First Reconciliation Handbook

Jesus said to the [apostles] again, “Peace be with

you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send
you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on
them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive sins of any they are forgiven; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
- Jn 20:21-23

Copyright © 2010 Marlon De La Torre, MA, MEd.

 Introduction

“I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have sinned through my own
faults. In my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to si, and I
ask the Blessed Mary Ever Virgin, all the angels and saints, and to you my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.”
- Penitential Rite within the Order of Mass

Observing the sacredness of the words of the Penitential Rite, our journey towards a deeper
relationship with Jesus Christ reflects the gift that Christ has placed in our hearts through His
Sacrifice on the Cross developing an intimate relationship with Him. Just as Jesus was baptized
by St. John the Baptist initiating Jesus’ ministry to the world so we are also called to proclaim our
Baptismal call to seek Christ not only in ourselves but in others as well.

As parents our primary aim is to foster our children in the ways of Christ and firmly establish an
intimate relationship with Him. Our instructional (catechetical) procedure should aim in certain
key areas:

1. Establish a Catholic World View for a Child

2. View everything through a Christocentric (Christ-centered way)

3. Centralize everything on the Blessed Trinity (Primary Doctrinal Piece)

4. Actively live a Sacramental life based on the Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, Moral life and
prayer

When Christ was preparing his Apostles to partake of the journey to hand-on the faith to all (Mt
28:17-20) He laid the sacramental foundation of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist
and the core of Christian Initiation for all. Embedded within this triune initiation is the
pronouncement of any sin in the soul of the human being that would hinder the opportunity to
grow in grace with Christ. This pronouncement of sin is tied intimately with a call to seek
penance, forgiveness, and reconciliation with Christ for those actions that goes against Christ and
His Church. Thus Christ gave all authority to His Apostles to forgive sin See: Jn 20:21-23.
The Journey towards the Sacrament of Penance

All children who have received the sacrament of Baptism and are preparing to receive the
Sacrament of First Holy Communion are called to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation
(Penance).

“In the sacrament of Penance the faithful who confess their sins to a legitimate minister, are sorry
for them, and intend to reform themselves obtain from God through the absolution imparted by
the same minister forgiveness for the sins they have committed after Baptism and, at the same,
time are reconciled with the church which they have wounded by sinning.”
- Code of Canon Law, 959

“In the sacrament of penance the faithful obtain from God’s mercy pardon for having offended him
and at the same time reconciliation with the Church, which they have wounded by their sins and
which by charity, example, and prayer seeks their conversion.”
- Rite of Penance, 4

Following these two sources it is imperative that your child know and understand the foundational
source and purpose of confessing sin to the representative of Christ on earth i.e. our Holy
Catholic Priests. The journey of faith flows towards deepening the child’s relationship with Christ
by understanding the nature of sin and properly disposing themselves to reception of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation when sin has been committed.
 Reconciliation, Confession, Penance
A Sacramental Lesson Plan for Families
Preparation

Scripture References

2 Cor. 4:7 - but we have this treasure in earthen vessels to show that the transcendent power belongs to
God and not to us.

Mk 1:5 - And there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem, and they were
baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Lk 15:18 - I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you;

Mt. 5:24 - leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and
offer your gift.

1 Jn 1:8 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Rev 2:5 - Remember then from what you have fallen repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent.

Proclamation

A pardoning from God through his mercy for those crimes that we have committed against him. - (CCC
1422-1423)

Explanation

A.) A continual call to conversion and penance (CCC 1423)

1. The journey of forgiveness (CCC 1424)

B.) Purification, cleansing, a continual call to conversion

1. You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 6:11)

C.) Penance (CCC 1430-1439)

1. Our hearts are converted through the mercy and glory of God the Father assisting us to
turn away from sin. (CCC 1431)

D.) Forms of Penance

Eucharist
Sacred Scripture
Seasons and days of penance
Repentance

E.) Forgiveness (CCC 1446)

God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his son has reconciled
the world to himself and sewn the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins,
through the ministry of the Church may God grant you pardon and peace, and I absolve
you from your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- OP 46: Formula of absolution
F.) Order of Reception
 1. Contrite heart - (CCC 1450-1454)

2. Reception of Graces - (CCC 1455-1458)

3. Absolution - (CCC 1448-1449)

G.) Minister to the Sacrament (CCC 1480-1484)

Bishops and priests by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power to forgive all sins in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (CCC 1461-1466)

The confessor is not the master of God’s forgiveness, but its servant. (CCC 1466)

H.) Order of Celebration (CCC 1480-1484)

Greeting and blessing from the priest

Reading of the Word of God
Confession and repentance, acknowledgment of sin
Absolution
Prayer of thanksgiving (Act of Contrition), dismissal
Penance

Application

What types of sins are forgiven when you receive the sacrament of Reconciliation?

What is the difference between penance and reconciliation?

Do we need a priest to receive this sacrament?

What is the purpose of an examination of conscience?

Glossary

1. Reconciliation - the effects of Christ’s saving passion, death, and resurrection which restores man to
God.

2. Confessional - place designated where you receive the sacrament of Penance and confess your sins to
the priest. The structure itself is boxlike with a confessor’s chair and a penitent’s kneeler with a screen for
privacy anonymity. Now, the penitent has the choice of confessing face to face or anonymously.

3. Confession - the revelation of acts committed that were not previously known. With respect to the
sacrament itself, the person reveals these acts to a priest for the sake of receiving absolution.

4. Absolution - the forgiveness of sins by the remission of sin through the sacrament of Penance.

5. Penance - the act of seeking thanks for having repented for sins committed thus being contrite for his
sins and acknowledging to avoid sin in the future.

6. Confessor - a priest who has the authority to hear one confession.

Celebration

Examination of Conscience
Act of Contrition
Lectio Divina
 The Rite of Reconciliation
And
The Code of Canon Law

“I will rise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you;”

- Lk 15:18

“A Priest alone is the minister of the sacrament of Penance.”

- Code of Canon Law, 965

“The valid absolution of sins requires that the minister have, in addition to the power of orders, the
faculty of exercising it for the faithful to whom he imparts absolution.”
- Code of Canon Law, 966

“The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace.”

- Rite of Penance, 47

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry or
reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are
ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.”

- 2 Cor 5:18-20

“Individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary means by which a
member of the faithful conscious of grave sin is reconciled with God and the Church.”

- Code of Canon Law, 960

“God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his only son has reconciled the
world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry
of the church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

- Rite of Penance, 46
 Catechetical Instruction(s) on Using the “Faith and Life” Series Second Grade Book
For supplemental instruction and preparation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Introduction

To assist the parent as the primary Catholic Educator of their child/children, we have provided a Second
Grade Sacramental Preparation Resource “Faith and Life Series-Jesus Our Life” from Ignatius Press.
This resources primary aim is for all parents to assist their child/children in the complete preparation,
proclamation, explanation, application and celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Structure of the Lesson Plan (The Ecclesial Method)

One of the recommended methods to offer an authentic religious education lesson plan is by formatting the
information into what we call the Ecclesial Method of Instruction. This is a five-fold process that will
adequately provide a sound overview of instructing the faith to all. The format of the lesson plan is as
follows.

Recommended Lesson Plan Outline for instruction based on the Ecclesial Method

I. Preparation

In the preparation you have what is called a calculated disengagement. This means what are the best
means to convey the Gospel message. It is important to note that everything must instructed must be
centered on Jesus Christ regardless of the doctrine. This crucial emphasis is known as Christocentric
catechesis because it is Christ the Son of God who gave flesh to the Word of God. Things to use in this first
step would include the following (music, art, prayers, stories, video etc.) The goal is to engage the child
into the transcendence of God.

II. Proclamation

Emphasis is placed on the Gospel proclamation. In other words what is the main point you want your child to
receive from the specific lesson being taught. Typically the proclamation is only two sentences in length.

III. Explanation

The explanation is where you carefully explain the teaching(s) of the Church through use of the bible,
catechism, video, art, notes, workbook, handouts, lesson plan. Utilize all three modes of learning; (audio,
visual, kinesthetic). Answer their questions carefully.

IV. Application

The application aims at providing learning aids that will aid their understanding of Church teaching.
Recitation and memorization of prayer, bible, passages, video clips, answering further questions.

V. Celebration

The celebration calls in wrapping up the lesson. The centrality of this last point is embedded in the Holy
Eucharist. Participation in the Mass is crucial for the child to see the value of everything taught.

Key Points
1. Sacred Scripture must be your driving force for instruction.
2. Everything must be christocentric
3. Teach for the sake of conversion i.e. diving deeper into the grace of Christ.
4. Use the Catechism of the Catholic Church as your foundational resource for the
teachings of the Church.
 Outline of Ecclesial Lesson Plan

I. Objective (The Student will . . .)

II. Materials used (textbook, media, art. Literature, handouts etc.)

III. Procedure

A. Preparation (Prayer/calculated disengagement)

B. Proclamation (Scripture, Catechism, other)

C. Explanation: content and method of delivery (lecture, lesson discussion, Q&A,

drawings etc.)

D. Application: how does the teaching apply to daily life?

E. Celebration: living out the teaching.