A Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for Middle and High Schoolers.

Prepare to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness in the                                           

Sacrament of Reconciliation the following way:

  1. Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you recall your sins:

Come, Holy Spirit, give me Your light to see my sins, and give me Your help to be sorry for them and show me why I sinned.  Help me never again to sin on purpose.  Amen.

      2.   Examine your conscience using the Ten Commandments.  When we examine our conscience, we prayerfully look into our heart to see how we have hurt our relationship with God and with others through our thoughts, words, and actions.

1st Commandment:

“I am the Lord Your God.  You shall not have strange gods before Me.”

  • Have I loved God above all things or have I made other things such as clothes, sports, video games, social media, more important?
  • Have I made time for God each day in prayer?
  • Have I made a serious effort to learn more about God and my faith?

2nd Commandment:

“You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain.”

  • Do I use God’s name or the name of Jesus, Mary, and the saints with love and reverence?
  • Have I used foul language?
  • Do I show respect for the Church, and those who have consecrated their lives to God (bishops, priests, religious sisters & brothers)?

3rd Commandment:

“Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.”

  • Do I go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation?
  • Do I participate in Mass by listening, singing and praying the responses?
  • Have I kept the Eucharistic fast before Mass?
  • Do I do all I can to make Sunday a day of rest and joy for my family?

4th Commandment:

“Honor your father and mother.”

  • Do I obey my parents, teachers and those in authority?
  • Have I disrespected my family members or treated them poorly by insulting, ridiculing or yelling at them?
  • Do I try to bring happiness and peace to my family, or do I cause tension and division?
  • Do I offer to help out around the house and at school?

5th Commandment

“You shall not kill.”

  • Have I physically harmed myself or another person?
  • Have I hurt another person with my unkind words?
  • Have I tried to get even with someone?  Have I failed to forgive someone?
  • Do I get angry easily and lose my temper?  Have I acted rude or impolite to others?
  • Have I harmed animals, littered or been destructive to the environment?

6th and 9th Commandments

“You shall not commit adultery.”

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.”

  • Do I show respect for my body and the bodies of others?
  • Did I deliberately look at impure TV programs, computer sites, videos, pictures, or movies?
  • Was I immodest in how I dressed or behaved?

7th and 10th Commandments

“You shall not steal.”

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.”

  • Have I been greedy or jealous of the things others have?
  • Have I nagged my parents into buying things my friends have, or complained when they did not purchase something for me?
  • Did I shoplift, steal, or take things that didn’t belong to me?
  • Have I returned things that I have borrowed?
  • Did I damage another’s property without owning up to it?
  • Do I play fairly?  Have I cheated at school or in games?
  • Have I wasted time, money, goods or food?
  • Do I share what I have with those who are in need?

8th Commandment

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

  • Have I lied?
  • Have I hurt another person’s reputation by lying about them?
  • Did I break a secret or a confidence?
  • Have I gossiped or passed on rumors about other people?
  • Have I judged others?
  • Did I insult or tease someone with the intention of hurting them?
  • Do I include others in my social groups, or do I purposefully leave them out?

Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Student:     In the name of the Father, and of the Son,       

                     and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Student:     Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

Student:     It has been ______ weeks/months since my last                                

                    confession.

Student:     These are my sins:  (name your sins)

                   For these sins and the sins of my whole life,

                   I am very sorry.

Priest:         He will give you words of advice and will ask you to pray a Penance.  These are prayers to be said in church after Confession.

Student:     Express your sorrow for your sin by praying the

                   Act of Contrition:

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.

In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I

have sinned against you, whom I should love

above all things. I firmly intend, with your help,

to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid

whatever leads me to sin. Amen.

Priest:  He will give you Absolution. 

These are words which remove your sins. 

Student:   Thank you, Father.

Leave the confessional and find a quiet place in the church to pray your penance. 

After praying your penance, you may pray the following prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus:

Prayer of Thanksgiving After Reconciliation

My Jesus, I thank You for washing away my sins

In Your Precious Blood.  Help me to accept my

cross each day and not to hurt You or anyone else.

I love You with my whole heart and soul.  Amen.