There are a few Sundays that, at the beginning of the liturgical year, Caroline set aside for teaching the kids about the Sacraments. We covered baptism back in January (see Baptism of Jesus), and decided to touch on Reconciliation at this time. I think this is a good time to talk about it, as Lent is a time for reflection and repentance.
[Lyse] added a bit to Caroline’s lesson on this topic from last year (see Reconciliation). Two of the kids had received the sacrament before, and I was comfortable talking about it, which was good because many children (and adults) can find the topic of reconciliation rather uncomfortable to discuss.
I brought up the “3 C’s” again: Conversion, Confession, and Celebration. I also walked through the basic structure of Reconciliation, mentioning that priests have heard all manners of sins before, and they are obliged to keep private all that they say and hear. I explained to the children that God forgives you through the priest: it is like the sins disappear in God’s eyes and your relationship with God is restored.
God keeps calling us back to Him no matter how many times we sin. And because Reconciliation is a sacrament, it means that God gives us special graces to be strong the next time we are tempted towards what we know is wrong. As we continue to receive this sacrament over the course of our lives, we grow closer to God and He helps us become who He created us to be.
[Lyse] added a bit to Caroline’s lesson on this topic from last year (see Reconciliation). Two of the kids had received the sacrament before, and I was comfortable talking about it, which was good because many children (and adults) can find the topic of reconciliation rather uncomfortable to discuss.
I brought up the “3 C’s” again: Conversion, Confession, and Celebration. I also walked through the basic structure of Reconciliation, mentioning that priests have heard all manners of sins before, and they are obliged to keep private all that they say and hear. I explained to the children that God forgives you through the priest: it is like the sins disappear in God’s eyes and your relationship with God is restored.
God keeps calling us back to Him no matter how many times we sin. And because Reconciliation is a sacrament, it means that God gives us special graces to be strong the next time we are tempted towards what we know is wrong. As we continue to receive this sacrament over the course of our lives, we grow closer to God and He helps us become who He created us to be.
I ended the children's liturgy by reading the story of the Prodigal Son from the “Treasury of Bible Stories,” a book by Publications International that our parish owns. I mentioned that prodigal means both extravagant and generous. The son is prodigal in his lifestyle, but the father is prodigal in his love and forgiveness. I also pointed out that the father was watching and waiting for many years for his son to return. In a similar way, God is always ready for us to return to him; he is waiting to give us his love and mercy.
- Lyse