BlessedJohnXXIIICommunity SacramentalPreparation MinimumknowledgerequiredforreceptionoftheSacramentof FirstConfession Congratulations!YouareseekingtohaveyourchildmaketheirFirstConfession. Thatmeansyouunderstandthatyourchildisnotalittleangel,theyareflawedlike therestofusandthattheyareinneedofthegraceofconfessiontohelpthem advanceinthefaithandtheirgrowthtowardholiness. Inordertomakeone sfirstconfession,oneneedstohavebeenbaptized.theyalso needtobe7yearsofage.thereasonforthisisthatthechurchhasdeterminedthat theageofreasonisage7.whatistheageofreason?itisthatpointinoneslife wheretheycanreasonandknowtherealdifferencebetweenrightandwrongand goodandevil.inotherwords,theycanknowwhatissin.oneoftheconditionsfor sinisthatoneneedstoknowwhatsinis.beforethisawarenessinone slife,thereis noneedforconfessionastherecanbenosin. Knowingwhatissinisbiggerthanknowingthe10Commandmentsorthatitiswhat willgetyouintroubleifyoudoit.wearelookingforarealunderstandingthatitis wrong,thatitisevil,thatitiscontrarytothewillandthemindofgod.knowingthis, onewillwanttoavoidwhatisevil.astheydevelopanddeepenthisunderstanding throughouttheirlife,theywilllearntoavoidevilfortheloveofgodratherthan simplyasawaytoavoidthepainsofhell. Ifyourchildisadvancedintheirdevelopmentoftheunderstandingofsinbeforethe ageof7,pleaseseeyourpastorandlethimdeterminethisbeforeyoubeginthe preparation. TrainingforFirstConfessionshouldbeginatthestartofsecondgradethattheymay bereadytoreceiveindecember.thiswaytheycanbegintheirlessonsforfirstholy CommunioninJanuaryandbereadytoreceiveinApril,MayorJune,dependingon whenitisscheduled. Astheparent,youarethefirstteacherofyourchildren.Youhavetherighttoteach andprepareyourchildforthissacrament.youmayalsosendyourchildtoreligious Edclassesorhavearelativeorfrienddoitforyou.Inanycase,pleasetakethe processseriousasthisisanimportantsteepinyourchild sspiritualdevelopment. TheproceduretooreceivetheSacramentofFirstConfessionisasfollows: StepONE: Ifyouarein2 nd grade,atthebeginningoftheschoolyear,letthepastorknowthat youdesiretogotoconfession.
StepTWO: YouneedtogototheparishofyourBaptismandgetanewcopyofyourbaptismal record.givethisnewrecordtoyourpastorthathemaydetermineifyouareeligible foryourfirstconfession. StepTHREE: Learn,knowandbereadytodiscussthefollowinginformation: WhatisSin? SiniswhereweoffendGodbyknowinglyandwillinglybreakingoneofHis commandments.siniswherewedosomethingthatweknowiswrong. Wheredidsincomefrom? Sinoriginatedwithourfirstparents,AdamandEve. Whataremortalandvenialsin? MortalsinisaseriousoffenceagainstthelawofGod.Mortalsinplacesoursoulsin jeopardyofhell.mortalsiniscommittedwhenwecommitasinthatisserious,we giveitseriousreflectionandthengivefullconsentofourwill. VenialsinisaslightoffenceagainstthelawofGod.Nonumberofvenialsinscanadd uptoamortalsin,buttheydoweakenusandleadustocommitmortalsin. Whatislostwhenonecommitsmortalsin? Whenonecommitsmortalsin,theylosesanctifyingGraceandnolongerhavethe friendshipofgod? Whathappenstosomeoneiftheyweretodiewhileinthestateofmortalsin? Iftheydieinthestateofmortalsin,theyshallnotgotoheavenbutshallsufferhell foralleternity. HowdoestheSacramentofPenanceremitsin,andrestoretothesoul friendshipofgod. TheSacramentofPenanceremitssinandrestoresthefriendshipofGodbymeansof theabsolutionofthepriest. WhatistheSacramentofPenance? PenanceistheSacramentinwhichthesinscommittedafterBaptismareforgiven. Whatistheexaminationofconscience? TheExaminationofConscienceisanearnestefforttorecalltomindallthesinswe havecommittedsinceourlastworthyconfession?
Whatiscontrition,orsorrowforsin? Contrition,orsorrowforsin,isahatredofsinandatruegriefofthesoulforhaving offendedgod,withafirmpurposeofsinningnomore. Whatisattrition? Attritionissorrowforoursinbecausewefearthepainsofhellthatweknowwe mustsufferforoursins.wehavenot,however,cometoahatredortruegrieffor havingoffendedgod,nordowehavefirmpurposeofamendingourlife.weare sorrybecauseweknowwegotcaught.itisalsoknownasimperfectcontrition. DoesGodacceptbothcontritionandattrition? Yes.Godacceptsboth,butwearetomatureinourfaithandcometotruecontrition inourlivesifwearetoeverbecomeholyandtotrulyamendourlife. Whyshouldwebesorryforoursins? Weshouldbesorryforoursinsbecausesinisthegreatestofevilsandanoffence againstgodourcreator,preserver,andredeemer,andbecausemortalsinshutsus outofheavenandcondemnsustotheeternalpainsofhell. Whatismeantbyhavingafirmpurposeofsinningnomore? Byfirmpurposeofsinningnomorewemeanafixedresolvenotonlytoavoid mortalsin,butalsoitsnearoccasion. Whatismeanbynearoccasionofsin? Bynearoccasionofsin,wemeanallpersons,places,thingsandactivities,including speechandthoughts,thatmayleadusintosin. Whatisconfession? Confessionisthetellingofoursinstoadulyauthorizedpriest,forthepurposeof obtainingforgiveness. Whatsinsareweboundtoconfess? Weareboundtoconfessallourmortalsinsinkind(whatisthesin)andnumber (howoftentheyoccurred),butitisgoodtoconfessourvenialsinsalso. Whatshouldwedoifwecannotrememberthenumberofoursins? Ifwecannotrememberthenumberofoursins,weshouldtellthenumberasnearly aspossible. Isitagrievousoffence(serioussin)towillfullyconcealamortalsinin Confession? Yes.ItisagrievousoffencetowillfullyconcealamortalsininConfession,because wetherebytellalietotheholyghost(spirit)andmakeourconfessionworthless.
WhatmustonedowhohaswillfullyconcealedamortalsininConfession? Onemustconfessthattheycommittedthissinandallsinsthathavebeencommitted sincetheirlastworthyconfession,includingthesintheyomitted. WhydoesthepriestgiveusapenanceafterConfession? ThepriestgivesusapenanceafterconfessionthatwemaysatisfyGodforthe temporalpunishmentduetooursins. Doyouhavetodothepenance? Yes. Howdoweknowthatthepriesthasthepowerofabsolvingsinscommitted afterbaptism? Weknowthatthepriesthasthepowerofabsolvingusfromsinscommittedafter baptismbecausejesuschristgrantedthatpowertothepriestofhischurchwhen Hesaid, ReceivetheHolyGhost.Whosesinsyoushallforgive,theyareforgiven them;whosesinsyoushallretain,theyareretained. (Jn.20:22 23) Howdoesthepriestforgiveoursins? ThepriestforgivesoursinsbythepowerofGod,whenhepronouncesthewordsof absolution. Whatarethewordsofabsolution? Thewordsofabsolutionare, IabsolveyoufromyoursinsinthenameoftheFather, andoftheson,andoftheholyspirit. Howoftenshouldyougotoconfession? Oneisboundtogotoconfessionatleastonceayear,especiallyinpreparationfor Easter(referredtoasourEasterDuty). Ingeneral,oneshouldgotoconfessionasoftenasonefindsthemselvesinthestate ofmortalsin.
HowdoyougotoConfession? Entertheconfessionalandclosethedoor Eitherkneelbehindthescreenorsitinthechairforfacetofaceconfession MaketheSignoftheCross BlessmeFatherforIhavesinned.Ithasbeen sincemylastconfession o Or BlessmeFatherforIhavesinned.Thisismyfirstconfession. Stateyoursinsinkindandnumber(whatarethesinsandhowoftendidthey happen) Thepriestmayoffersomeadviceorcounseling. Thepriestwillgiveapenance. MakeyourActofContrition. Thepriestgivesabsolution(forgiveness). Makethesignofthecrosswhenthepriestsays InthenameoftheFather Thepriestsays, Goinpeace. Yourespond, ThanksbetoGod. Knowthefollowingprayers: OurFather HailMary GloryBe ActofContrition Knowthefollowing: 10Commandments SevenCapitalSins PreceptsoftheChurch SteepFOUR: Whenyoubelieveyourchildtobeready,callyourpastorandmakeanappointment foraninterview. Whileyouarethefirstteacherofyourchild,theChurchistheguardianofthe sacraments.thisinterviewbecomestheoverlapofthesetworesponsibilities,your sayingyourchildisreadyandthechurchconfirmingthatreadiness. Whatcanyourchildexpectintheinterview: Itshouldnotbeseenasatest(pass/fail).Aftertheinterview,manyare determinedtobeready,butaregivenfeedbackonthingstheyneedto continuetoworkon.thisfeedbackisnottobeseenascriticism.weallhave needtoworkonourknowledgeandunderstandingofthefaith. Ifthereareanyseriousgapsintheirknowledgeorunderstanding,thepastor maytalktotheparentssothattheymaydomoreworkinteachinginthese areas. Thediscussionwillbeconstrainedtotheinformationgiveninthis document.therewillbenosurprises.
Theywillnotbeexpectedtoknowitallperfectly. Theywillbeexpectedtohavetheabilitytotalkaboutittosomeextent. Iwilloftentimesgivethemhintsiftheyarestruggling.RememberthatIam notconcernedwiththemregurgitatingtheinformationlikearobot.iam concernedwithwhatdotheyknow.ifigivethemahintandtheydowell fromthere,theniknowtheyknowit.thatisallthatmatters. Somechildrenareshy.Itakethisintoconsiderationiftheyarenotdoing well.ifigetthefeelingthattheyknow,butarejusttooshyorscaredtotell me,thenthatisfinetoo.iamnottheretotortureorinterrogatethem. Thisisnoinsult,butsomechildrenaremoreintellectuallyastutethan others.somelearnbetter,somemayneverlearn.thisisaharshrealityof life.wedonotallhavethesamegifts.itakethisintoconsiderationalso duringtheprocess.ifyourchildhaslearningdisabilities,itisniceifyoulet meknowbeforehandsoitreatthesituationappropriately.ifachildisone whosimplycannotlearn,thatistakenintoconsiderationalso.thegoalis nottodepriveachildofthesacrament.sometimeswejustgetasensethat thechildunderstandsrightandwrongandsowegivethemapass.thisis nottosaythatknowledgeisnotimportant.itis.itistheideal.butifachildis tryingandsimplycan tdoit,wearenotgoingtopunishthemeither. Ithashappenedandcanhappenthatachildisnotreadytoreceivethe sacrament.thisisnotafailure.thisisnota youwillneverreceive. Itis simplyapostponementassomemoreworkneedstobedone.whenthe workisdone,theyneedtobeinterviewedagain.