faults to another and hearing the words of forgiveness pronounced by the lips of another person. Almighty God recognizes our humanity and our need for communion with others and thus institutes the Sacrament of Penance to accord with our human nature and needs.

Multiple Choice

Think About It: Our encounter with Christ in this Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation enables us to see more clearly who we are and who we have been invited by the Spirit of Christ to become.

• True

• False

Vocab Time

• An offense against God, in which a person freely and knowingly chooses evil over good. Causes harm to the Church as well as to the person who commits the sin = ?

•  Sins that produce unjust social laws and oppressive institutions. They are the expression and effect of personal sins = ?

Multiple Choice

So, when we sin, does this mean that our actions could negatively impact others on a grand scale? 

• Yes.

• No. 

Yes! Social Reconciliation + The Common Good

• Reconciliation is an encounter with the whole Church, its members, and Christ

• Acts of injustice: 1) Tear society apart 2) Betrays human dignity 3) Comes with consequences

• RECONCILIATION gives us strength to repair the damages being done

Reconciliation + Peace

• Jesus proclaimed, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). 

• Being a ‘peacemaker’ is central to the identity of a Christian. Share Christ's peace with others!

• We are to be instruments of God’s peace...

  in our families,                           

  in our Church,

  and in our society.

Multiple Choice

Think About What This Means: Christians must renounce, aka reject and stop, all that separates people and all that causes ___in the family of God.

• selfishness

• division

• despair

• peacefulness

The Call to Action

• After the Rite of Reconciliation, the priest sends us forth, assuring us of God's mercy, forgiveness, and love.

• We are to be agents of God's peace, forgiveness, and justice

• Work to bring about the reign of God

• Heal divisions + work for social harmony so we can all live in peace as members of the family of God

Open Ended

Tell me two things you learned today about why confession is so important and how it contributes to the common good of society.