by Keiran Bray

Reconciliation is such a beautiful Sacrament. Even though sin separates us from God, the gift of Reconciliation reunites us with the one divine God. It was Jesus who gave us this chance by giving his life for us. 

Lent is the 40 day season between Ash Wednesday and Easter where we are called to pray, fast, and grow in faith. Lent is much more than just those simple ideas, it’s more than just a cover; it’s an entire book, and it’s worth the read. You can focus on Lent as a time to prepare for the death of Jesus and what that means in your life. This may lead you to take steps to draw near to Jesus and prepare for your own death. Needless to say, there isn’t one way you can live out Lent. There are so many ways you can decide to bring yourself closer to God during this holy and spiritual time. One great fit for Lent is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

Fr. James Mallon, the former pastor of Saint Benedict Parish, gave a talk a few years ago at the parish titled ‘How to Make a Good Confession’, which you can listen to at saintbenedict.ca/listen. In that talk, he outlines four parts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Confession). The first is contrition, the act of being truly sorry. Next is confession, where you get the sins off your heart. Penance is where you show God you are trying to change through your actions and intentions. Lastly, absolution, which Fr. James described as being “like a second baptism.” You are renewed in your faith and your slate is wiped clean.

The act of confessing your sins is not only getting those sins out of the shadows, it’s giving God the chance to forgive them. Penance during Lent is especially important and meaningful. Lent is a time of prayer and fasting, but it is also a time of penance. An important step before penance is doing an Examination of Conscience. But what is that? An Examination of Conscience is an exercise where you prayerfully consider your sins, with the intent to identify your sins and prepare yourself for a proper confession, leading to a proper penance.

 I encourage you to make time on Friday, March 22nd, between 9am and 9pm, for Saint Benedict Parish’s Lenten Day of Reconciliation. This is an opportunity to experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a meaningful way, to embrace this season of penance, to experience this kind of ‘second baptism’, right in the heart of Lent.