BRIEF CATECHESIS ON THE SACRAMENT OF HEALING - FR. BLANY PINTO sdb

The Sacrament of Conversion, Confession, Penance or Reconciliation

“Put on Christ”: he awaits you in the sacrament of Penance, to heal by his mercy the wounds caused by sin. Do not be afraid to ask God’s forgiveness! He never tires of forgiving us, like a father who loves us. God is pure mercy! - Papa Francesco

In the ongoing preparation of our children who will be receiving First Holy Communion this year, our Parish Priest Fr. Blany invited the children and parents to attend a special Mass on 25th and 26th November 2013. The theme for this Eucharistic celebration was the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

In his introduction father said that this was an opportunity for him to offer the parents a brief catechesis on Confession to refresh and deepen their knowledge and to revise and reinforce what the children have already learnt about this Sacrament in the Catechism class. 

In his homily, Fr. Blany asked the children a few pertinent questions related to sin, its definition, the ways in which we sin, the effects of sin on the soul and the perfect remedy provided by the Church for the forgiveness of sin. The children and parents enjoyed the several interesting aids father used to illustrate how sin affects our relationship with God and with each other. Father spoke of original sin, venial sins and mortal sins. 

Father explained the different ways in which we can obtain God's forgiveness when we sin. Baptism washes away original sin making the soul pure as God intended it to be. When our soul is free from sin, our prayers go directly to God and we hear Him when He speaks to us, but when we commit venial sins, although the link with God is not broken, they erect obstacles between God and us. These sins act as barriers and make it difficult for us to hear God speaking to us. All venial sins are forgiven at every Mass when we ask forgiveness from God and from our brothers and sisters during the penitential rite. Venial sins are also forgiven when we pray and when we perform acts of charity. 

Mortal sin kills the soul hence the word mortal, which means death. It destroys our relationship with God and all communication with Him is severed. For a sin to be mortal, these three elements need to be present, full knowledge, grave matter and full consent. When we are in a state of mortal sin, we cannot receive Holy Communion; our soul is dead and only in the Sacrament of Reconciliation life to the soul is restored. 

Father then spoke about perfect and imperfect contrition. If our motive for going to Confession is because we are afraid or want something from God then our motives are selfish, this is imperfect contrition. However, if we go for Confession because we are sorry for having offended God who is our loving Father, then we have perfect contrition.

Father concluded by urging parents to ensure that grace abounds in their home through prayer, making attendance at Holy Mass a priority and by going to Confession often. He reminded the parents that they are role models and if the children witness their parents living a holy and sacramental life they will emulate them not only now but even as they grow into adults.