The Sacraments of Healing
Penance
The Sacrament of Penance was established by the Lord Jesus so that we might be healed of the sickness of sins committed after baptism and restored by this special sacrament to our baptismal innocence. The Church teaches that “Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion." (CCC 1422) The sacrament of Penance consists of t
hree parts: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Contrition describes the sorrow for our sins that we possess because we detest the sins we have committed chiefly for the love of God and because we dread the loss of heaven. Contrition is a gift of God born within us by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. “Confession” describes the actual disclosure of our sins to a priest, which is an essential part of the sacrament, by which we reveal the sins we have committed and allow God to minister to us his mercy through the ministry of the priest. After having confessed our sins, we make satisfaction for them by seeking to repair the harm that our sins have caused or for our spiritual good, we undertake, under obedience to God and our priest-confessor, some sort of act of penance and prayer. Our acts of penance do not substitute for Christ’s one offering of himself to the Father for the forgiveness of sins, but in some small way unites us more closely to Christ in his suffering and passion so that we may be better conformed to this life and will. The sacrament of Penance restores us to God’s sanctifying grace given in baptism and strengthens us for the spiritual battle against the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil, which are the chief obstacles to our sanctification. The Church minimally requires all Catholics to go to confession at least once a year, but frequent confession is one of the chief means by which we receive God’s graces to attain our sanctification.
Those who are aware that they are in a state of mortal sin must refrain from receiving the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion until they have confessed their sins to a priest in the sacrament of Penance and received absolution. Mortal sin, because it is a rejection of God and the communion of his Church, prevents us from worthily receiving Holy Communion, which is the sacrament of communion with God and Holy Mother Church.
Further reading:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1420-1498
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper”: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist, November 2006
The Most Rev. Jose Gomez, STD, Archbishop of San Antonio, The Tender Mercy of Our God
The sacrament of Penance is celebrated at Prince of Peace Church several times weekly:
Wednesday 10-11 am
Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 pm
Saturday 4-5 pm
Anointing of the Sick
By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ. (Lumen Gentium)
The Lord Jesus exercised a ministry of healing during his time on earth, which continues to this day in the Church and through the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. The Epistle of St James urges the Christian community to call the priests when a member of the community is sick so that they may be anointed with oil in the Holy Name of Christ and prayed for by the priest and gathered community. (James 5.14-15)
Though we are regenerated in Baptism and strengthened by the other sacraments of the New and Everlasting Covenant of Christ, we remain subject to suffering, sickness, decay, and finally death. Just as Christ healed with his grace during his public ministry, so he continues to touch the sick and suffering with his grace through the ministry of the Church and her priests. This sacrament is given to any Catholic who is seriously ill even if death is not imminent.
This sacrament unites the sick person more fully with the suffering Christ, strengthens them for the endurance of their sufferings, and forgives sins that were not previously forgiven in the sacrament of Penance.
To receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick please contact Fr. Tomlinson
Further reading:
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1499-1532
