The four elements needed for Reconciliation
Four elements make up the sacrament of reconciliation. They are essential for absolving sins. These elements are contrition, confession, satisfaction and absolution.
Contrition - sorrow for sins. Contrition requires sincere examination of conscience. To do this, a person must ask themselves questions based on the 10 Commandments, to see if they have sinned.
Confession - owning up honestly about sin, accepting responsibility for sin. Confession involves stating all the mortal and venial sins to the priest.
Satisfaction - doing what is possible to repair harm of offence. the two parts of satisfaction are penance and prayer of sorrow (act of contrition). Penance is when the priest states the satisfaction to be made (this could be returning stolen goods, paying compensation for damage done, a prayer). A prayer of sorrow can be a prayer in the person's own words, or a formal prayer.
Absolution - forgiveness by Jesus through the priest. Priests have the same spiritual gifts to forgive sins just as Jesus did.
Interesting fact: priests exercise the power the forgive sins by holding his hand over the person and blessing them while saying, 'God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' (Catechism 1449)
Interesting fact: priests are bound with something called the Sacramental Seal, which means they cannot tell your confessions to anyone.
Contrition - sorrow for sins. Contrition requires sincere examination of conscience. To do this, a person must ask themselves questions based on the 10 Commandments, to see if they have sinned.
Confession - owning up honestly about sin, accepting responsibility for sin. Confession involves stating all the mortal and venial sins to the priest.
Satisfaction - doing what is possible to repair harm of offence. the two parts of satisfaction are penance and prayer of sorrow (act of contrition). Penance is when the priest states the satisfaction to be made (this could be returning stolen goods, paying compensation for damage done, a prayer). A prayer of sorrow can be a prayer in the person's own words, or a formal prayer.
Absolution - forgiveness by Jesus through the priest. Priests have the same spiritual gifts to forgive sins just as Jesus did.
Interesting fact: priests exercise the power the forgive sins by holding his hand over the person and blessing them while saying, 'God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.' (Catechism 1449)
Interesting fact: priests are bound with something called the Sacramental Seal, which means they cannot tell your confessions to anyone.
Bible References about Reconciliation
The Rite of Reconciliation can be seen in the Parable of the Lost Son from Luke 15:1-32). 'Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
A boy turned away from his father, just as people turn away from God.
Away from his father, the boy committed sins - people find it harder to do what is right if they are away from God.
Eventually, the son realises that he was missing happiness being away from his father, just as people can only experience true happiness with God in their life.
The son decides to go back to his father and ask for forgiveness.
The father was looking out for him, hoping the son will come home. God is always waiting for those who sin to com back to him.
The father calls for a celebration to celebrate his son coming home - God welcomes back people who want to restore their relationship, regardless of what they have done.
The second major bible reference to reconciliation is the Reconciliation of Zaccheaus (Luke 19:1-10).
'Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zaccheaus, a cheating tax collector, wanted to find Jesus. People show they want to find Jesus by having the sacrament of Penance.
Jesus spoke warmly to Zaccheaus, and he listened to Jesus' teachings, just as the priest welcomes people today, and we listen to Jesus' teachings through the Scripture.
Zaccheaus confessed his sins, just as people do today.
After this, Zaccheaus resolved to fix his sins and undo the harm he did to others.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
A boy turned away from his father, just as people turn away from God.
Away from his father, the boy committed sins - people find it harder to do what is right if they are away from God.
Eventually, the son realises that he was missing happiness being away from his father, just as people can only experience true happiness with God in their life.
The son decides to go back to his father and ask for forgiveness.
The father was looking out for him, hoping the son will come home. God is always waiting for those who sin to com back to him.
The father calls for a celebration to celebrate his son coming home - God welcomes back people who want to restore their relationship, regardless of what they have done.
The second major bible reference to reconciliation is the Reconciliation of Zaccheaus (Luke 19:1-10).
'Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zaccheaus, a cheating tax collector, wanted to find Jesus. People show they want to find Jesus by having the sacrament of Penance.
Jesus spoke warmly to Zaccheaus, and he listened to Jesus' teachings, just as the priest welcomes people today, and we listen to Jesus' teachings through the Scripture.
Zaccheaus confessed his sins, just as people do today.
After this, Zaccheaus resolved to fix his sins and undo the harm he did to others.