1. Pray
Pray for God's mercy and grace as you prepare to make a good Confession.
2. Refect
Reflect on the ways your sins have harmed God, yourself, and others. It is important to use an Examination of Conscience to help guide you as you prepare for a Confession.
1. Confess
The first step is confessing your sins out loud to a priest. We know this may seem intimidating, however, each priest is acting in persona christi, which means they are acting in the person of Jesus Christ.
Greeting: The priest will welcome you; he may say a short blessing or read a Scripture passage.
Sign of the Cross: Together, you and the priest will make the Sign of the Cross. You may then begin your confession with these or similar words: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (give weeks, months, or years) since my last confession.”
Confession: Confess all your sins to the priest. If you are unsure what to say, ask the priest for help. When you are finished, conclude with these or similar words: “I am sorry for these and all my sins.
2. Receive Penance
These are prayers or deeds that the priest gives us so that we may begin our healing any relationships that were hurt by our sins.
3. Say the Act of Contrition
An expression to God that we are sorry for our sins and that we choose to leave sin behind and live in the light of Christ.
4. Receive Absolution
These are the words the priests speaks to reconcile us to God and the Church.
1. Rejoice
Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, God has reminded us of His unending love and mercy.
2. Resolve
Choose to leave sin behind and live in the light!
3. Respond
Make sure to follow through with the Penance the priest gave you and share the mercy you received with others.
Taken from Prince of Peace Church in Houston.
Confession can seem scary or hard, but it does not have to be if we prepare for it. Start with a prayer. Ask God to place you in His presence. Let our loving Father know that you are seeking His healing grace and forgiveness. Tell Him how sorry you are and that you resolve not to sin again. Next, review your life since your last confession. Search your thoughts, words and actions for that which did not conform to God’s command to love Him and one another through His laws and the laws of His Church. This is called an examination of conscience.
Your child or youth will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance/Confession) for the FIRST TIME during Year 2 First Holy Communion Preparation. Dates for the Sacrament of FIRST Confession will provided as part of your Year 2 First Holy Communion Class Schedule. No one can receive the Sacrament of First Confession WITHOUT GOING THROUGH SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION FIRST.
To learn more about your child recieivng his/her First Reconciliation and First Communion as a Middle or High Schooler, please click the button below.
If your child was baptized in another religion (non-Catholic) AND is under age 17, your child is not eligible to participate in these programs. You MUST enroll your child in a Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (R.C.I.C.) program.
Adults receiving this sacrament for the FIRST TIME are prepared for Reconciliation through the Rite of Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) Program. Click the button below to be taken to our R.C.I.A. page.