HISTORY
By the third century, the Church had established a close connection between the sacraments of initiation and the sacrament of reconciliation. The Order of Penitents very much mirrored the Order of Catechumens. The latter consisted of those who were preparing to be received into the Church through the sacraments of initiation. The former consisted of those who had sinned against God and the Church, were expelled from the Church and were now preparing to return. The early fathers sometimes referred to reconciliation as a mini-baptism.
The central concern that historically gave rise to what has always been called the Sacrament of Penance was this: when a person apostasizes from Christian faith (publicly renouncing it by offering incense at a statue of the emperor, for instance, in order to save his or her life), murders someone, or commits a gross public sexual sin, and then repents and wants to come back to the community of faith, how do we welcome them back? Because of the nature of the sins, the ritual moments of the Order of Penitents were very public. Sinners were expelled from the Church, sprinkled with ashes, made to wear sackcloth for an extended period, and were received back into the Church by the bishop.
By the sixth century, the Order of Penitents had mostly disappeared and was gradually replaced by the individual confession of sin popularized throughout Europe by Irish monks. This shift in practice was accompanied by a shift in thinking. A highly communal understanding of conversion, penance and reconciliation was replaced by a more individualistic view.
In the 10th century absolution became part of the sacrament as a way to mark clearly the return of the penitent into the fullness of the Church. In 1215, the Lateran Council imposed the requirement of an Eastertide or annual confession.
It was not until the twentieth century that the communal aspect of this sacrament would be rediscovered. The theology of the revised rite of 1972 testifies to this recovery of the communal sense of the sacrament.
THEOLOGY
The sacrament formally known as the Sacrament of Penance has long been commonly referred to as confession, and in the last thirty years as the sacrament of reconciliation. Each of these references has its own slightly differing meaning. Reconciliation emphasizes the fact that a person is reconciled with God and the Church upon reception of the sacrament. Penance refers to the penitent's conversion, which is necessary in order to celebrate the sacrament fruitfully. Confession is taken from the part of the sacrament where the penitents confess their personal sins.
The sacrament of reconciliation relies upon a Christian’s commitment to ongoing conversion, desire to repent and continuing need to be reconciled with God and the community. These three movements – celebrated in the sacrament – free an individual Christian from the alienation and isolation caused by sin.
Everything that needs to be said about the meaning of the sacrament can be found in what the tradition calls the Parable of the Prodigal Son found in the Gospel of Luke chapter 15.
PREPARING FOR RECONCILIATION
Parents are invited to bring their child(ren) forward to prepare for the Sacrament of Penance when they believe their child(ren) has a clear sense of right and wrong, and is ready to embrace God’s healing power and accept God’s forgiveness for their human failings.
The MCC would ordinarily expect that a child would receive Reconciliation (or Penance) before the age of ten.
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
• To provide an opportunity for parents who have requested Reconciliation for their child to take time out to reflect on their own ongoing need for conversion of life, sense of sin and experience of accepting God’s immense and gracious forgiveness and healing when they have failed.
• To provide an opportunity for the children to grow in their commitment to ongoing conversion and desire to repent, alert to their continuing need to be reconciled with God and the community throughout their lives.
• To afford parents and sponsors the opportunity to meet and interact with other families in the parish and thereby strengthen their sense of belonging to the community.
• To affirm and assist the parents in their role as "primary educators" of their children. (National Catechetical Directory, #212)
• To offer both prayer and the support of the parish community to the parents as they approach the same community seeking Reconciliation for their children.
• Reconciliation is our acceptance of God’s healing power and merciful love when we have failed. In this sacrament, people are unburdened from everything that stands between them and perfect union with God; symbolically they die with Christ in order to rise with him as they are reconciled with and most heartily welcomed back into the community of the church.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PREPARATION
The MCC asks the following of all who are preparing for First Reconciliation of their children:
1. Regular and faithful participation in Sunday Eucharist.
2. Participation in at least two Generations of Faith events (see the schedule elsewhere on the website).
3. Participation of parents and children in an ORIENTATION session.
4. A Home Kit will be offered to parents and sponsors for their continued reflection on the meaning of the sacrament and their responsibilities in the light of Christian faith.
5. Participation of parents and children in further sessions on the meaning of reconciliation.
CELEBRATION
Celebration may be arranged by contacting the parish office at 970-565-7806.
