HOLY
FAMILY PARISH E-NEWSLETTER- CORRECTION! Dear Subscribbers, I goofed when typing the time for the Communal Reconciliation for Holy Family Church. The opportunity for communal reconciliation is also available at St. Joseph's church on Sunday, March 16 at 3:00 pm and on Monday, March 17 at 7:00 pm. Consider taking part in this special opportunity to renew your spiritual life and receive God's forgiveness, healing, and grace. Haven't been to confession in a while? Are you uncomfortable with confession? You are not alone! Why can't I just pray directly to God and ask for forgiveness? I've included two sites below to address some of these questions.
The following article from "American Catholic"(Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M.) is lengthy but addresses some of these issues. I've quoted several paragraphs below: ".......In the past the order was different: Receiving the sacrament meant beginning with a recitation of sins (confession). Formerly, it was the penitent who began the encounter in confession—"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned"—not unlike the the way the son in our parable planned to greet his father. .... now in Reconciliation it is the confessor who takes the initiative, reaching out, welcoming the penitent and creating a hospitable environment of acceptance and love before there is any mention of sin. Thus, the sacramental moment of confession—just one of the sacramental moments in the whole Rite—focuses on God's love rather than our sin." "......Of course the new Rite does concern itself with the confession of sins. But one's sinfulness is not always the same as one's sins. And, as a sacrament of healing, Reconciliation addresses the disease (sinfulness) rather than the symptoms (sins). So, the sacrament calls us to more than prepared speeches or lists of sins. We are challenged to search deep into our heart of hearts to discover the struggles, value conflicts and ambiguities (the disease) which cause the sinful acts (the symptoms) to appear." "....A question that often arises is: Why confess my sins? And why confess to a priest? Why not confess directly to God, since God has already forgiven me anyway? From God's point of view, the simple answer is: There is no reason. But from our point of view, the answer is that as human beings who do not live in our minds alone, we need to externalize bodily—with words, signs and gestures—what is in our minds and heart. We need to see, hear and feel forgiveness—not just think about it. We need other human beings to help us externalize what is within and open our hearts before the Lord, which puts confessors in a new light." "...Celebration is a word we haven't often associated with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But in Jesus' parable, it is obviously important and imperative. "Quick!" says the father. "Let us celebrate." And why? Because a sinner has converted, repented, confessed and returned." " .........So there is something we can do about the unconditional forgiveness we receive from God: forgive as we have been forgiven. Having been forgiven, we are empowered to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another, heal one another and celebrate the fact that together we have come a step closer to the peace, justice and reconciliation that makes us the heralds of Christ's Kingdom on earth." The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness Celebrating the Sacrament of Penance: Questions and Answers this one is taken from What should I say when I get into the 'booth'?.....more next time... Peace, Jenny Cooper Do you wish to make a
recommendation? Please do!!! Contact- Jenny Cooper |