REVIEWER IN SACRAMENTS  reconciliation effected by the or priest in the

name of Christ.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation
The Meaning and Effects of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation as part of Healing
Reconciliation
- We should all be aware of our failing short of
the perfection required of us as Christians.  Those who approach the Sacrament of Penance
- This was the original understanding of sin. obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense
- Jesus’ whole ministry was directed towards committed against Him, and are, at the same
reconciling sinners with God. time, reconciled with the Church which they
- The authorized person (bishops or priests) can have wounded by their sins and which by
act on behalf of Christ and of His Body the charity, example, and prayer labours for their
Church, to reinstate a repentant sinner into a conversion.
proper relationship with God. Mystery of Reconciliation
- This is done through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation or Confession. - Jesus during His life and ministry welcomed sinners
- The Church teaches that a Catholic in a serious and reconciled them with the Father.
state of sin, should seek the Grace of God - The Church continues to call men from sin through
offered through the sacrament. Baptism and the Eucharist and in the Sacrament of
- If no serious sin has been committed, then Reconciliation.
private confession is sufficient or in the
Penitential Rite at the beginning of Mass.
- However, the Church encourages us to celebrate
Reconciliation and the Community
the Sacrament regularly in order to benefit from
the graces it bestows. The sin of one harms another – hence it is fitting that
they should help each other in doing penance.
True conversion demands contrition and acts of
The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial
penance, which is a remedy for sin.
- Sins are rightly evaluated according to their
God pardons the sinner and renews the broken
gravity. The distinction between mortal and
covenant.
venial sin, already evident in Scripture, it
became part of the tradition of the Church. It is
corroborated by human experience.
- Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a The Rites of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
disordered affection for created goods; it  Rite 1 Individual Confession
impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the
virtues and the practice of the moral good; it Can be celebrated behind a grill or face to face. It should
merits temporal punishment. be a ‘serene and tranquil dialogue’ with no pressure on
- Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man time. It should be accompanied by prayer and reading
by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man from Word of God.
away from God, who is his ultimate end and his
beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.  Rite 2 Communal Confession
Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though This can powerfully improve the quality and experience
it offends and wounds it. of Individual Confession through readings and a homily,
3 CONDITIONS OF MORTAL SIN together with a shared examination of conscience.

For a sin to be mortal, the three must met the conditions:

Grave Matter - the act itself is intrinsically evil and
immoral.
 Rite 3 General Absolution
Full Knowledge - one should know that the act is wrong
in the first place. This rite may not be used indiscriminately. Individual
Confession remains the norm.
Deliberate Consent - one must freely choose to commit
the act or plan to do it. Text

Before taking the sacrament of confession, one must “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and
have a good examination of conscience. Resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to
Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the
The essential elements are: forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you
 repentant confession of sin.
from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
 a penance determined by bishop or priest. and of the Holy Spirit.”
Ministries - Chronic as well as acute, mental as well as physical
handicaps are eligible as well as surgery for a serious
 In order to celebrate the Sacrament lawfully the condition.
confessor must have ‘faculties’ from the bishop
– emphasizing the role of the bishop at the - The Sacrament cannot be applied to the already dead.
center of unity in his diocese.
 Repeatability
 The revised rites require the confessor to act as
judge, physician and spiritual counsellor but - The Sacrament is given to the seriously ill it is even
above all as a welcoming Father and Good more proper that it should be given to those about to part
Shepherd. this life.
- It completes our configuration to Christ’s death and
resurrection, just as Baptism began it.
Anointing of the Sick
- The ‘Last Sacrament is ‘Viaticum’ – the special
- Sickness and pain have been always a problem in
celebration of Communion.
human life.
- Anointing at the deathbed should now only be
- Sickness is more than ill health, it affects the whole
undertaken in cases of an unforeseen emergency
person and we experience our limitations and ability to
normally it would have been celebrated in advance
control our own lives.
during the course of sickness. When it is necessary in
- Ultimately sickness is a reminder of our own mortality imminent danger of death then the sequence of the
and that one day we will die. Sacraments should be:

- In the Bible, we see that suffering and sickness exist Reconciliation

we live in a world disordered by sin.
–> Anointing
- However, the Gospel insists that sickness is not
–> Viaticum
punishment for person sin.
Symbolism
- Jesus went around curing the sick and His miracles, the
Kingdom of God is breaking into our world bringing Oil – (exclusively for the sick)
salvation for the whole person which is the body and
soul. Laying on of hands – performed in silence after the
‘prayers of the faithful’ and before the anointing.
Meaning and Effects of the Sacrament of Anointing
of the Sick
Extreme Unction - which may also and more fittingly
be called Anointing of the Sick, is not a Sacrament for
those only who are on the point of death. Hence, as soon
as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death Text
from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to
a) Prayer for the blessing of the oil
receive this Sacrament has certainly already arrived.
b) The formula of application
“Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His love
and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Integral Healing Amen. May the Lord who frees you from sin, save you
and raise you up. Amen.”
- Those who are seriously ill need the special
help of God’s grace, lest they become broken in
spirit and weakened in their faith.
Ministry
- The Sacrament provides Christ’s support by the
grace of the Holy Spirit, they are sustained by - The priest is the proper minister.
trust in God, strengthened against temptation
and anxiety over death. - In cases of a shortage of priests, the Sacrament is
- The sick person is therefore not only able to bear therefore likely to be limited.
suffering bravely, but to fight against it. - Visiting and praying with the sick is a traditional and
The Rite of the Sacrament of Anointing commendable lay ministry.

 Eligibility
- The Sacrament is available to anyone who is seriously
ill but does not require a terminal or fatal diagnosis.