Reconciliation

Reconciliation

By the Sacrament of Reconciliation one can obtain forgiveness of sins. The Sacrament is made up of several parts:

Contrition - heartfelt sorrow for sin; an examination of conscience is helpful.

Confession - the penitent tells his/her sins to the priest, who is acting in the person of Christ.

Penance - the penitent will take some action that atones for sin and restores peace and order to his or her life.

Absolution - God grants pardon to the person through the priest.

The following examination of conscience is taken from the Redemptorist Mission booklet.

The Ten Commandments

I am the Lord, your God, you shall not have strange gods before me. The occult or superstition. Denial of faith in Jesus or His teachings. Allowing others to belittle one's faith. Living as if God did not exist; not praying.
You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. Cursing, blasphemy, swearing. Invoking the name of Christ to further our own schemes or ends.
Keep holy the Lord's Day. The Eucharist each Sunday and holy day of obligation. Unnecessary work on this one day meant for family and wholesome recreation.
Honor your father and your mother. Young children must obey parents. All must respect and aid parents. Honor for those in authority. Obedience to just laws. Parents and all in authority must be honorable.
You shall not kill. Anything having to do with abortion, which is murder of an innocent human being. Suicide. Euthanasia - murder of the terminally ill. Serious injury of health - drugs, alcohol, etc. (If you are an alcoholic or drug addict, you absolutely need God's help. Do not minimize your situation in the sacrament.) Violence in deed or word against another.
You shall not commit adultery. Any bodily expression of sexual love outside of marriage. Within marriage, sexuality is the expression of love and open to life. Pornography. Immodesty.
You shall not steal. Stealing. Destruction of property. Fraud. Unfair wages to employees. Doing less than paid for. Neglect of the poor. Gambling which causes injury.
You shall not bear false witness. Lying. Speaking damaging truth about another to someone who has no right to know it. Gossip.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. Lustfully considering another person as a sex object.
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. Jealousy and envy of other's talents or goods.

The Seven Deadly Sins

	Pride - refusal to consider we may have something to learn; considering yourself the center of the world
	Avarice - or greed - accumulating money or possessions just to have them and impress others
	Lust - demeaning the dignity of any person by considering him/her as an object of sexual conquest
	Anger - not the "feeling" of a moment, but the harboring of resentments, bitterness, critical spirit, desire for revenge
	Gluttony - self-indulgence; comfort as our norm of living
	Envy - resentment over another's endowments or possessions
	Sloth - laziness, lack of effort, defeatist attitude