A Reflection on Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation has rightly been called by a number of names, including confession, the Sacrament of forgiveness, and the Sacrament of healing. It is less well known by what is perhaps its most important name, and its most important benefit, and that is the Sacrament of conversion. In this conversation on the Sacrament, Mark and Frances explore the historical context, benefits and means of preparation. They discuss how God not only wants to grant us His forgiveness and Mercy for our failings and our sin, but He wants to use that very weakness of our nature to bring about our conversion, purification and transformation into His Son, Jesus Christ. The most important aspect for our participation in this process is a continual and ever more challenging examination of our own behavior and even our very thoughts. Here Mark and Frances share three separate means of conducting such an examination, and they demonstrate how the process begins with looking at ourselves externally, turning to our interaction with our neighbor and then returning again to look at ourselves in a much deeper, spiritual and more interior way. This is an important topic and hopefully motivation for many of us to return to and enrich our experience of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Conversion.

RESOURCES
Documents:
“Merciful Like the Father” for 24 Hours for the Lord from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization:
http://www.im.va/content/dam/gdm/documenti/pdfvari/24HoursForTheLord.pdf

“A Brief Examination of Conscience” Based on the Ten Commandments:
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/sacraments-and-sacramentals/penance/upload/Examination-of-Conscience.pdf

Examination of Conscience According to the Seven Vices
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98280351/CSMP%20-%20Toolbox%20for%20Website/TBW_Examination%20of%20Conscience.pdf

Examination of Conscience Recalling Relationships with God and Others
http://www.loyolapress.com/an-examination-of-conscience.htm

Examination of Conscience According to the Three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
http://www.ewtn.com/library/SPIRIT/EXAMCONS.TXT

Examination of Conscience According to the Precepts of the Church
http://www.beginningcatholic.com/precepts-of-the-catholic-church.html

Examination of Conscience Using the Nine Ways of Being an Accessory to Another’s Sin
http://www.stpeterslist.com/6942/the-9-ways-of-being-an-accessory-to-anothers-sin/

Examination of Conscience for Priests and Religious
http://www.thelightisonforyou.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/TheLightIsOnForYou_ExaminationForReligiousAndPriests.pdf

Examination of Conscience and Catholic Doctrine
https://www.newmanconnection.com/ccwatershed/Examination.pdf

Examination of Conscience Based on the Beatitudes
http://www.johnpaul2center.org/JohnPaulIICenter/LayFormation/AdultFormation/SeasonofMercyFaithFormationRes/Beatitudes_EC.pdf

Comprehensive Examination of Conscience Based on the Twelve Virtues
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/thechurch/sacraments/adults.htm

Book:
“Frequent Confession: Its Place in the Spiritual Life” by (Dom) Benedict Baur, O.S.B.

Scripture passages cited from the New American Bible, printed 1970:
Lamentations 3:40
John 20:22-23
1 Peter 5:8
Matthew 5:28