On the day of his resurrection Jesus appeared to his Apostles, gathered together in the Upper Room and spoke to them.

“Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you!’ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at the sight of the Lord. He therefore said to them again, ‘Peace be to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed upon them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
John 20:19-23

When we have sinned, we separate ourselves from God. To be reconciled with him we have to confess our sins, acknowledge our repentance, and do an act of contrition.

Unfortunately, we as human beings from time to time fall short of living up to the values and principles of the Gospel.  Yet we can experience the forgiveness of our loving God and start over with a clean slate through this sacrament.
To experience the fullness of the Sacrament of Reconciliation the following are essential:

1. Genuine sorrow for sin (contrition)
2. Admission of sins (confession)
3. Desire to do penance (satisfaction)
4. Desire to be reconciled with Christ and Church (absolution)

How to Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation

1. Find a place of quiet (perhaps in church before you receive the sacrament).  Place yourself in the presence of Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit open your heart and mind to see yourself as he sees you
2. Make an examination of conscience.  Prayerfully consider your relationship with God and with others.  Ask yourself, “Where have I failed to live up to the Gospel message?  Where have I failed to love God and others?”  You need only review those failures since the last time you received the sacrament.  You might find the same sins you confessed before keep coming up.  That’s okay.
3. Spend some time expressing a “sincere sorrow,” which means you are willing to try harder to avoid the same problems in the future.
4. Go to the priest (either face-to-face or behind the screen) to celebrate the sacrament.  It is all right to ask for advice or counseling, but if it will take much time, the priest may ask you to arrange to meet at another time for more detailed help.  Once the priest has said the prayer of absolution you are ready to go forth and continue your journey of faith.  Go back into the church to say your penance.

First Reconciliation for Children

The sacrament of Reconciliation is usually received by a child for the first time when he/she is in the 2nd grade.
Parents are the primary teachers in preparing their child for this sacrament as well as First Communion.  The parents must participate in the formation program for the preparation of this sacrament.  Occasionally they should check with the teacher for information to see how they can help in their child’s preparation.  If, after careful discernment, a child is judged to be inadequately prepared to receive this sacrament, the reception will be postponed until a more suitable level of preparation has been achieved.
First Reconciliation is normally celebrated in the prior to First Communion.

Communal Penance Services

At various times during the year (i.e. Advent and Lent) the parish will have a communal penance service.  When we sin, we affect in a very real way our relationship with God and with the Church.  Sin destroys the unity that should exist in God’s family.  Thus for a communal penance service we gather as a family of God to be reconciled with God and with each other.
The service usually consists of readings from scripture, a homily and a examination of conscience followed by the opportunity for individual confessions.  Several priests are present to hear individual confessions and to give absolution.

To help you prepare for Reconciliation you might want to review: