St. Anthony of padua
THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION:
Worthy of God’s Love, We Receive God’s Grace
O
ne of the most asked about — yet, perhaps one of the most difficult to explain — concepts in the Catholic faith is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In Reconciliation, we tell our sins directly to God through a priest. Part of the reason we tell a priest is to receive verbal confirmation that the sins are forgiven. As Catholics, we don’t need to assume God has forgiven us. The priest says, “your sins are forgiven,” and gives a penance, which may be a series of prayers or an act to perform. On March 30, about 20 Parish School of Religion (PSR) and St. Dominic second-grade students received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time. This is one step in preparation for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, which most of these students will receive next year. Hope Glidewell teaches eighth grade at St. Dominic School and coordinates the PSR program. She loves teaching kids about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Having led the PSR program since July 2021, she has written her own curriculum for Reconciliation. She visited each school and PSR classroom to discuss original sin and the Ten Commandments. She also discussed that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who saves us from sin, and how this comes alive during Reconciliation. “The Sacrament of Reconciliation is important because it is what restores us continued on page 5
Inside APRIL 2022
2 Ways to Make Your Stewardship Dollars Go Farther! 3 Celebrating the Joy of Christ’s Resurrection 4 Our Church Décor: A Journey through the Liturgical Seasons 6 Steadfast in Faith and Devotion: St. Catherine of Siena 7 Palm Sunday Will You Carry Christ on the Journey?
