A Guide to the Sacrament of Penance : Discover God's Love Anew

(Produced by the Bishops of Pennsylvania - February, 2002)

1. What is Confession?

Confession is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ in his love and mercy. It is here that we meet the loving Jesus who offers sinners forgiveness for offenses committed against God and neighbor. At the same time, Confession permits sinners to reconcile with the Church, which also is wounded by our sins.

The sacrament, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, is known by many names. Sometimes "it is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion" (1423). But it is also better known as "the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction" (1423).

For many of us it still continues to be known as "the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament" (1424). At the same time, the Catechism reminds us that "it is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent 'pardon and peace'" (1424). Finally, it is also called the sacrament of Reconciliation because it reconciles sinners to God and then to each other (1424). In this text, we will refer to the sacrament as the sacrament of Penance.

Through this sacrament, we meet Christ in his Church ready and eager to absolve and restore us to new life. The graces of Christ are conferred in the sacraments by means of visible signs - signs that are acts of worship, symbols of the grace given and recognizable gestures through which the Lord bestows his gifts. In the sacrament of Penance, the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of grace are the gifts received through the outward sign, i.e., the extension of hands and words of absolution pronounced by the priest.

2. What is sin?

Unfortunately, in society today, many people have lost the understanding of sin. Our Holy Father has stated that "it happens not infrequently in history, for more or less lengthy periods of time and under the influence of many different factors, that the moral conscience of many people becomes seriously clouded. . . . Too many signs indicate that such an eclipse exists in our time" Reconciliation and Penance, 18). In our day, many people have lost the sense of sin and feel that they can do whatever they wish without considering or fearing the consequences.

For such people, the term "sin" has no meaning. Yet we know that sin is a terrible evil which all of us must come to understand and with which all of us must struggle. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sin "is an offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the eternal law of God" (1849, 1853). In other words, sin is willfully rejecting good and choosing evil. In judging the degree of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and venial sins. "Mortal sin," the Catechism teaches, "destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law . . . Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it" (1855). (Refer to the Glossary on Mortal and Venial Sin at the end of the booklet.)

3. Why is Confession necessary?

We need the sacrament of Penance because each of us, from time to time, sins. When we recognize that we have offended God who is all deserving of our love, we sense the need to make things right. Like the prodigal son in the Gospel, we long to know again the loving embrace of a forgiving father who patiently waits for each of us. Jesus himself has established this sure and certain way for us to access God's mercy and to know that our sins are forgiven. By virtue of his divine authority, Jesus gives this power of absolution to the apostolic ministry. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "in imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church" (1444).

We need to know that our sins are forgiven. There is something in our human nature that calls out for the assurance that our sins are actually forgiven. Confession is the visible manifestation of God's mercy that provides us, in human terms as well, the clear awareness that God has forgiven us.

4. What is the source of the forgiveness of our sins?

Jesus invites us to reconciliation with God. It is Christ, the Good Shepherd, who offers us forgiveness and the power to turn away from sin. Writing to the Corinthians, Saint Paul reminds us that just as sin came into the world through Adam and Eve, so too grace and new creation come to us through Jesus Christ. Just as death came through a human being, so too the resurrection of the dead came through a human being. As in Adam all people die, so in Christ all shall be brought to life - a fullness of life, a new creation already beginning in us through grace (cf. 1 Cor 15).

This is the message we proclaim when we face the mystery of sin. Just as Adam brought sin, death, disharmony, confusion, disruption and struggle into our lives, Christ, the new Adam, gives us grace, redemption, new life and salvation. (Refer to the Glossary on Original Sin at the end of the booklet). It is in Jesus Christ that we find the beginnings of the new creation. He leads us back to the Father, overcomes the tragic alienation of sin and restores harmony. Jesus gives us newness of life in grace that begins to restore our relationship with God and that will lead to full communion with God in glory. Grace is the beginning of a new creation for all of those baptized into Christ. In short, Jesus' passion and death have rescued us and given us new life.

5. How is the Church able to forgive sins?

The Church professes belief in "the forgiveness of sins" and is fully aware that only God forgives sins. It also believes that Jesus, through his death, washed away all sin and, after his resurrection, gave to his Church the power and authority to apply to us the redemption he won on the cross, namely God's forgiveness of our sins.

As the Catechism points out, our faith in the forgiveness of sins is tied to faith in the Holy Spirit and the Church: "It was when he gave the Holy Spirit to his apostles that the risen Christ conferred on them his own divine power to forgive sins: 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained'" (976; cf. John 20:22-23).

We bring our failings to the Church, then, because Jesus imparted to his apostles, their successors, and through them to all ordained priests, his own power to forgive sins, to restore and reconcile the sinner with God and also the Church. This power to forgive sins is often referred to as the "power of the keys", the power entrusted to the Church when Jesus told St. Peter, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt 16:19). This power is manifested and operative in the sacrament of Penance.

6. Why do we continue to need forgiveness if we are already saved?

The new life received in Christ does not abolish the weakness of human nature or our inclination to sin. "If we say, 'We are without sin,'" Saint John wrote, "we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). There are a great many kinds of sins, some mortal, others venial. But all sin has a detrimental effect. It impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the prevalence of the good. "Sin creates a proclivity to sin," the Catechism reminds us. "It engenders vice by repetition of the same acts" (1865).

As a result, even though we are baptized into new life, we must continue to return to the sacrament of Penance to cleanse ourselves of sin and receive God's mercy. We are always in need of God's forgiveness through the sacrament of Penance if we are to grow in a life of grace.

7. Why do I need to go to a priest for confession?

It is most unfortunate that many people have adopted a mindset that they do not need to go to Confession. Many say "I just tell my sins to God and he forgives me." There is on the part of such persons a failure to recognize that the sacrament of Penance is not an invention of the Church. Rather, the sacrament of Penance is Christ's gift to the Church to ensure the forgiveness he so generously extends will be made available to every member of the Church. Once again, we cite the words of our Holy Father in highlighting the connection between Christ, his Church and the sacrament of Penance:

"From the revelation of the value of this ministry and power to forgive sins, conferred by Christ on the Apostles and their successors, there developed in the church an awareness of the sign of forgiveness, conferred through the Sacrament of Penance. It is the certainty that the Lord Jesus himself instituted and entrusted to the Church - as a gift of his goodness and loving kindness to be offered to all-a special Sacrament for the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism" (Reconciliation and Penance, 3).

8. What is the role of the priest in forgiving sins?

In establishing his Church, Christ passed on to her the power to forgive sins. Just as he forgave sins, so would those chosen by him to be his apostles have the extraordinary power to forgive sins. In the priesthood today, the visible external sign of Christ's mercy and forgiveness is exercised in confession. Just as the whole Church makes visible in our world the presence of Christ, so the priest makes visible the forgiveness and mercy of Jesus in the sacrament of confession. The priest who by ordination is configured to Christ absolves sinners, not in his own name and power, but in the name and person of Jesus.

9. What do I need to do to be forgiven?

What leads us to the sacrament of Penance is a sense of sorrow for what we have done. The motivation may be out of love of God or even fear of the consequences of having offended God. Whatever the motive, contrition is the beginning of forgiveness of sin. The sinner must come to God by way of repentance. There can be no forgiveness of sin if we do not have sorrow at least to the extent that we regret it, resolve not to repeat it and intend to turn back to God. While we cannot be certain that we will not sin again, our present resolve must be honest and realistic. We must want to change, to be faithful to the Lord, and intend to take steps to make faithfulness possible. Christ's forgiveness always calls for such a commitment: "Go, and do not sin again" (John 8:11).

10. What happens in Confession?

In the sacrament of Penance, the contrite sinner comes before Christ in the person of the priest who hears the sins, imposes a penance and absolves the sinner in the name and by the power of Christ.

The sinner comes before the merciful judgment of God and approaches the Lord in sorrow, admitting guilt before his representative. It is in the person of Christ that the priest hears the confession of guilt. The words spoken in Confession are guarded by the most solemn obligation of complete confidentiality. In fact, Church law prescribes a serious penalty for any confessor who directly violates the "seal of Confession."

It is in the name of Christ that the priest pronounces the Savior's mercy: "I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Catechism reminds us that "absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused" (1459). Thus, the priest imposes a penance on the penitent, which can take the form of "prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear" (1460).

11. How do I prepare for Confession?

Confession is not difficult, but it does require preparation. We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of God, our loving Father. We should harbor in our hearts a sense of sorrow for all we have done. The motivation for our sorrow may be out of love of God or even fear of the consequences of having offended God. Whatever the motive, contrition is the beginning of forgiveness of sin. We need to have sorrow at least to the extent that we regret it, resolve not to repeat it and intend to turn back to God.

With this disposition of heart, we should review our lives since our last confession, searching our thoughts, words and actions to discover those that did not conform to God's love, to his law or to the laws of the Church. This is what is known as an "Examination of Conscience." (Refer to Appendix at the end of the booklet.)

12. How do I go to Confession?

The following may be helpful in preparing for confession. Above all, do not be afraid. If you are hesitant about what to do, ask the priest for help:

• Greeting: The priest welcomes the penitent warmly and greets him or her with kindness.
• Sign of the Cross: Then the penitent makes the Sign of the Cross, which the priest may also make.
• Invitation to Trust in God: The priest invites the penitent to have trust in God using one of the formulas in the ritual or similar words. If the penitent is unknown to the priest, it is proper for the penitent to indicate his or her state in life (married, single, or clergy), the time of his or her last confession and anything else that may help the confessor in exercising his ministry.
• Reading of the Word of God
• Confession of Sins and Acceptance of Satisfaction: The penitent confesses his or her sins and accepts the prayers or deeds that the priest proposes as a penance.
• Prayer of the Penitent and Absolution: The priest asks the penitent to express sorrow by praying one of the prayers found in the ritual or in his or her own words. The priest then prays the Prayer of Absolution, to which the penitent responds: "Amen."
• Proclamation of Praise and Dismissal: The priest continues: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good." The penitent responds: "His mercy endures for ever." The priest then dismisses the penitent, using one of the formulas found in the ritual.

NOTE: This is taken from the ritual for Roman Catholics. Eastern Churches utilize a different formula.

13. Why do I receive a penance?

To complete the process, a penance is imposed. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all disorders caused by sin. While we are not capable of truly satisfying God for the evil we have done and its consequences, we must make satisfaction for our sin through some action or prayer that will express our desire to make amends and to repair something of the disorder, damage or harm which our sinful actions have brought into the world. The penance imposed takes into account the penitent's personal situation and serves to support his or her spiritual good. It corresponds as much as possible to the gravity of the sins confessed. It may be a prayer, an offering, works of mercy, sacrifices or service to another. But this penance is in a real way our share in the Cross and helps us to be more closely joined to Christ.

In the Introduction to the Rite of Penance, we are reminded that true conversion is completed by acts of penance or satisfaction for the sins committed, by amendment of conduct, and also by the reparation of injury. The kind and extent of the satisfaction should be suited to the personal condition of each penitent. In this way the penitent is helped to be healed of the evil which caused him to sin. Therefore, it is necessary that the act of penance really be a remedy for sin and a help to renewal of life.

14. How often should I go to Confession?

Individual and integral confession remains the only ordinary way for us to reconcile ourselves with God and the Church. A Catholic who has committed mortal (grave) sin is obliged to seek God's forgiveness in this sacrament as soon as possible.

In ordinary circumstances, a Catholic who has committed mortal sin should not receive Holy Communion before receiving sacramental absolution. Not only does God forgive our sins, but we also receive the power of God's grace to struggle against sin and to be strengthened in our commitment to God and the Church. So powerful is the grace of this sacrament that the Introduction to the Rite of Penance reminds us that frequent and careful celebration of this sacrament is also very useful as a remedy for venial sins. This is not a mere ritual repetition or psychological exercise, but a serious striving to perfect the grace of baptism so that, as we bear in our body the death of Jesus Christ, his life may be seen in us ever more clearly.

Conclusion: Our Continuing Conversion

As we complete these thoughts on the sacrament of Penance, we might well reflect that the deepest spiritual joy each of us can sense is the freedom from whatever would separate us from God, a loving and merciful Father who receives each of us with all the forgiveness and love lavished on the prodigal son. Renewed, refreshed and reconciled in this sacrament once more, we who have sinned become a "new creation." Once more we are made new. It is this newness of spirit and soul that we hope all of us experience time and again in the sacrament of Penance.

Meditation on the Eucharist

When we gather in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord we are being made into the family that St. Paul described in his letter to the Ephesians: Christ lives in our hearts through faith, and as we come to the source of all love, we can glimpse the wonder, the depth and the height of a love which is given to us completely in this Eucharist. God’s power is doing infinitely more than we can ever ask or imagine, and we have become part of that great company of witnesses, the great river of history as Pope John Paul calls it, which began at the moment of God’s creation and flows back to him, the source of all goodness and love.

St. Paul wanted the Ephesians to be apostles of the truth. His invitation was the same as the one Jesus taught in the parable of the Sower. You recall how the Sower sowed on rocky soil and among thorns. These were the difficulties that every Christian must face. Sometimes it is an inability to persevere when the going gets difficult. At other times there are too many distractions which choke our growth in holiness just like the thorns impede the growth of wheat. Sometimes the seed falls on good soil: it is then that the Word produces a harvest of goodness and peace. Jesus, the Word of God, is still sowing the seed of the gospel today, and he asks us to join him in the great task of bringing God’s light and Truth to all whom we meet. The Sower invites us to be other Christs by fulfilling our duties conscientiously by making our daily lives and work signs of God’s power working in us. If we look around, if we take a look at the world, which we love because it is God’s handiwork, we will find that the parable holds true. The word of Jesus Christ is fruitful, it has the power to fascinate and inspire many people to greater fidelity to his commandments. The life and conduct of those who serve God have changed history. Even many of those who do not know our Lord are motivated, perhaps unconsciously, by ideals which derive from Christianity. The ideals of peace, reconciliation and genuine care for one’s neighbour challenge us to live as God’s people, his Church. Our food for this great work is the Eucharist, the very body and blood of our Saviour.

Jesus is here with us, he has made us a part of himself. St Paul taught us that we are the body of Christ and individually members of it. Jesus our God has not left us. He is here to nourish and sustain us, to forgive and heal us, to renew and strengthen us. He wants to be close to us. Indeed, he wants to be as important to us as the food and drink we need every day. When Jesus broke bread with his disciples on the night before he died, he was leaving us an eternal covenant which will never pass away. We live in a new time, and our song is of joy and hope: The rising day dispels the night, the shadows of doubt give way to the light of truth (St. Augustine).

This miracle of love invites us to pray and ponder the truth about our whole existence. Jesus, the first Son of the Eternal father, offers us himself as food for this life and for the life to come. It is at the altar that eternal life begins :

For those who are nourished by Christ will die the earthly death of time, but they will live eternally because Christ is life everlasting, (St. Augustine, On John)

This is the Good News of our faith. It is news because it speaks to us of a deep love which we could never have imagined. It is good because there is nothing better than uniting ourselves to God, the Father of all goodness, from whom every family takes its name.To live as a Christian apart from the Eucharist, is to make our progress a very difficult journey. All of us know that the best moments in our families’ lives are when we are joined together in the company of a meal or in some other common project. There is a sense of belonging that is nearly impossible to convey to someone who is outside of the family circle. Those who provide the food and those who are fed by it become part of a greater thing than just a simple meal. All the ties of love and relationship come together and become a bond that is difficult to break. I suppose the way we understand this bond best is when it is broken through the absence of a loved one.

It is the same with the Eucharist, the great meal of all God’s children. Each celebration of the Eucharist is impoverished whenever one of God’s children is absent.

At each Mass we pray with Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit to the one great God who is Father of us all. Mary, the Mother of the Body of Christ is present as are the saints and those who have gone before us. When we pray for the other members of the Church, the Pope, the Bishop, and so on, we are saying that they are also part of our community, which is, in turn, a symbol of the whole Body of Christ we call the Church.

The Second Vatican Council taught us that the Eucharist is the source and summit of all Christian life and activity. In other words, everything about us as faithful believers finds its beginning and its final purpose in this great sacrament. To return to the parable of the Sower. There can be no harvest if we are not ready for constant, generous work, which can be long and tiring: ploughing the land, sowing the seed, weeding the fields, gathering the grain..The kingdom of God is fashioned in history, in time. Our Lord has entrusted this task to us, and no Christian is exempt. Each of us has a part to play. As we gather in prayer before Christ in the Eucharist let us remember that the time has not yet come for resting. The work continues and there is much to be done. The life of the Church is expressed in the vitality of communities such as this. If we are to produce fruit, we must be like the grain of wheat which Jesus said must die before it bears much fruit. This was the way of Jesus, the way of his cross. The Lord challenges each of us to take up the cross every day and follow him. The way of the cross is the way of true love. Each of us knows that to grow individually and as a family, we must be prepared to make sacrifices. We must have a big heart and share the concerns of those who are precious to us. We must be able to forgive and understand. We must serve as Jesus did, not counting the cost. If we love in this way we will remove the obstacles which prevent us growing into the image of Christ. It is only when we are planted in love and built on love that we will experience the height and the depth of God’s love as revealed to us in Christ.

Our Christian lives are also fed by prayer and reflection. There can be no genuine conversion if we do not spend time with our Lord and hear him speak the same words of encouragement which he spoke while he was on earth. The Eucharist is always present in our churches not only for communion to the sick, but as a source of strength for each of us. St. John’s parish has had, for the last number of years, a profoundly Eucharistic spirit. The adoration chapel and more recently the chapel at Eastland, have been places of constant prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The value of this constant stream of petition and praise cannot be overestimated. It is not only a sign of your willingness to be a community that finds its strength in the Eucharist, but also a community who understands its role as part of the priestly people of God. Like Christ, our High Priest, you are also offering your prayer to the Father not only for your own good, but also for the good of the whole Church. For this generous gift the whole Church is grateful, and I ask your continued prayers for the Archdiocese so that together we might become the people God wants us to be.

Jesus gave us the Eucharist because he wants us to approach him. He wants to nourish us so that we become a single living being with him. When he said : Apart from me you can do nothing, He was telling us that he wants to be totally available to us. Whenever we gather at the altar for the holy sacrifice of the mass and when we contemplate the mystery of his presence in the Sacrament of the Altar we are brought to life as his holy people. God speaks to us as a tender father in the Eucharist: Here is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to him. Here God gives us a certain promise of his presence and power which supports us and the whole world. Here the human family is made one with the family of heaven. Here we find God our Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the one and only God. It was H. G. Wells, an atheist of strong conviction who once said that if Catholics really believed what they say about the Eucharist, they would only dare come up the aisles of their churches on their knees.

God our Father does not want us to be fearful in his presence. He wants us to approach with the joy and simplicity of a child reaching to its mother. How I have longed, he said to the prophet Hosea, to hold you to my cheek, and to lead you with leading strings of love. Let us then approach this wonderful Sacrament with joy and thanksgiving. Let us commit to the heart of Jesus all our concerns and problems. Let us rest in this living, loving presence of God and praise him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:21)

Parts of the Mass

Preparation before Mass

• We prepare our souls and bodies to listen to God’s word and receive Him in Holy Communion. To prepare ourselves, we wait in quiet prayer and calm minds to receive the Lord.
• Entrance Procession: The priest and ministers pass through the assembly, leading us in prayer to the Father. The priest is acting in the person of Jesus Christ, taking our prayers to God the Father, and leading us in prayer and worship.

Introductory Rites

• Penitential Rite: We publicly express our sorrow for our sins and ask God’s mercy
• Gloria: An ancient hymn of praise sung or said on Sundays (outside Lent and Advent) and Feast Days.
• Opening Prayer: The ‘Collect’, the priest sums up all our prayers and leads us to the Father through the words of the Son.

LITURGY OF THE WORD

• 1st Reading: Usually from the Old Testament on a Sunday
• Responsorial Psalm: Sung or said response to the reading from the book of Psalms
• 2nd Reading: Usually from the New Testament (often the Letters of St Paul)
• Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia (or other acclamation during Lent) is sung or said
• Gospel: We listen to the God speaking to us, and especially the words and actions of Jesus in one of the four Gospels.
• Homily: The priest helps us to understand the readings, and how to make sense of them in our daily life. It may also be the opportunity for catechesis on some subject of the faith
• Profession of Faith: The Creed composed at the Council of Nicea is recited on Sundays and Solemnities. This states the major beliefs of our faith.
• General Intercessions: The needs of our world, our parish and other needs are prayed for.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

• Preparation of the Gifts: The gifts of bread and wine are brought forward by members of the community, signifying our offering to the Lord
• Prayer over the Gifts: The priest prays the prayer, asking that our offerings be acceptable.
• Eucharistic Prayer {Preface, Holy Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Great Amen}: The Eucharistic Prayer is the greatest prayer of the Mass. By this prayer, the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The priest prays this prayer on behalf of the community, the people pray silently, and respond with the acclamations in faith.

Communion Rite

• Lord’s Prayer: We pray together the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.
• Rite of Peace: We offer a sign of peace to those around us, making peace with each other before receiving the Prince of Peace in Holy Communion.
• Lamb of God: This Litany is sung or said as our communal preparation for Holy Communion
• Holy Communion: We receive the Body of Christ, a moment of intimate communion with the Lord, and the highpoint of the Mass for us who receive Him.

Concluding Rite

• Prayer after Communion: The priest sums up all our prayers and completes the Communion Rite by thanking God for the gift of His Son, and asking that we may live this mystery in our lives.
• Blessing and Dismissal: We are blessed and sent forth to live the mystery that we have celebrated; to bring Jesus who we have received to those around us.
• Recessional Procession: The priest and ministers leave the Church, leading us in mission to go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
• Thanksgiving after Mass: We thank God for this gift of His Son in Holy Communion and the Word of God, and pray that it may make a difference in our lives.

Examination of Conscience

Use these questions to prepare for Reconciliation.

My Relationship with God

• Do I make time for prayer, to speak with God and listen to him on a regular basis?
• Do I try to get to Mass every Sunday?
• Am I ashamed to behave like Jesus in my life?
• At home? At school? With my friends?
• Do I get impatient and rebellious if things do not go my way?
• Do I turn to God only when I need something?

My Relationship with others

• Do I really love my neighbour?
• Do I forgive those people who hurt me, or make me angry? Do I complain about my family, my friends, others? Am I jealous of others ?
• Do I say unkind things about other people?
• Do I try to help others ?
• Do I say things or behave in ways that put other people down?
• Do I stick up for people who are bullied?
• Am I sincere and honest with other people, or am I a bit fake sometimes?
• In my family life do I do things to help out and make things easier for my parents and other members of my family ? Do I try to get on with them all the time ?
• Do I respect the bodies of others?
• Do I treat my parents with respect?
• Do I make too many demands of my parents?
• Am I generous in my time with my family, or am I always going out to avoid them?

Myself

• Do I think I am better than everyone else?
• Do I truly live as a Christian and give good example to others?
• Do I gossip?
• Do I lie?
• Do I steal?
• Am I hateful or bad tempered?
• Do I treat my body with respect?
• Do I misuse the gifts that God has given me ?
• Do I misuse the gift my sexuality: alone or with others ?
• Am I a show off?
• Am I a bully at school or at home ?
• Do I eat too much food when others in the world are hungry?
• Do I misuse drugs or drink alcohol?
• Do I use bad or immoral language or tell dirty jokes ?
• Do I look at immoral magazines, videos or immoral use of the internet ?
• Am I always thinking of myself?
• Do I use my time properly: doing my work on time?
• Am I lazy?
• Have I failed to do the work or study that I was meant to do?

Now prepare for a good reconciliation and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Remember that God always forgives our sins and that the priest is here to help you and whatever you say is totally confidential and will never be repeated to anyone.

5 steps towards a good Reconciliation

Examine my conscience. Think about the things that I want to say I am sorry for. Be sorry for my sins. Confess all my sins, and be honest with the priest. Resolve to make changes in my life, and to try harder to avoid sin in the future. After confessing my sins, I do my penance.

Procedure during Reconciliation

After making the Sign of the Cross, begin by saying:

"Bless me Father for I have sinned …"

Tell Father how long it has been since your last confession. Tell your sins and feel free to ask about any matter that worries you. Finish with:

"For these and all my sins I am very sorry."

Father will give you some help and advice and ask you to do some penance: to say a prayer or do an act of kindness for someone. Then make an Act of Contrition, telling God you are sorry for your sins:

"O my God I am very sorry that I have sinned against you because you are so good and with your help I will not sin again. Amen."

The priest says:

"….I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

You answer: "Amen."
Father finishes with: "The Lord has freed you from your sins." You say thank you to Father and perform your penance.

How to go to confession

This free handout has been prepared by the NCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy and the NCCB Secretariat for the Third Millennium and the Jubilee Year 2000. It is intended as a brief review of the church's teaching on the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. While it is copyrighted by the United States Catholic Conference, permission is given for free distribution to parishes and other Catholic institutions. More thorough study of the question may be accomplished by reading the introduction to the Right of Penance and other documents of the Holy See and NCCB on this important topic.

Many people have avoided celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, sometimes for years at a time, because they "don't know what to do". The following brief explanation is intended for a person who has not been to confession in some time and explains how the first form of the Sacraments of Penance may be celebrated. The person who is going to confession is called a "penitent" because he or she wished to do penance and turn away from their sin. The sorrow a penitent feels for his or her sins is no as contrition and must include a resolve to sin no more and to avoid all future occasions of sin [See Catechism of the Catholic Church 1451].

Preparation

Before going to confession, the penitent compares his or her life with the example and commandments of Christ and then prays to God for forgiveness.

Going to Confession

The priest welcomes the penitent and then both make the sign of the cross, saying: In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Next the priest briefly urges the penitent to have confidence in God.

If the penitent is unknown to the priest, it is proper for the penitent to indicate their state in life, the time of the last confession, difficulties in leading the Christian life, and anything else which may help the confessor in exercising his ministry.

Reading the Word of God

Then the priest, or the penitent himself, may read a passage from the Bible. The priest or penitent may read from Ezekiel 11:19-20, Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 1:14-15, Romans 5:8-9, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 John 1:6-7, 9, or another text from Sacred Scripture.

Confession of Sins and the Act of Penance

The penitent then confesses his sins. If necessary, the priest should help the penitent to make a complete confession and to have sincere sorrow for his sins against God. The priest then offers suitable advice to help the penitent begin a new life and, when appropriate, leads him to resolve that he will make appropriate restitution for the harm he has caused others.

Then the priest imposes an act of penance or satisfaction on the penitent. Such a "penance" serves not only to make up for the past but also to help him to begin a new life and provides the penitent with an antidote to weakness. Through confession of his or her sins, the penitent "looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible." [Catechism of the Catholic Church 1455]

The Prayer of the Penitent

After this the penitent prays a prayer showing he is sorry for his sins and he resolves not to sin again. A card with several examples of the prayer may be provided in the confessional. The penitent may recite the prayer by heart or read it.

The penance corresponds to the seriousness and nature of the sins and may suitably take the form of prayer, self-denial, and especially service to one's neighbor and works of mercy.

Here is one example of the Prayer of the Penitent: Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Lamb of God; you take away the sins of the world. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit restore me to friendship with your Father, cleanse me from every stain of sin in the blood you shed for them, and raise me to new life for the glory of your name. [RP 91]

Absolution by the Priest

Following this prayer, the priest extends his hands, or at least his right hand, over the head of the penitent and pronounces the formula of absolution. As he says the final words he makes the sign of the cross over the head of the penitent.

Priests Prayer of Absolution: God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The penitent answers: Amen.

Proclamation of Praise

After receiving pardon for his sins, the penitent praises the mercy of God and gives Him thanks in a short invocation taken from Scripture.

Dismissal of the Penitent

Then the priest tells him to go in peace. The penitent continues his conversion and expresses it by a life renewed according to the Gospel and more and more steeped in the love of God. For "love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)

Notes

See Rite of Penance, numbers 15-20 and 41-47 and Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1422-1470.

A friend is very sick, why should I call a priest?

The priest can do a number of things. Firstly, he can administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This is a special sign of God’s love and care for the sick person. It consists of a series of special prayers and blessings on behalf of the patient which offer strength, encouragement and consolation. The priest will anoint the patient with holy oil as a sign of special blessing. This sacrament can only be administered by a bishop or priest.

Secondly, the priest will provide an opportunity for confession so that the sick person may be consoled and untroubled by past events which may cause anxiety.

The priest can offer Holy Communion if the patient is able to receive it. This strengthens the sick person spiritually and emotionally.

The priest will also bless the family and offer prayers with them for the patient.

In these ways the priest by his presence shows that the Christian family cares about the person who is ill. A sick person’s own prayer is also of special value to the Church because such a person is so near to Christ at such a time.

What is Adoration?

Adoration is an ancient tradition of the Church. As Catholics we believe that at the consecration during the Mass, the bread and wine cease to exist and in their place are the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. This is the Eucharist. The Eucharist isn't simply a symbol or a sign of Jesus - Jesus is really present under the appearance of bread and wine. At Mass we can make a communion with Jesus in the Eucharist. Outside of Mass, we can visit Jesus (who is present in the Eucharist). When we pray to Jesus who is before us as the Eucharist, we are adoring him. This is what adoration is.

Adoration is both personal and communal. There are times when we pray together and when we pray by ourselves. We sing, we hear a lesson from a speaker, and we are blessed with the Eucharist (this is called Benediction).

As Catholics, we believe that Christ's body & blood, his soul and divinity are really present in the Holy Echarist.

When we adore the Eucharist, we are adoring CHRIST - not the monstrance. We only worship God, so it would be sinful to adore the monstrance.

Since Jesus is the King of Kings, he should have a fitting "home" - that's more or less what the monstrance is. The monstrance also holds the Eucharist up, so that everyone can see the Lord.

"Whatever makes Christ, Christ, is in the Holy Eucharist, nothing less."

The Eucharist is the greatest gift that Jesus can give us, the gift of Himself. He gives us everything, can we not give Him back a few minutes of our precious time to adore Him in the Eucharist?

It's too cold to get out of bed. I'll give Mass a miss this week.

This, and many other excuses can be used for not honouring our obligation to go to Sunday Mass. Here are some of the common excuses, and things you can say to your friends and family to encourage them to come to Mass every Sunday.

I am too busy to come to Mass every week

• We can always find time to do what we want to do.

• If Jesus is the most important person in my life, shouldn’t I give Him some time?

• There are many different Mass times at different parishesSaturday Vigil Mass and Sunday evening Masses.

• God gives us everything that we have. We can afford to give him
  one hour a week. One hour a week for our Creator is no big deal. Think of it as our favourite TV programme time. That’s all it takes.

I can’t be bothered to get out of bed on Sunday mornings.

• Come to Mass on Saturday night or Sunday night.

• It requires a bit of sacrifice in our lives to make time for
  Mass. We sacrifice ourselves for our children and family. We should do the same for God.

• Sure it requires an effort. But every good thing requires us to
  give something of ourselves in return. God repays our efforts in ways that we cannot see.    

The Mass is boring. Why should I bother ?

• The Mass is not entertainment. It is worship of God. Thus it is
  unlike anything else that we do. It is a hard prayer and it takes time and effort to understand. We get more out of the Mass if we put more into it. Read about it, pray about it. Prepare yourself beforehand. Listen to the readings, the prayers, the homily. Participate in the music and responses.

• We watch boring TV programmes. That doesn’t stop us watching TV.

My children go to a Catholic school. That’s enough.

• Nothing is enough for God. He gives us EVERYTHING.
  We should try to give Him as much as we can, and help our children to understand this.

• It is important for your children to develop the habit of Sunday Mass.

• We teach our children manners and behaviour, we should teach them to worship God.

• Parents are the primary educators in faith of their children.

• If we want our children to have the best, the Mass is important.

• They won’t develop the habit of Sunday Mass
  without modelling from their parents and seeing others at Mass regularly.

I pray at home. That’s enough.

• We have a ‘hunger’ for God, personal prayer is
  essential for all of us. The Mass is the greatest prayer we can offer to God. It is the prayer of Jesus himself.

• It is an opportunity to pray together with the
  parish, and to encourage them and to be encouraged and strengthened by them.

• We receive the body and blood of Christ at Mass. The Mass is
  the greatest prayer there is.Our faith weakens when it is not nourished by regular Mass and sacraments. The sacraments are the ‘petrol in the tank’ for our spiritual life.

• Our prayer leads into the Mass and our prayer is
  fed by the Mass. The Mass is the greatest prayer that the Church gives us.

 Where does it say that I have to come to Mass ?

• The commandment: “Keep holy the Sabbath Day” and “You shall worship the Lord your God”

• The precepts of the Church and Church law make it
  clear that we have an obligation to come to Mass every week. None of us likes being told what to do, but the Church is our Mother, and mothers usually know best !

• The Church asks us to in her documents and the
  writings of the Popes. It’s a bit like saying ‘I belong to the tennis club, but never pick up a racquet’. Clubs and societies have rules of membership, and not following them means that we don’t belong. If we want to belong, we need to abide by the rules.

• The Church isn’t just there for when we want it. The Church wants us as well.

• The long tradition of worshipping God on the day
  of resurrection. Going to Mass on Sunday is as old as Christianity itself. By doing so, we show our loyalty and love to Christ and His Church, our hope for salvation in the next life, and are united in faith and charity with the Catholic community.

• It’s doing what God wants us to do.

I know that God loves me. That’s enough

• Every parent tells their child that they are
  loved, and they show it in actions. Jesus shows us his love in giving Himself to us in love, through the Mass.

• We need to acknowledge God’s love, regularly. To
  thank God for what He gives us, to ask his forgiveness for our sins, and to pray for what we need.

• We have an obligation to worship the Creator.It
  would be an insult to receive all the gifts we have received from God e.g our eyesight, our health, nice home etc, without thanking Him with a little of our time.

I live a good life. I don’t need to come to Mass.

• We all lose our focus sometimes. The Mass is the best way to focus on what is important.

• No man is an island. We all need help. The Mass gives us the help we need to continue to live a good life.

• We all need to be strengthened in our faith. The Mass is the best way.

• The Mass helps us to measure how we are going in living a ‘good life’.

I get help from my family and friends. That’s enough.

• God’s grace comes to us through the Mass and the
  sacraments. This is the best help for us. This is ‘supernatural’ help that comes only from God.

• We ‘hunger for God’ in ways that we cannot always
  know or express. Coming to Mass ‘feeds’ this internal or spiritual hunger in our life.

St Francis of Assisi

b.1181 d.1226

Founder of the Franciscan Order, born at Assisi in Umbria, in 1181.

In 1182, Pietro Bernadone returned from a trip to France to find out his wife had given birth to a son. Far from being excited or apologetic because he'd been gone, Pietro was furious because she'd had his new son baptized Giovanni after John the Baptist. The last thing Pietro wanted in his son was a man of God -- he wanted a man of business, a cloth merchant like he was, and he especially wanted a son who would reflect his infatuation with France. So he renamed his son Francesco -- which is the equivalent of calling him Frenchman.

Francis enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness of the times. From the beginning everyone -- and I mean everyone -- loved Francis. He was constantly happy, charming, and a born leader. If he was picky, people excused him. If he was ill, people took care of him. If he was so much of a dreamer he did poorly in school, no one minded. In many ways he was too easy to like for his own good. No one tried to control him or teach him.

As he grew up, Francis became the leader of a crowd of young people who spent their nights in wild parties. Thomas of Celano, his biographer who knew him well, said, "In other respects an exquisite youth, he attracted to himself a whole retinue of young people addicted to evil and accustomed to vice." Francis himself said, "I lived in sin" during that time.

Francis fulfilled every hope of Pietro's -- even falling in love with France. He loved the songs of France, the romance of France, and especially the free adventurous troubadours of France who wandered through Europe. And despite his dreaming, Francis was also good at business. But Francis wanted more..more than wealth. But not holiness! Francis wanted to be a noble, a knight. Battle was the best place to win the glory and prestige he longed for. He got his first chance when Assisi declared war on t heir longtime enemy, the nearby town of Perugia.

Most of the troops from Assisi were butchered in the fight. Only those wealthy enough to expect to be ransomed were taken prisoner. At last Francis was among the nobility like he always wanted to be...but chained in a harsh, dark dungeon. All accounts say that he never lost his happy manner in that horrible place. Finally, after a year in the dungeon, he was ransomed. Strangely, the experience didn't seem to change him. He gave himself to partying with as much joy and abandon as he had before the battle.

The experience didn't change what he wanted from life either: Glory. Finally a call for knights for the Fourth Crusade gave him a chance for his dream. But before he left Francis had to have a suit of armor and a horse -- no problem for the son of a wealthy father. And not just any suit of armor would do but one decorated with gold with a magnificent cloak. Any relief we feel in hearing that Francis gave the cloak to a poor knight will be destroyed by the boasts that Francis left behind that he would return a prince.

But Francis never got farther than one day's ride from Assisi. There he had a dream in which God told him he had it all wrong and told him to return home. And return home he did. What must it have been like to return without ever making it to battle -- the boy who wanted nothing more than to be liked was humiliated, laughed at, called a coward by the village and raged at by his father for the money wasted on armor.

Francis' conversion did not happen over night. God had waited for him for twenty-five years and now it was Francis' turn to wait. Francis started to spend more time in prayer. He went off to a cave and wept for his sins. Sometimes God's grace overwhelmed him with joy. But life couldn't just stop for God. There was a business to run, customers to wait on.

One day while riding through the countryside, Francis, the man who loved beauty, who was so picky about food, who hated deformity, came face to face with a leper. Repelled by the appearance and the smell of the leper, Francis nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed the hand of the leper. When his kiss of peace was returned, Francis was filled with joy. As he rode off, he turned around for a last wave, and saw that the leper had disappeared. He always looked upon it as a test from God...that he had passed.

His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While he was praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, "Francis, repair my church." Francis assumed this meant church with a small c -- the crumbling building he was in. Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father saw this as an act of theft -- and put together with Francis' cowardice, waste of money, and his growing disinterest in money made Francis seem more like a madman than his son. Pietro dragged Francis before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that Francis return the money and renounce all rights as his heir.

The bishop was very kind to Francis; he told him to return the money and said God would provide. That was all Francis needed to hear. He not only gave back the money but stripped off all his clothes -- the clothes his father had given him -- until he was wearing only a hair shirt. In front of the crowd that had gathered he said, "Pietro Bernadone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete freedom, 'Our Father who art in heaven.'" Wearing nothing but castoff rags, he went off into the freezing woods -- singing. And when robbers beat him later and took his clothes, he climbed out of the ditch and went off singing again. From then on Francis had nothing...and everything.

Francis went back to what he considered God's call. He begged for stones and rebuilt the San Damiano church with his own hands, not realizing that it was the Church with a capital C that God wanted repaired. Scandal and avarice were working on the Church from the inside while outside heresies flourished by appealing to those longing for something different or adventurous.

Soon Francis started to preach. (He was never a priest, though he was later ordained a deacon under his protest.) Francis was not a reformer; he preached about returning to God and obedience to the Church. Francis must have known about the decay in the Church, but he always showed the Church and its people his utmost respect. When someone told him of a priest living openly with a woman and asked him if that meant the Mass was polluted, Francis went to the priest, knelt before him, and kissed his hands -- because those hands had held God.

Slowly companions came to Francis, people who wanted to follow his life of sleeping in the open, begging for garbage to eat...and loving God. With companions, Francis knew he now had to have some kind of direction to this life so he opened the Bible in three places. He read the command to the rich young man to sell all his good and give to the poor, the order to the apostles to take nothing on their journey, and the demand to take up the cross daily. "Here is our rule," Francis said -- as simple, and as seemingly impossible, as that. He was going to do what no one thought possible any more -- live by the Gospel. Francis took these commands so literally that he made one brother run after the thief who stole his hood and offer him his robe!

Francis never wanted to found a religious order -- this former knight thought that sounded too military. He thought of what he was doing as expressing God's brotherhood. His companions came from all walks of life, from fields and towns, nobility and common people, universities, the Church, and the merchant class. Francis practiced true equality by showing honor, respect, and love to every person whether they were beggar or pope.

Francis' brotherhood included all of God's creation. Much has been written about Francis' love of nature but his relationship was deeper than that. We call someone a lover of nature if they spend their free time in the woods or admire its beauty. But Francis really felt that nature, all God's creations, were part of his brotherhood. The sparrow was as much his brother as the pope.

In one famous story, Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God's care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among him, only flying off when he said they could leave. Another famous story involves a wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat. Following the Gospel literally, Francis and his companions went out to preach two by two. At first, listeners were understandably hostile to these men in rags trying to talk about God's love. People even ran from them for fear they'd catch this strange madness! And they were right. Because soon these same people noticed that these barefoot beggars wearing sacks seemed filled with constant joy. They celebrated life. And people had to ask themselves: Could one own nothing and be happy? Soon those who had met them with mud and rocks, greeted them with bells and smiles.

Francis did not try to abolish poverty, he tried to make it holy. When his friars met someone poorer than they, they would eagerly rip off the sleeve of their habit to give to the person. They worked for all necessities and
only begged if they had to. But Francis would not let them accept any money. He told them to treat coins as if they were pebbles in the road. When the bishop showed horror at the friars' hard life, Francis said, "If we had any possessions we should need weapons and laws to defend them." Possessing something was the death of love for Francis. Also, Francis reasoned, what could you do to a man who owns nothing? You can't starve a fasting man, you can't steal from someone who has no money, you can't ruin someone who hates prestige. They were truly free.

Francis was a man of action. His simplicity of life extended to ideas and deeds. If there was a simple way, no matter how impossible it seemed, Francis would take it. So when Francis wanted approval for his brotherhood, he went straight to Rome to see Pope Innocent III. You can imagine what the pope thought when this beggar approached him! As a matter of fact he threw Francis out. But when he had a dream that this tiny man in rags held up the tilting Lateran basilica, he quickly called Francis back and gave him permission to preach.

Sometimes this direct approach led to mistakes that he corrected with the same spontaneity that he made them. Once he ordered a brother who hesitated to speak because he stuttered to go preach half-naked. When Francis realized how he had hurt someone he loved he ran to town, stopped the brother, took off his own clothes, and preached instead. Francis acted quickly because he acted from the heart; he didn't have time to put on a role. Once he was so sick and exhausted, his companions borrowed a mule for him to ride. When the man who owned the mule recognized Francis he said, "Try to be as virtuous as everyone thinks you are because many have a lot of confidence in you." Francis dropped off the mule and knelt before the man to thank him for his advice.

Another example of his directness came when he decided to go to Syria to convert the Moslems while the Fifth Crusade was being fought. In the middle of a battle, Francis decided to do the simplest thing and go straight to the sultan to make peace. When he and his companion were captured, the real miracle was that they weren't killed. Instead Francis was taken to the sultan who was charmed by Francis and his preaching. He told Francis, "I would convert to your religion which is a beautiful one -- but both of us would be murdered."

Francis did find persecution and martyrdom of a kind -- not among the Moslems, but among his own brothers. When he returned to Italy, he came back to a brotherhood that had grown to 5000 in ten years. Pressure came from outside to control this great movement, to make them conform to the standards of others. His dream of radical poverty was too harsh, people said. Francis responded, "Lord, didn't I tell you they wouldn't trust you?" He finally gave up authority in his order -- but he probably wasn't too upset about it. Now he was just another brother, like he'd always wanted.

Francis' final years were filled with suffering as well as humiliation. Praying to share in Christ's passion he had a vision received the stigmata, the marks of the nails and the lance wound that Christ suffered, in his own body.

Years of poverty and wandering had made Francis ill. When he began to go blind, the pope ordered that his eyes be operated on. This meant cauterizing his face with a hot iron. Francis spoke to "Brother Fire": "Brother Fire, the Most High has made you strong and beautiful and useful. Be courteous to me now in this hour, for I have always loved you, and temper your heat so that I can endure it." And Francis reported that Brother Fire had been so kind that he felt nothing at all.

How did Francis respond to blindness and suffering? That was when he wrote his beautiful Canticle of the Sun that expresses his brotherhood with creation in praising God. Francis never recovered from this illness. He died on October 4, 1226 at the age of 45. Francis is considered the founder of all Franciscan orders and the patron saint of ecologists and merchants.

Copyright 1996-2000 by Terry Matz. All Rights Reserved.

How do I get more out of Mass?

PREPARATION

Allow plenty of time at home to prepare for Mass. Organise the family for this important meeting with Christ. Perhaps pray before leaving home, or in the car on the way to the church. Remember, our preparation for Mass begins at home !

Read the scriptures before Mass. Allow time during the week to let the message sink into your mind. Use them for prayer. What is the message for me this week ? What do I think Father will preach about this week ? What would I preach about this week ?

Think of the people and the intentions that I have. Make a conscious decision to take these intentions with me to Mass this Sunday. Pray for these people and needs at Mass.

Prepare my mind by slowing down a little so I can concentrate on the Mass without too many distractions.

Prepare my body by physical fasting. The Church asks that we refrain from food and drink (not including water or medicine) for one hour before receiving Holy Communion.

Prepare my soul by going to reconciliation if I am aware of serious sin. God’s mercy and love is freely available to us in this sacrament and leads us to the Eucharist.

PARTICIPATION

Greet others on the way into Church. We are in this together ! We are all here for the same purpose: to praise and worship God.

Arrive in plenty of time to prepare for Mass. Allow for time to park the car, to settle the family down, to find a seat.

Turn off the mobile phone to avoid distractions!

Participate in the prayers and music of the Mass. Answer the responses with meaning; sing the hymns with feeling.

Listen to the readings at Mass. What is the God saying to me through the scriptures today?

Be aware of what is happening at Mass. Concentrate on the Mass rather than on the time.

From time to time, recall why I am here. The main purpose is to worship God, to give Him thanks; to ask Him for His help and strength, and to receive Him in Holy Communion.

Say a small prayer of Thanksgiving at the end of Mass. When we receive a gift, it is polite to say thank you. We receive the greatest gift we can in the Eucharist. We thank God for this gift of His Son.

HOMEWORK!

Learn a bit more about the Mass. Buy a missal to follow the Mass a bit more closely.

Buy a book which explains a bit more about the Mass. Talk about it with my friends, my prayer group, my cell group.

Pray about the Mass. Make it the highlight of my week.

Remember, the more I put into the Mass, the more I get out of it !

written by Fr. David Cartwright.