Reconciliation is one of the Sacraments of Healing. It offers us the opportunity to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness and to begin again with a renewed heart.
God’s Mercy
Experience the joy of being forgiven and loved unconditionally.
Healing & Peace
Find healing and peace for your heart and soul.
A Fresh Start
Receive grace to grow closer to Jesus and begin anew.
For Everyone
Available to all who are seeking God’s love and forgiveness.
What is Reconciliation?
The contemporary approach to the Sacrament focuses on the Gospels and the life and mission of Jesus. Jesus always went out of his way to speak to the broken, the lost, the suffering – he called them to tell him about themselves and then spoke openly to them in return.
In the Gospel stories, these people always left Jesus feeling good about themselves and prepared to begin life anew.
This is the experience the Church today wants for all the faithful – come to Jesus and be healed.
First Reconciliation for School Aged Children
In enrolling your child for the Sacrament of Reconciliation Program, you are giving them the opportunity to experience one of the greatest gifts that the Church has to offer.
Reconciliation becomes therefore a celebration of God’s love for us, of his boundless forgiveness and the joy of “coming home” to a happy, whole relationship with him.
For young children, the actual experience of the sacrament, regularly repeated, is the most significant education they receive in it’s meaning. Their conceptual level is quite concrete; they learn most by doing.
However, your role, as parents, in this process is crucial and the following points may be helpful to consider:
- Let your child see reconciliation happening between adults and family members. If your children experience forgiveness, they will more readily understand what it means.
- When someone in your home says “sorry” and is forgiven, celebrate in some small way, to recognise the joy that comes with forgiveness.
- Encourage your child to pray daily and to “take stock” before they go to sleep each night, to consider things they perhaps could have done better and to give thanks for the things that went well.
- Always present God to your child in the light of his great mercy and love.
- Attend Reconciliation yourself in the weeks before your child’s first Reconciliation and let your child know that you, too, honour the Sacrament.
First Reconciliation preparation typically occurs in Year 3 in Catholic schools. If your child is not in a Catholic school or outside of Year 3, please contact the Parish about preparation for sacraments in the after school catechesis program or through Fr Stephen.
