Reconciliation

What is Sin?

Sin is any wilful, desire, word, action or omission forbidden by the law of God. It inflicts a wound not only on the sinner but also on ones neighbour and the whole church. Original Sin is forgiven through Baptism, and Actual sin is forgiven through genuine sorrow, often with Confession.

Why Reconciliation?

God loves us and longs us to heal and set us free. This He does when we turn to Him and tell Him of our sins. The awareness of personal sin is our starting point. People are often afraid to do it, not understand it, neglect it, see it of no consequence, have had negative experiences of it, do not know how to go about it, or have hardly matured in the practice since their first childhood confession. Going to confession helps us ensure that we are not being lazy in our relationship with God. It is a time to be really honest with God. This is an invitation for us to think again and return to the sacrament more frequently with a renewed understanding of it.

Forgiveness

God forgave each one of us through His son Jesus, when he suffered and died for our sins. He invites us to come to him and acknowledge our sinfulness, thereby making Jesus our healing remedy and our source of salvation. Confession is the means of receiving this forgiveness, by the direct touch of Jesus through his body the church.

Healing

What is healed? Our guilt and sin are forgiven. We hope for the wound caused by our own sins and those of others. The wounds of sin are wounds we carry within, and their pain is often crushing or crippling. They can lead us into sinful, compulsive actions and behaviours, hurtful to others and to ourselves. Confession provides an opportunity to ask for help and healing.

Preparing your child for first Reconciliation & Eucharist

The church requires that a child receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving First Eucharist. It is important to remember that even though your child has a sense of right and wrong, he or she has a limited sense of sin. It is important that a child’s image of God remains a loving God and that the experience of Reconciliation be a positive experience where the child knows that he or she is greatly loved by God and valued by the church community. In our Parish, the First Reconciliation preparation for a child is done through the Catholic Primary Schools. Otherwise, if attending a Government school they are advised to attend the Parish Catechism Class to prepare them as they receive the sacrament.

For adults, you can receive Reconciliation in our church on Saturday evening from 5.00-5.30pm, or upon request with the Priest. 

Please call the Parish Office on 9581 2061, or email catholicparish@westnet.com.au if you have any questions.