First Reconciliation

[benedictgal]

Did you hop a plane and come to the Burbs?

We had a similar homily. Emphasis was also placed on parents who bring their children to the baptismal font, and then do not train them up in the way they should go, as little priests, prophets, and kings (or queens). It takes training to be all of those things (check history), and that is what happens to an infant when baptized. The parents and godparents promise to do that for their children. First Confession is part of the deal, esp. since it is mandatory for First Communion in the Latin Rite.

BTW- In doing research, I discovered that Eastern Rite children, who receive all three initiation sacraments as babies, make their first confession sometime around 7.

I think you priest and my PV must have been having an online chat with the Holy Father. This is the conclusion of his homily:

“Of course, to grow up strong and healthy, these boys and girls will have need of material care and a lot of attention, however what is most necessary, indeed indispensable, to them is to know, love and serve God faithfully, so as to have eternal life. Dear parents, be for them the first witnesses of authentic faith in God!”

That is the Christian duty of the parents. After all, they made that vow when they gave their consent during the Nuptial ritual. Part and parcel of this is making sure that the child understands everything that the life of a Christian entails, including the constant battle with sin.

Furthermore, as parents, you give kids booster shots to help improve their immune systems. Look at Confession as the necessary (and more important) booster shot that will help ward sin off of the soul.

 

[MomaMary8]

Kitten, it sounds as if you have a very negative perception of reconciliation. Perhaps you need to approach this more through prayer than through “science.” Many of your post refer to brain matter and function and relate human experiences to animal actions. We are more than animals and thus have been given a greater responsibility. A responsibility that includes doing our part in attaining salvation. We cannot merely accept that God is merciful and will be forgiving. While true, He is Merciful, we must do our part in accepting his mercy. One very simple way is to tell Him we are sorry for our sins.

As a person grows in their faith, he or she will realize the gravity of their transgressions. Is a child stealing a pack of gum as severe as a grown adult with a fully-formed conscience, understanding the impact of shoplifting who steals a pack of gum the same? Logic says no. To one who is given much, much will be expected. We expect more from an adult than a child, and so the gravity of sin of the adult will be greater when they choose to do wrong.

As a mother of children rangin from age 20 mo to 15 years, I can attest that they definitly know what sin is and can make a choice to sin or not to sin well before the age of 18! I have seen my 4 year old wait for me to leave the room before grabbing the forbidden candy. It was a calculated thought to do wrong. He chose to do wrong. I have a few more years to teach him “why” it was wrong, but that is my moral obligation. I must teach him that a choice like that is sinning against God.

His understanding will be based on his ability. It is not up to me to judge the severity of his actions. I must not use moral relativism to judge his sinning. I also must NOT assume he cannot sin. I would love to say my children are angels, but I know better. Once my children received reconcilliation at school (on a Thursday) After mas the following Sat morning, my 8 yr old asked to stay for confession! I was just about floored. I had no idea what he did that he felt he needed to return to the confessional just two days later. It wasn’t my business to know and I knew the priest would help my son determine if it was sin or scruples. My place is not to keep my son away from grace giving sacraments, but to give him every chance of receiving Our Lord’s abundant Grace. Why not give him the gift of relieving himself of the burden of sin!! We must have faith that our sins are forgiven and grace restored. Don’t hamper your child by down playing their ability to understand. They know more than we think they do!! Its not a matter of science, but a matter of faith and reason.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is a great Gift and one that should be given with great joy!!

 

[puzzleannie]

His understanding will be based on his ability. It is not up to me to judge the severity of his actions. I must not use moral relativism to judge his sinning. I also must NOT assume he cannot sin. I would love to say my children are angels, but I know better. Once my children received reconcilliation at school (on a Thursday) After mas the following Sat morning, my 8 yr old asked to stay for confession! I was just about floored. I had no idea what he did that he felt he needed to return to the confessional just two days later. It wasn’t my business to know and I knew the priest would help my son determine if it was sin or scruples. My place is not to keep my son away from grace giving sacraments, but to give him every chance of receiving Our Lord’s abundant Grace. Why not give him the gift of relieving himself of the burden of sin!! We must have faith that our sins are forgiven and grace restored. Don’t hamper your child by down playing their ability to understand. They know more than we think they do!! Its not a matter of science, but a matter of faith and reason.

The sacrament of Reconciliation is a great Gift and one that should be given with great joy!!

now here is a parent who gets it
would you PLEASE volunteer to teach sacramental prep classes in your parish, esp. to parents, if I get Southwest to send you a ticket will you come down here to teach it for me?

 

[MomaMary8]

puzzleannie,

You are too kind! Thank you for the kind compliment. Your offer for a ticket to Texas is very tempting…we are rather frigid in WI!!

As for classes, I agree that parents are the ones we should focus our teaching on…oh the things I wish I knew when I first became a parent!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

now here is a parent who gets it
would you PLEASE volunteer to teach sacramental prep classes in your parish, esp. to parents, if I get Southwest to send you a ticket will you come down here to teach it for me?

And I bet when her kids made their first reconciliations, nobody had to knock the camera out of her hand while she taped the moment!

 

[benedictgal]

I was thinking about the OP this evening when I found this little gem from the book “Benedictus” that has meditations written by Pope Benedict XVI. This one might be appropriate for the OP herself:

Hardly anyone seriously thinks nowadays that men’s wrong actions may concern God so much that he regards them as sinful and offensive to himself, wiht the result that such sin must be forgiven by him alone. Even theologians have discussed the possibility of replacing the practice of confessing sin by conversations with pyschologists, sociologists and lawyers. Sin does not really exist. There are only problems, and these can be settled with the help of experts. Sin has disappeared, and with it forgiveness, and behind that disappearance theer is also the disappearance of a God who is turned towards man. In this situation, Christians can only turn to the Gospel, which can give us courage to grasp teh truth. Only the truth can make us free. But the truth is that there is guilt and we ourselves are guilty. It is Christ’s new truth that there is also forgiveness by the one who has the power to forgive. The Gospel calls on us to accept this truth. There is a God. Sin exists and there is also forgiveness. We need that forgiveness if we are not to seek refuge in the lie of excuses and thus destroy ourselves…Where there is forgiveness, there is also healing.

Kitten, I don’ t know if you have made use of the sacrament of Penance. But, based on what you have written, it appears to me that perhaps if one understands that sin is pretty much a cancer that works to deaden our soul’s relationship with God, then, one might be able to better understand why confession is so very necessary, even at an early age as your son’s.

We make such a huge deal about smoking and how it can kill a person (in my case, it gives me severe migraines). We warn our kids about the dangers of lighting up a cigarette and we urge them not to drink alcohol or engage in drug consumption because these harm the body. But, do we tell them how horrible sin is? Do we tell them that lying to mom and dad or pushing their siblings is bad and that this not only hurts them (and their relationships within family, friends and school), but also their relationship with God?

This is why the Church requires that confession precede the reception of First Holy Communion. We need to instill within our children’s souls the importance of having their souls clean? What would profit a child if he keeps his room clean, but not his soul?