Father Casey and Father Patrick watch Hollywood "Confessions" and talk about how they approach the sacrament.
"Reconciliation from the church is inseparable from reconciliation with God."
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1445
Saturday 3:30PM-4:30PM or by appointment.
Reconciliation is a wonderful way to remove obstacles that prevent us from completely connecting with God. It is not difficult but does require some preparation. Before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one must take some time to reflect on how one did not conform to God's laws and the laws of His church. This is called examination on conscience. The 10 Commandments are an excellent guide for an examination of conscience.
Guide to Reconciliation
Examination of Conscience
1. I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me.
-Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life?
-Have I denied my faith?
-Did I despair of God's mercy?
-Have I neglected daily prayers as a result of spiritual indifference?
-Have I placed anything in importance above God such as wealth, position, or the esteem of others?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
-Have I avoided the profane use of God's or Jesus' name in my speech?
-Have I insulted a sacred person or sacred object?
-Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
-Have I wished evil upon another person?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
-Have I deliberately missed Sunday Mass or Holy Days of obligation?
-Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work?
-Was I inattentive at or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early?
-Have I failed to see that my children attended Mass?
4. Honor your father and mother.
-Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, family members and legitimate authorities?
-Have I failed to help my parents when in need?
-Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
-Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
-Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
5. You shall not kill.
-Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others?
-Did I abuse drugs or alcohol?
-Have I supported in any way abortion, "mercy killing", euthanasia, or suicide?
-Have I been angry and resentful?
-Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
-Did I give scandal to anyone, leading him or her toe sin?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thoughts and actions?
-Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriages?
-Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words, and actions?
-Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
-Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of others as mere objects?
-Am I careful to dress modestly?
7. You shall not steal.
-Have I taken anything that is not mine?
-Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
-Have I paid my debts in a timely manner?
-Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
-Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
-Have I wasted time at work, school, and home?
-Have I cheated anyone of what is rightly, theirs - government, insurance, large corporations?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Have I maliciously gossiped?
-Have I slandered, ruining the good name of others?
-Am I sincere in dealing with others?
-Have I kept secrets and confidences?
9. You shall not cover your neighbor's wife.
-Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?
-Have I caused impure thoughts through reading, movies, television, pictures, conversation?
-Have I behaved inappropriately with members of the opposite sex?
10. You shall not cover your neighbor's goods.
-Do I envy the possessions or families of others?
-Am I greedy or selfish?
-Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
In the Confessional
You have the choice to go behind the screen or face-to-face. After the priest greets you in the name of Christ, make the sign of the cross. He may choose to recite from scripture. After, you say "Bless me father for I have sinned, it has been (state how long) since my last confession. These are my sins."
After you have confessed your sins, listen to any advice the priest might give and accept penance. Then recite the Act of Contrition.
Try to fulfill your penance as soon as possible.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I'm heartily sorry, for having offended thee. I detest all my sins and deserve thy just punishment. Most of all, they offend you my God, who is all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1445
Saturday 3:30PM-4:30PM or by appointment.
Reconciliation is a wonderful way to remove obstacles that prevent us from completely connecting with God. It is not difficult but does require some preparation. Before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, one must take some time to reflect on how one did not conform to God's laws and the laws of His church. This is called examination on conscience. The 10 Commandments are an excellent guide for an examination of conscience.
Guide to Reconciliation
Examination of Conscience
1. I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me.
-Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life?
-Have I denied my faith?
-Did I despair of God's mercy?
-Have I neglected daily prayers as a result of spiritual indifference?
-Have I placed anything in importance above God such as wealth, position, or the esteem of others?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
-Have I avoided the profane use of God's or Jesus' name in my speech?
-Have I insulted a sacred person or sacred object?
-Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
-Have I wished evil upon another person?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
-Have I deliberately missed Sunday Mass or Holy Days of obligation?
-Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work?
-Was I inattentive at or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early?
-Have I failed to see that my children attended Mass?
4. Honor your father and mother.
-Have I shown Christlike respect to parents, spouse, family members and legitimate authorities?
-Have I failed to help my parents when in need?
-Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
-Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
-Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
5. You shall not kill.
-Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others?
-Did I abuse drugs or alcohol?
-Have I supported in any way abortion, "mercy killing", euthanasia, or suicide?
-Have I been angry and resentful?
-Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
-Did I give scandal to anyone, leading him or her toe sin?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
-Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thoughts and actions?
-Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriages?
-Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words, and actions?
-Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
-Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of others as mere objects?
-Am I careful to dress modestly?
7. You shall not steal.
-Have I taken anything that is not mine?
-Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
-Have I paid my debts in a timely manner?
-Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
-Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
-Have I wasted time at work, school, and home?
-Have I cheated anyone of what is rightly, theirs - government, insurance, large corporations?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Have I maliciously gossiped?
-Have I slandered, ruining the good name of others?
-Am I sincere in dealing with others?
-Have I kept secrets and confidences?
9. You shall not cover your neighbor's wife.
-Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?
-Have I caused impure thoughts through reading, movies, television, pictures, conversation?
-Have I behaved inappropriately with members of the opposite sex?
10. You shall not cover your neighbor's goods.
-Do I envy the possessions or families of others?
-Am I greedy or selfish?
-Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
In the Confessional
You have the choice to go behind the screen or face-to-face. After the priest greets you in the name of Christ, make the sign of the cross. He may choose to recite from scripture. After, you say "Bless me father for I have sinned, it has been (state how long) since my last confession. These are my sins."
After you have confessed your sins, listen to any advice the priest might give and accept penance. Then recite the Act of Contrition.
Try to fulfill your penance as soon as possible.
Act of Contrition
O my God, I'm heartily sorry, for having offended thee. I detest all my sins and deserve thy just punishment. Most of all, they offend you my God, who is all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.