Feasts, Seasons, Sacraments

Confess yourself

One day a father asked his son’s religion teacher how often he should send the boy up to church to go to Confession. The teacher smiled and replied, "Oh, just take him as often as you go."

Sometimes it’s tough for parents to speak well of the sacrament of Reconciliation because of our own negative experiences with the sacrament. It may help to understand how the practice of individual Confession developed. According to Father James F. Keenan, S.J. in the June 1997 issue of America, the practice of regular private confession developed in Ireland in the Middle Ages. Local farmers would visit monasteries to ask the monks for advice on spiritual growth. In the course of conversation they would describe the habits, attachments, and behaviors that were getting in the way of their getting closer to God. It was in this spirit of positive growth that the practice of Confession developed. Wouldn’t it be great if you could convey that spirit to your children?

When talking about the sacrament of Reconciliation with your children, focus on the desire for closeness and peace rather than failure and punishment.

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