top of page

Growing Up Catholic

Session Four: At Home This Week

Session Review

Sin & Forgiveness

Even when we disobey the rules, God still loves us!

  • Sin hurts us, others, and our relationship with God.

  • Sin is choosing to do something we know is wrong or intentionally not doing something we know is right.

  • God gives us the freedom to make our own choices between good and bad things and grace to us us with those choices.

  • Our conscience is God's voice within us, helping us know right from wrong.

  • The Sacrament of Reconciliation heals us from sin.  In it, the Church celebrates how God forgives us.

  • We say we're sorry to God at the beginning of every Mass.

 

Rite of Reconciliation

  • Penance is a task the priest gives us after we confess, to help us turn away from sin and back to God.  It might be saying a prayer or other action.

  • You should perform your penance as soon after confession as possible.

Preparing to Go to Confession (even if it's been awhile...)

Here's a short video addressing how you can best prepare for receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, even if it's been a while.  It was made by our friends at Busted Halo.

This video will probably be more helpful to you than to your child.  However, if you have an older child in your home who has already made their first reconciliation but hasn't been in a while (or even once since that first time), you may want to watch this video with them. )

Penance - Promises for the Future

Fill in the table on the At Home This Week page to help your child understand what it means to make a promise to do better after we sin.

Parenting Tip: Beyond Saying Sorry

Even beyond the context of Reconciliation, the idea of penance is a helpful practice to encourage.  Here's a quote from How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish.
 

Sometimes children use "I'm sorry" as a way of placating an angry parent. They're quick to apologize and just as quick to repeat their misbehavior. It's important for these youngsters to realize that if they're genuinely sorry, their feelings of remorse should be translated into action. The repeat "offender" can be told any of the following:

"Sorry means behaving differently."

"Sorry means making changes."

"I'm glad to hear you're sorry. That's the first step. The second step is to ask yourself what can be done about it."

Growing Up Catholic is a ministry of The Pastoral Center.  Copyright 2008-2018.  All rights reserved.
All resources and materials have been adapted for use by Family Faith Formation/Sacrament Preparation at the Franciscan Renewal Center.  

bottom of page