Parent’s Responsibility and Blessing

“Catechesis for the Sacrament of Reconciliation first depends on the person’s acknowledgement of God’s faithful love, of the existence of sin, of the capacity to commit sin, and of God’s power to forgive sin and reconcile the sinner with himself and with the Church.”

• The experience of forgiveness and love in the family prepares the child to learn about the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
• “Catechesis for the Sacrament of Reconciliation helps the child to acknowledge God’s unconditional love for all of us.”
• “Catechesis helps children to recognize the presence of good and evil in the world and their personal capacity for both.”
• “Catechesis helps children explore the meaning of the symbols, gestures, prayers, and scripture of the Rite of Reconciliation.”
• The formation of a child’s conscience is the primary responsibility of the parent.  “Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children.”   (Quotation taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2223)

(All other quotations taken from the National Directory for Catechesis, 2005, pgs.135-136)