Through the blood of Jesus, we have the right to enter the sanctuary ... So, as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience.

Hebrews 10:19 & 22

Reconciliation is the liturgical celebration of God’s forgiveness of the sins of the penitent, who is thus reconciled with the Church. The acts of the penitent — contrition, the confession of sins, and satisfaction or reparation — together with the prayer of absolution by the priest, constitute the essential elements of the Sacrament of Penance.

 

Examination of Conscience

Reconciliation addresses the disease (sinfulness) rather than the symptoms (sins). So, the sacrament calls us to more than prepared speeches or lists of sins. We are challenged to search deep into our heart of hearts to discover the struggles, value conflicts and ambiguities (the disease) which cause the sinful acts (the symptoms) to appear.