Lent – A Good Time for the Sacrament of Penance

              When was the last time you went to Confession?  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may have been more than a year ago: Lent of 2019 as part of the Easter Duty, or for Divine Mercy Sunday; maybe in Advent in preparation for Christmas.  Some might have ventured into the confessional sometime in 2020.  Thinking back, maybe the last time you approached the Sacrament of Penance was when you attended a White House Retreat. Whenever it was, (last month, last year, two years or ten years ago), now is a GOOD TIME to approach the Lord through the Sacrament of Penance.  Each and every time, God offers an extraordinary gift of grace. 

On the table at the entrance to Church, you can find a pamphlet, Examination of Conscience for Adults and Teens, prepared by The Fathers of Mercy.  It provides a brief review and outline of the Sacrament of Penance, including an Examination of Conscience, How to go to Confession, and an Act of Contrition.  I hope that it might assist you in prayer and reflection as you prepare for the Sacrament of Penance.  

Now really is a good time for the Sacrament of Penance, no matter how long it has been.  Here is the schedule for the next two weeks leading up to Easter.

Prior to Perpetual Help Devotions

Tuesday, March 23, from 6:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday, March 30, from 6:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Reconciliation Weekend – Here at St. Peter Church

Friday, March 26, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 27, from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon, and 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Whether you go to Sacrament of Penance frequently, or haven’t been for some time, or maybe you are returning to the Catholic Church after a long absence, please take this opportunity to receive God’s love, mercy, healing and grace.  And, let us pray for one another!

An Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell.  But most of all,

because they offended Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love, I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.  Amen.

 

Let us pray for those approaching the Easter Sacraments

Let us pray for The Elect of St. Peter Parish who will be entering the Catholic Church on Holy Saturday night this year, our Second Graders who will receive First Holy Communion on Saturday, April 10th, and our Eighth Graders who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Tuesday, April 20th.

 

Holy Week Schedule

Please join in our celebration of the Holy Triduum, and Easter Sunday.

Holy Thursday,  April 1     8:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer

                                         7:00 p.m. – Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Good Friday,  April 2        8:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer

                                       12:00 noon – Stations of the Cross, followed by

                                                            The Seven Last Words of Christ

                                        3:00 p.m. – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Holy Saturday, April 3     8:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer

                                        8:00 p.m. – Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday, April 4   7:00 a.m. – Mass

                                       9:00 a.m. – Mass

                                      11:00 a.m. – Mass

 

Sincerely yours in Jesus,

Fr. John Seper