Reconciliation analogies

[stmax]

In a few weeks I will be giving a 15 minute talk to my youth group about reconciliation. I was wondering if anyone knew any good (and simple) analogies that i could use to explain reconciliation, sacramental grace, and why we need reconciliation so much.

 

[Castello]

I would suggest using this video from “That Catholic Show”

youtube.com/watch?v=7Or8KxB3SAQ

It is about 7 minutes long, when it is over, answer questions and hand out a good exam of conscience.

 

[acadian]

Can you use gross??

Once I had a wart (sin). For a while I didn’t recognize it for what it was. I thought it was a splinter. (sometimes we don’t recognize sin for what it is).

I tried to get the ‘splinter’ out. (sometimes we try to get rid of sin by our own power). After a while, I realized that it wasn’t a splinter, and what I was doing wasn’t working, so I tried some of the over-the-counter remedies. They helped for a little while, but in the grand scheme of things, they didn’t work, either. (again, we try to ‘cure’ ourselves).

Once I realized what it was, I would cover it up with a bandaid. It was ugly, after all, and I didn’t want anyone else to see it. (Sometimes we try to cover our sins with attitudes and behaviors so no one else will know…)

But finally, the wart began to spread. It itched. It hurt. (sin does this; when we don’t deal with it, when we cover it up…it gets worse…it spreads into other areas…it bothers us…it hurts).

I had had enough. (sometimes we just want to get rid of our sin) I went to the doctor. (priest) It cost me $. (reconciliation costs us too…in pride, nervousness…etc) The doctor took a look at it. (we tell our sins to the priest so he can ‘see’ them) He told me what the remedy was. (the priest will give us advice and a penance) He had to burn it off (sometimes the remedy involves short-term pain). But he was as gentle as possible, he gave me a pain-killer shot which hurt a little bit (a priest will be gentle, too).

I could smell the burning flesh (thankfully reconciliation doesn’t usually involve that ).

But once the doctor finished (priest gives absolution), the pesky problem was done. (often reconciliation provides the grace to totally alleviate pesky little problems in our life…though sometimes we have to return more than once).

It took a little while for the open wound to heal (sometimes it is like that with sin), and I still have a small scar (our actions have long-lasting consequences sometimes)

Even with an open wound, the pain was nowhere close to what it had been, and it eventually disappeared all together.

I was SO glad I had gone (you never regret going to reconciliation). It made my life so much better

Sometimes I still go to the doctor. Sometimes its just for regular check-ups (sometimes we go to confession just to fine-tune some of the small things in our lives) and sometimes I am sick and REALLY need to go to the doctor.

Edit as needed.

I’ve been wanting to put that on paper for a while.

 

[japhy]

Here’s an analogy I recently came up with to describe the difference between “grace” and mere “help”.

I know how to ride a bicycle. But when I was much younger, I didn’t: I needed my parents’ help. Eventually, I didn’t need their help anymore, and I could bicycle without their supervision, direction, or advice.

But God’s grace is different from human help, because we always need His grace to live as Christians. We can’t forgive without the grace of God; we can’t repent without His grace; we can’t resolve to avoid sin without His grace. These just aren’t things you “learn” how to do and then no longer need the help of the one who “taught” you.

 

[JerrySeibert]

Can you use gross??

Once I had a wart (sin). For a while I didn’t recognize it for what it was. I thought it was a splinter. (sometimes we don’t recognize sin for what it is).

I tried to get the ‘splinter’ out. (sometimes we try to get rid of sin by our own power). After a while, I realized that it wasn’t a splinter, and what I was doing wasn’t working, so I tried some of the over-the-counter remedies. They helped for a little while, but in the grand scheme of things, they didn’t work, either. (again, we try to ‘cure’ ourselves).

Once I realized what it was, I would cover it up with a bandaid. It was ugly, after all, and I didn’t want anyone else to see it. (Sometimes we try to cover our sins with attitudes and behaviors so no one else will know…)

But finally, the wart began to spread. It itched. It hurt. (sin does this; when we don’t deal with it, when we cover it up…it gets worse…it spreads into other areas…it bothers us…it hurts).

I had had enough. (sometimes we just want to get rid of our sin) I went to the doctor. (priest) It cost me $. (reconciliation costs us too…in pride, nervousness…etc) The doctor took a look at it. (we tell our sins to the priest so he can ‘see’ them) He told me what the remedy was. (the priest will give us advice and a penance) He had to burn it off (sometimes the remedy involves short-term pain). But he was as gentle as possible, he gave me a pain-killer shot which hurt a little bit (a priest will be gentle, too).

I could smell the burning flesh (thankfully reconciliation doesn’t usually involve that ).

But once the doctor finished (priest gives absolution), the pesky problem was done. (often reconciliation provides the grace to totally alleviate pesky little problems in our life…though sometimes we have to return more than once).

It took a little while for the open wound to heal (sometimes it is like that with sin), and I still have a small scar (our actions have long-lasting consequences sometimes)

Even with an open wound, the pain was nowhere close to what it had been, and it eventually disappeared all together.

I was SO glad I had gone (you never regret going to reconciliation). It made my life so much better

Sometimes I still go to the doctor. Sometimes its just for regular check-ups (sometimes we go to confession just to fine-tune some of the small things in our lives) and sometimes I am sick and REALLY need to go to the doctor.

Edit as needed.

I’ve been wanting to put that on paper for a while.

Outstanding Acadian. Very well put.