SADLIER'S

With You Always

Sacrament Program
With You Always:
First Reconciliation
SADLIER'S
With You Always
Sacrament Program
With You Always:
First Reconciliation
Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D.
Dr. Elinor R. Ford
Rev. Msgr. John F. Barry
Dr. Gerard F. Baumbach
Dr. Eleanor Ann Brownell
Joseph F. Sweeney
Dr. Norman F. Josaitis
Gloria Hutchinson
Moya Gullage
Joan B. Collins
Pastoral Consultant
Rev. Virgil P. Elizondo, Ph.D., S.T.D.
with
Dr. Thomas H. Groome
Boston College
William H. Sadlier, Inc.
11 Park Place
New York, NY 10007
Table of Contents
Music and Words for My First Reconciliation Song
First Reconciliation Certificate
Inside Front Cover
3
Welcome to Your First Reconciliation!
1. Choosing Love
2. Following God's Law
3. Being Sorry
4. Examining Our Conscience
5. Celebrating Reconciliation
6. Living as God's Reconcilers
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Cut-Out Figures:
Scripture Story Figures
Reconciliation Figures
With You Always Heart
Prayers
Nihil Obstat
Reverend James J. Uppena
Censor Deputatus
imprimatur
+ Most Reverend Cletus F. O'Donnell
Bishop of Madison
August 6, 1990
The nihil obstat and imprimatur
are official declarations that a
book or pamphlet is free of
doctrinal or moral error. No
implication is contained therein
that those who have granted the
nihil obstat and imprimatur agree
with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
We Belong to God's World,
Our Church, and Our Family
God Always Loves Us
The Lost Son-Part I
We Are God's Reconcilers
Making Good and Loving Choices
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
Come to Me Rite
Living the Law of Love
Jesus Obeys His Parents
We Are God's Reconcilers
The Ten Commandments
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
We Are One Rite
What It Means to Be Sorry
The Lost Son-Part "
We Are God's Reconcilers
An Act of Contrition
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
A Family Reconciling Rite
We Remember Our Sins
Jesus Gives Us His Peace
We Are God's Reconcilers
How to Examine Our Conscience
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
Take My Heart Rite
We Celebrate God's Forgiveness
We Are God's Reconcilers
The Individual Rite
The Communal Rite
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
Practicing Celebrating Reconciliation
Bringing God's Peace to Others
Jesus Blesses the Children
We Are God's Reconcilers
My Prayer to Be God's Peacemaker
Faith Alive at Home and in the Parish
We Are God's Peacemakers Rite
4
6
16
26
36
46
56
64
- Inside Back Cover
" 1991 by William H. Sadlier, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form, or by any means, including electronic, photographic, or
mechanical or by any sound recording system, or by any device for storage
and retrieval of information, without the written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America.
Credits appear on the inside back cover.
Home Office: 11 Park Place, New York, NY 10007
ISBN: 0-8215-1601-9
23456789/9876543210
Our parish of ________________ _
embraces with the merciful love of God
who celebrated for the first time
on ________ _ in ____________ _
(Date) (City. State)
Pastor ________________ _
Church
Seal
Let the children come to
me and do not stop them
because the Kingdom of
God belongs to little
children like these.
From Luke 18:15-16
\
4
Welcome to Your
We Belong to God's World
We Belong to God's Church
At Baptism I became a member of
the Catholic Church.
I was
baptized on
(Date)
in ____________ Church.
(Name)
Today I belong to ___________ parish.
These are the people I know who take
care of my parish.
_ ______ Pastor
_______ Director of Religious
Education/Principal
__ ..-..,. _ ___ CatechistiTeacher
---.J..--.----Other
First Reconciliation!
D
We Belong to Our Famil
I belong to the
? 80 "" e r Family.
(Name)
&bJ:cC.
!:,bkcb
J: J: .b ~ ---.L'F
bJ:rG
5
1 Choosing Love
Our Life
Which One?
Think about how often you ask
yourself this question:
"Which one will I do today?"
Which One?
When you come home from school,
do you ask yourself: "Which one
will I do?"
Play?
Eat?
Read?
Watch television?
Call Mom or Dad or a friend?
Do my homework?
Do my family jobs or tasks?
6
What happens when you choose to
spend all your time watching television,
and you do not have time to get your
family jobs or homework done?
Is this a right choice or a wrong choice?
How do you feel?
----==::::.::=-....-c---,.;
Dear God,
Help me make
good choices.
Sharing Life
What would your family be like if everyone
always chose to do the right thing, even
when she or he did not want to?
What would it be like in our parish?
in God's world?
Why is it sometimes difficult to make kind
and loving choices?
How can we help each other make kind
and loving choices?

8
Our Faith
God knows how hard it is for us to make
good choices all of the time.
Jesus told us that even when we show we
do not love God and others, God always
forgives us. When we are sorry for our sins,
God gives us mercy and peace.
This is the beginning of a Bible story that
Jesus told about a young man who made
a wrong choice.
The Lost Son-Part I
A hardworking and loving father had
two sons.
The younger son was bored with working on
the farm and doing what his father told him.
He wanted to be out with his friends,
spending money and having lots of fun.
When he became a teenager, he went to
his father and asked for his share of
the property.
His father was very upset because he knew
the son was still not ready to be on his own.
But the younger son still demanded his
So the father gave the son his share
the family's property.
the younger son went off to a
DG .. OUilO\l country. There he spent his money
g a good time.
Soon his money was all gone. Then his
"new friends" disappeared. He was left
alone and hungry, with nobody to turn to.
No one would help him or give him food.
Starving, the younger son roamed the
countryside, willing to do anything just to get
something to eat. Finally, he got a job taking
care of a farmer's pigs. But the farmer did
not feed him as well as he fed the pigs.
One day the younger son said to himself,
"All my father's hired workers have more
than they can eat, and here I am about
to starve.
"I will get up and go to my father and
say, 'Father, I have sinned against God
and against you. I am no longer fit to be
called your son; treat me as one of your
hired workers.' "
The younger son then got up and started
back to his father's home. He wanted to
say to his father, "I am sorry for the bad
choice I made."
From Luke 15: 11-20
Sometimes, we are like the younger son. We
can be foolish in the choices we make. We
forget that doing God's will or what God
wants really makes us happy. We, too, can
make wrong choices.
9
Our Faith
Making Good and Loving Choices
If the younger son had followed Jesus'
Law of Love, he might not have made
the wrong choices.
Jesus' Law of Love says:
Love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
From Luke 10: 27
We can choose to love or not love, to
make loving or unloving choices.
It is not always easy to make a good
choice, to do the right and loving thing.
But there are some rules we can follow
that will help us live Jesus' Law of Love.
(See page 11.)
First we must ask God to help us make
good choices. Then we need to talk
over our hard choices with our parents
or guardians, our catechist, teacher, or
parish priest.
Think of others with whom you could talk.
Sometimes we do things that hurt
others, but not because we make a
wrong or unloving choice. We
make a mistake, or there is
an accident.
10
Suppose your job is to pour out the milk
at breakfast. But you trip. All the milk
is spilled, and everyone has to go without
milk. People are hurt by your action. But
it is not your fault. It is no one's fault.
It is an accident. An accident is not a sin.
Now imagine that you are supposed
to go after school to your Grandma and
help her. But you forget to go. Grandma
is very upset with you. But you did not
mean to hurt her. You made a mtstake.
What would you do to make peace with
Grandma?
How to Make Good and
Loving Choices
1. Find a quiet "thinking" place to
think about what you must do.
2. Pray:
Holy Spirit, help me to make
a good and loving choice.
3. Think about all the choices,
good and bad, that you can make.
4. After thinking about each one, ask:
If I do this, will it show I love:
God?
others?
myself?
If I say "Yes" to loving God
and others and myself, it is a
good choice.
5. Talk over all your choices with
someone who can help you.
6. With God's help, choose to do
the right and loving thing.
Coming to Faith
With a partner, use the rules for making
good and loving choices on page 11 to give
good advice to each of these children.
Next week the best of three students will
be chosen to play the drums in the school
band. Barb is one of the three. She
needs to practice all weekend. But Barb's
newborn baby brother needs lots of
sleep. So she cannot practice. What
should Barb do?
Roy has been saving his money to buy
an expensive pair of roller blades. Roy's
parish is asking for money for parish
families made homeless by a terrible fire.
What should Roy do?
Label each of these either a good choice (G),
a wrong choice (W), an accident (A),
or a mistake (M).
___ Carla's baseball game and family
Sunday Mass are at the same time.
Carla decides with her family to
play ball, and then have someone
take her to a later Mass.
___ George did not do his math
homework. He brought home his
reader instead of his math book.
Bonnie spilled spaghetti sauce on
her sister's favorite sweater.
Hal took his father's brand-new air
pump without p"ermission to school
to blow up balloons for a party.
Practicing Faith
Use this activity to help you learn how to
use the rules for "How to Make Good and
Loving Choices." (See page 11 .)
Think of a time when you might have to
choose either to love or not to love God
and others and yourself. Tell or write
about it here.
EXAMPLE
My team has a game Sunday morning.
My family goes to 9 o'clock Mass.
My choices are:
1. Don't go to Mass.
2. ( ASk my family to go to Saturday evening Mass. )
Write your choices here.
Completing this activity will help you make
the right choice.
1. Tell about your quiet "thinking" place.
VVhere: ______________________ __
VVhen: ______________________ __
2. Pray: Holy Spirit, help me to make a
good and loving choice.
3. Below, write down the different things,
good or bad, that you can do.
4. Next to each choice write "Yes" if it shows
you love God and others and yourself.
The example below will help you use
the chart for making good choices.
Doing this will show I love
God, and others, and myself.
(Circle Yes or No.)
Yes @
9 No
Circle Yes or No.
Choice 1: _________________________ _
Yes No
Choice 2: ________________ _
Yes No
Choice 3: ________________ _
Yes No
5. I will talk my choices over with ______________________________________ __
6. Always make a "Yes" choice. Draw a big circle around
the choice above that you will make.
-- ---
---
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
Some families find the sacrament of Reconciliation
a scary thing. They associate this sacrament with
pre-Vatican II confession, when the emphasis was
on getting rid of all the bad things on our
consciences by telling them to the priest in the
dark box of the confessional.
But the emphasis today has changed. This is
reflected in the way we describe the sacrament -
celebrating Reconciliation.
It is important that you show your child the same
joyful feeling for this sacrament that you do for
celebrating Eucharist. They are both wonderful
sacraments that help us in our Christian faith.
This sacrament gives us the opportunity to
reconcile, or to make peace, with God, our
neighbor, ourselves, and our whole community. It
goes beyond just "telling" our sins to a priest. It
includes an opportunity to seek advice as to how to
grow as one of Jesus' disciples by making better
choices. The new Rite of Reconciliation also gives
us more time to discuss with the priest both how we
can make up for our sins, our wrong choices, and
how we can learn better to forgive those who have
wronged us. It helps us to grow in our spiritual life.
You must remember that your child is still very
young. Therefore, you cannot expect him or her to
grasp fully the significance of sin and the distinction
between mortal sin and venial sin.
To give your child a proper foundation for a
complete understanding of reconciliation, we start
by getting him or her to begin to see that even the
choices he or she makes at this young age can
have good or bad effects on others and on himself
or herself. To clarify the meaning of good and bad
choices, this chapter explains the difference
between something bad that happens as a result of
an accident or innocent mistake and something bad
that happens as a result of a
deliberate choice.
14
Make sure your child understands this by asking
her or him to explain each point in the Faith Summary.
Then, to generate enthusiasm for your child's first
celebration of this wonderful peace-giving
sacrament of Reconciliation, have your whole family
join in the "Come to Me Rite" on page 15. Your
child's catechist or religion teacher may have
several families participate in this rite before or after
next weekend's Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist).
Faith Summary
The Law of Love asks us to love
God, ourselves, and others.
We can choose to love or not love.
We make good choices when we
choose to do what shows love for
God, ourselves, and others.
Come to Me Rite
Cut out the figure of Jesus and the Children
in the back of this book.
Let your child color in herself or himself.
Now have your child hold the figure while
you light a candle.
Then gather as a family around your child.
Make this promise to help your child understand
and get ready to celebrate First Reconciliation.
Sign and date this promise. Hang it
someplace where all will be reminded of
their family promise.
Come to Me Promise
We, the _________ Family,
(Name)
promise to help _________ _
(Child's First Name)
get ready to celebrate First Reconciliation.
We promise to help ________ _
learn to make loving, not unloving, choices.
We promise not to nag or scold when
________ makes an unloving
choice. Instead we will forgive
________ and show how
he or she could have made a better choice.
We ask __________ _
and each other to forgive us when
we do unloving things.
We promise this through
Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
\
Signed this _day of _____ _
8y: ___________ _
15
2 Following God's Law ............... r--:-rTTT-r"T-r-FT::;=;=n=fj,
Our Life
Have you ever wondered why so many
groups and places have rules? Think about
what our world, our city, or our town would
be like if there were no rules. . : : : ; : : ; : : ; : : : ~ ~ ; : ; : u ~
Suppose your town or city had no traffic
lights or signs or laws. What would happen
when traffic was busy?
All over the world people are coming
together to save our environment. What
would happen if everyone obeyed the litter
and recycling rules?
Match the signs or rules below with the place
you would find each. Connect them with a line.
16
3. Please don't feed
the animals!
4. Look much.
But please don't touch.
Library
What happens in each place when people
ignore or disobey the rules?
Are there rules you have to follow?
Name one of them.
How do you feel about this rule?
1----::::-
~ ~ l l l l t l ~ I ~ ~ I I ~ : \ : I \ ~ l l l /tI
Sharing Life
Name groups to which you belong
or places you visit that have rules.
Tell why choosi ng to obey the
rules makes everyone happier and
more caring about each other.
Do you think that God's world and
people need rules? Tell why.
Why can following God's rules
help us and others to be happy?
17
Our Faith
At Baptism we became members of God's
family, the Church.
Our parents and godparents promised to
help us bring about God's Kingdom in
all the world.
They promised to help us to live as Jesus
told us, by obeying the laws of God and of
the Church.
Jesus taught us God's greatest Law of Love.
Jesus knows that sometimes it is hard for us
to choose to obey God's Law.
As a little boy Jesus did not always find it
easy to do what He was told. Here is a Bible
story that tells us about such a time.
Jesus Obeys His Parents
Jesus and His parents, Mary and Joseph,
lived in a town called Nazareth. Every year
they made the long and difficult trip to the
Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish
Feast of Passover.
Once, when Jesus was twelve years old, He
decided to stay behind in Jerusalem. But He
did not tell His parents.
Mary and Joseph did not miss Jesus right
away. They thought He was with His friends
in another group. They had been gone a
whole day before they realized that Jesus
was not with them or His friends.
18
Frightened, Mary and Joseph traveled
back along the road to Jerusalem looking
everywhere for Jesus.
Finally, after three days of searching, they
were astonished to find Jesus sitting in the
midst of the Jewish teachers in the Temple.
He was listening and asking them questions.
All were amazed at the wisdom of this
twelve-year-old boy.
Mary ran up to Jesus and said,
"Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been terribly
worried trying to find you."
Jesus answered,
"Why did you have to look for me?
Didn't you know that I had to be dOing
my Father's business?"
For now, Mary and Joseph did not
understand what Jesus was telling them.
Jesus' work on earth was to tell people how
to live for God's Kingdom of justice, peace,
and love.
It was not time yet for Jesus to begin His
work. So He returned quietly with His
parents to Nazareth and was obedient
to them. Jesus grew in wisdom, age,
and love for all.
From Luke 2: 41-52
19
Our Faith
The Ten Commandments
To help us live for God's Kingdom, God
gave us the Ten Commandments.
(See page 21.)
The Commandments tell us what God
wants us to do. They help us to live in a
loving way as Jesus taught us. They
help us to know God's will. By doing
God's will we find true peace, justice,
and happiness.
Sometimes people choose not to do
God's will. They turn away from God's
love. They sin.
20
Sin 's freely choosing to do wh we
know to be wrong. We disobey God's
Law on purpose. We turn away from
God's love, from loving others and
ourselves.
All sins are wrong. Sin upsets the
peace and justice that Jesus wants us
to have in our hearts, our families, our
world, and our Church. Sin sometimes
looks or feels like fun. But when we sin,
we choose not to love God or others or
ourselves. This makes us very
unhappy.
Sometimes we do wrong things that we
do not mean to do. These are m i s t a ~ e s
or accidents. They are not sins. We sin
when we choose and do what is wrong
on purpose.
When we choose to sin, God does not
stop loving us. God always forgives us
when we are sorry for our sins and try
not to sin again.
The Ten Commandments (see page 21)
help us to live God's Law of Love.
The first three show us how to love
God. The last seven show us how to
love ourselves and others.
Learn these Laws of God. Every time
you need to make an important choice,
use these Laws to help you say "Yes"
to God.
Pray:
Jesus, help me
say "Yes" to
God's Laws.
The Ten Commandments
We show we love God when:
1. We think first of what God wants when
we make choices.
2. We only use God's name with love and
respect.
3. We keep Sunday as God's special
day of prayer and rest.
We show we love ourselves and others when:
4. We listen to and obey those
who care for us.
5. We care for all living things and
are peacemakers.
6. We care for our bodies and respect others.
7. We do not take anything that is not ours.
8. We are truthful and fair to everyone.
9. We are faithful to those we love.
10. We help people to have what
they need to live.
21
Coming to Faith
Tell what someone who lives God's
Law of Love would choose to do.
Your parish has asked everyone to
take care of God's world by sorting
their garbage for recycling.
Sorting takes time. You are late for your
game. No one can see what you do
with the garbage. You decide:
__ I'm late. I'll just dump this
garbage. I'll sort "next time."
I I'm late. I'll leave the garbage
over here. When I come home,
I'll sort it.
Everyone is making fun of the new kid.
She talks funny. You decide:
__ I'll make fun of her, too, so my
friends do not make fun of me.
_--:--- I'll ignore her.
I I'll talk with her and try to make
her feel welcome.
Your mother saves quarters. One day
she is counting them out in order to take
them to the bank. The telephone rings
and she leaves the room to answer it.
You decide:
_J __ I'll finish counting the quarters
for her.
__ I'll take a couple; she
will never know I took them.
- ,
When is an action:
a sin?
a mistake?
an accident?
22
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
This lesson teaches your child about the
Ten Commandments. (See page 21.)
Go over the Commandments with your child.
Tell how your family tries to live them.
Choose two or three Commandments and
give specific examples of what you do.
Be sure to tell your child about a time when it was
difficult for you to obey one of the Commandments.
In this way she or he will understand that it is
sometimes difficult to do the right thing. Then
explain how you felt afterwards, when you knew
you had done God's will. Emphasizing the
positive practice of God's Law of Love is the
best way of preparing your child to avoid sin.
24
Also tell your child about a time when you did not
follow God's Laws, and explain that afterward you
felt bad about it. But stress that you knew God
loved you and forgave you so you could try again.
Telling your child stories about how our journey as
a baptized people is not always either smooth or
straight will help your child to face and ride out the
tough decisions and failures that he or she will
meet with in life.
To ensure that your child understands this lesson,
go over each pOint in the Faith Summary.
To give your child a real experience of journeying
together, of not being alone in our efforts to live
God's will, participate in the "We Are One Rite" as
described on page 25.
Faith Summary
Jesus shows us how to do God's will.
The Ten Commandments show us
how to love God, ourselves, and others.
If possible, place an artificial "Parish
Baptismal Tree" or its equivalent
in the sanctuary.
At the beginning of the parish liturgy,
the parents and First Reconciliation
children process up to the sanctuary
while the whole assembly sings a
song such as "We Are One in the Spirit."
Each parent and child place or tie
their "Family Baptismal Tree" to the
"Parish's Baptismal Tree," saying:
"Jesus, help me to live Your Law
of Love and remain one with
You and all Your people.
Use this model to help you create
your own "Family Baptismal Tree" that
you will use in the "We Are One Rite."
John Matthews
Baptized 12/18/ 56
Jennifer Matthews
Baptized 3/6/57
Megan Matthews
Baptized 8/15/80
Tim Matthews
Baptized 6/8/83
25
3 Being Sorry
Our Life
Saying "I'm Sorry"
Complete each story.
Emilio ran through the doorway. He
did not know his teacher was right behind
him. Emilio let the door close on him.
He turned and said, "I'm sorry."
His teacher said,
26
Janine wore her sister's favorite bracelet to
school without asking her. Her sister was very
upset because she thought she had lost the
bracelet. Janine said, "I'm sorry." Her sister said,
Dear God,
Help me to mean it
whenever I say, "I'm sorry."
----- ------
A crowd of children was playing in the
church yard when a terrible argument
started between Mickey and Katie.
They shouted and cursed at each
other, using Jesus' name badly.
Father Jim came out of the church
saying, "Calm down! Calm down!
Jesus is our Brother, who loves
us and teaches us to love each
other. Is it right to use Jesus'
name so badly?" Mickey
and Katie each said, "I'm sorry."
Then Father Jim said,
Tell who made a mistake and who did
something wrong.
Do these stories tell us that it is not always
enough to just say the words "I'm sorry"?
How do you let people know when you are sorry?
How does saying "I'm sorry" to someone make
you feel?
When do you say "I'm sorry" to someone?
Give an example.
Sharing Life
What do you think is the best way to show
God that you are really sorry for disobeying
God's Law of Love? .
Why do you think God wants us to say
"I'm sorry" when we sin?
27
Our Faith
Do you remember how the Lost, or Prodigal,
Son decided to ask his father to take him
back as a worker on the family farm? All
the way home he worried about what his
father would do or say.
Here is the Bible story telling us what
happened.
The Lost Son-Part II
One day the Lost Son's father was working
in his fields. He was very sad these days,
for he worried much about his son who
had run away from home.
Suddenly he saw in the distance a dirty,
barefoot, and ragged man approaching. He
immediately recognized him as his son.
The father forgot all the hurt and suffering
the Lost Son had caused. The father
ran to him and hugged him.
The young man said,
"Father, I have sinned against God and
against you. I am no longer fit to be
called your son."
But the father shouted out to the servants,
"Bring the best robe and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his
feet. Then go and get the prize calf and
kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast.
For this son of mine was dead, but now
he is alive; he was lost, but now he has
been found."
Then the story goes on to tell us about the
Lost Son's angrY older brother, who could not
forgive him. He had spent. years working
hard, always obeying his father. He said to
his father,
"What have you ever given me? Not even
a goat for me to have a feast with my
friends."
But the father told him never to doubt his
love for him.
"My son, you are always here with me,
and everything I have is yours."
Then the father pleaded with him to forgive
his younger brother. He wanted the older
son to celebrate that the Lost Son had made
up, had been reconciled, with his family
again.
From Luke 15: 21-32
Jesus told this story to teach God's great
love for us even when we sin. It also shows
us that sometimes it is very hard to forgive
others, but we must do so.
Our Faith
Being Sorry
We know that God is ready to forgive
us when we make unloving choices-
when we sin. God forgives us, no
matter what we do, when we say we
are sorry.
But it is not enough for us just to say
the words "I'm sorry." Being sorry
means wanting with all our heart to
make up, or be reconciled, with the
people we have hurt. It means
promising to try very hard not to sin
again by making good choices.
To help us be truly sorry and to
celebrate God's forgiving love, Catholics
celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation.
During this celebration we think about
the unloving choices we have made.
We tell God we are sorry for our sins.
We promise to try not to sin again and
to make up for the wrong we have
done. We sayan Act of Contrition, or
Sorrow, like the one on page 31.
30
Forgiving
Celebrating the sacrament of
Reconciliation helps us learn to
forgive those who have hurt us.
Sometimes, like the "older brother,"
we become angry when we are hurt.
We do not want to forgive those who
have hurt us.
But if we expect God and others to
forgive us, we must be forgiving. We
ask God to help us become good
forgivers every time we pray these
words of the Our Father:
Forgive us our trespasses (sins)
as we forgive those
who trespass (sin) against us.




An 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.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In His name, my God,
have mercy.
*Another Act of Contrition is
found on the inside back cover.
We tell God
we are sorry.
We promise to try
not to sin again.
We try to make up
for our sins.
We ask God to
forgive us
in Jesus' name.
31
Coming to Faith
Use your Scripture figures to act out:
How the Lost Son showed he was sorry.
How the Lost Son knew his father had
forgiven him.
What you think the older son decided to
do.
Think of a time when you hurt someone
you loved very much. Think about
how you showed you were sorry. Draw
here how you knew you were forgiven.
With your friends learn the Act of Contrition
(page 31) to help you tell God you are sorry.
32
racticing Faith
Complete this list of what you will do each
time you have done an unloving thing. Use
the words below to help you.
make Contrition
Being Sorry
sin
Tell the person I am s ____ .
sorry
Reconcile, or m _ _ _ up, with the
person.
Promise to try not to s __ again.
Say the Act of c _________ .
Think of someone you need to
forgive. Without naming the person,
draw or write what you will do to
show you have forgiven this person.
33
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
In preparing your child for First Reconciliation, it is
important that he or she understands what it means
to be sorry. Many children (and adults) think that by
looking appropriately woeful and muttering the
words "I'm sorry" all can be forgiven.
We need to give them our own example of what
saying "I'm sorry" really means. Try to establish the
weekly family practice of expressing sorrow to one
another by saying:
I'm sorry that I ___________ _
I'll try to make it up to you by
I promise that in the future I will first
so I don't hurt you again .
Will you forgive me?
34
The person(s) hurt should be helped to "let their
anger go." They should demonstrate their
forgiveness with words and actions.
At the end all should join hands and sing or say
together the Our Father.
A child raised in a family that can both ask for and
give forgiveness is a child who will truly understand
why the sacrament of Reconciliation is a celebration.
To be sure your child's understanding of sorrow
and forgiveness is growing, go over the
Faith Summary with him or her.
Then try to participate in the "Family Reconciling
Rite" described on page 35.
Faith Summary
God always forgives us
when we are sorry, no
matter what we do.
We are sorry when we
promise to. try not to sin
again. We also make up,
or are reconciled, with the
people we have hurt.
A Family Reconciling Rite
Each family should have a reconciling ceremony
at home. The activity below may help.
Each one of us in the ________ _
Family has asked for forgiveness from those
in our family she or he may have hurt.
We have lovingly given forgiveness to those
in the family who have hurt us.
This week we ask Jesus to help us to be
more loving to one another.
Then all the families could come together for
a parish reconciling rite like this one:
At the Our Father, the families and
First Reconciliation children should gather
in the sanctuary.
They should join hands with the celebrants
and the rest of the assembly.
Together all should say or sing the
Our Father. They should give one another a
hug at the words of reconciliation below.
Finish decorating these lines from the Our Father.
Forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us.
35
Examining Our Conscience
Our Life
A Good Day
We often say to people,
"Have a good day."
What things happen to make a
day a good one for you?
What we say and do and think can
make a day a good one for us.
Think about yesterday.
Use the signs below to help you
remember the good things
you did yesterday.
I II I X III \ \1 r \ \ \ III I !'I.. I Ii IX I ( II t,.{\ III \ 11\ I UIIIII \ V II fit \ \ \/1 1/ \ III \I
Prayed aloud or said
kind and loving things .
\ \ \ \ \I \I db 1/ I It I \ II I 1\1\ It ((l 1\ \ d 1)( It 111\ III V 1\1 \ h II \ \ 1\ Irli \ t _\ --"Tll"n..
Did kind and loving
things.
III \ \ \I l-tt II" \/I,K \1\ \\\\ll b \ 11\ \It! 1ft! 111111 'II/In\ I III/II \ 111111 \ III
Went somewhere to do
kind and loving things.
Read or saw kind and
loving things.
\\ '111 \ \ "V/\\ \1'/1\\//\ \\/1/11 \111/1 fi'f.. \v/t 'v\ ~ - - .
36
Prayed quietly or thought
kind and loving things.
A Family Reconciling Rite
Each family should have a reconciling ceremony
at home. The activity below may help.
Each one of us in the ________ _
Family has asked for forgiveness from those
in our family she or he may have hurt.
We have lovingly given forgiveness to those
in the family who have hurt us.
This week we ask Jesus to help us to be
more loving to one another.
Then all the families could come together for
a parish reconciling rite like this one:
At the Our Father, the families and
First Reconciliation children should gather
in the sanctuary.
They should join hands with the celebrants
and the rest of the assembly.
Together all should say or sing the
Our Father. They should give one another a
hug at the words of reconciliation below.
Finish decorating these lines from the Our Father.
Forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those
Who trespass against us.
35
Examining Our Conscience
Our Life
A Good Day
We often say to people,
"Have a good day."
What things happen to make a
day a good one for you?
What we say and do and think can
make a day a good one for us.
Think about yesterday.
Use the signs below to help you
remember the good things
you did yesterday.
llli X I (I \ \11\\1 \1I1tX: I II IX If tlrA\/11 \1" 11l1/1111 V It J It\\ \111/ \111 \1
cr Prayed aloud or said
t kind and loving things.
,\ \ \ \ \It \I ft d /11/1\ II I 1\1\ It I (l 1\ \ Illx' Ii 111\\11 u 1\1 \ lIlI \ \ Hid, \ ( --....'nTrt,
Did kind and loving
things.
Went somewhere to do
kind and loving things.
Read or saw kind and
loving things.
hdl 1\ V v/\\d'/I \ 11\\\/11/1 \/1 III/A v l l ' v \ \ ~ - - .
36
Prayed quietly or thought
kind and loving things.
Dear God,
Help me make
more loving
choices today.
Complete the chart to show a kind or loving thing you
said or did or thought yesterday. Use the signs from
page 36 to help you. One example is given for you.
Time of Day
Morning
Kind or Loving Thing Done
Helped get breakfast ready.
Sharing Life
Name other loving choices you could have
made yesterday.
What kept you from making these choices?
Think about a choice you have to make
tomorrow.
How can talking to God help you to make
loving choices?
Who else can help?
Why should we ask for help to make
loving choices? 37
Our Faith
Jesus knows how hard it is for us to
make loving choices all the time.
Jesus wants us to know God always forgives
us if we are sorry. No matter what we do or
how often we sin, God will forgive us.
God forgives us when we promise to try not
to sin again. We are forgiven when we make
up, or reconcile, with the people we
have hurt.
Jesus gave us the sacrament of
Reconciliation to help us grow in our love for
God, others, and ourselves. We call it
Reconciliation because we are reconciled
with God and with the people we have hurt.
By telling our sins to the priest, we tell God
that we are sorry for our sins. We promise
not to sin again and to make up for what
we have done wrong. We reconcile with
God and others.
We celebrate God's great forgiveness in the
sacrament of Reconciliation. We are happy
because we are God's friends and friends to
one another.
This is the story of how Jesus shared the
to forgive sins with His
Jesus Gives Us Reconciliation
It was late on Easter Sunday night. The
disciples were in hiding because they were
afraid.
Jesus had been put to death on Friday. They
thought that the same thing would happen to
them because they were Jesus' friends.
As they sat frightened and huddled together,
Jesus suddenly appeared to them. They
couldn't believe their eyes. Jesus was
supposed to be dead. But He had risen
to new life.
Jesus told the disciples not to be afraid.
"Peace be with you," He said.
Jesus told them He was sending them out to
carry on His work. They were to preach the
Good News of how we are to live by God's
Law of Love. But they were also to tell
people that God forgives their sins.
Jesus said,
"As the Father sent me, so I send you."
Then Jesus breathed on them and said,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive people's sins, they are
forgiven."
From John 20:19-23
/
/
/
39
Our Faith
Examining Our Conscience
In the sacrament of Reconciliation the
priest forgives our sins in God's name.
We get ready to celebrate this great
sacrament by asking the Holy
Spirit to help us remember our sins.
We think about the times we made a
bad choice or did the wrong thing. We
ask ourselves whether we have been
living as Jesus wants. This is what we
do when we examine our conscience.
The questions on page 41 will help you
to examine your conscience.
40
Then tell God you are sorry for your
sins. Promise also to tell those you have
hurt that you are sorry too.
How to Examine Our Conscience
1. When I make choices, do I sometimes
forget to think first about what God wants
me to do? Have I done what God wants?
2. Have I used God's or Jesus' name in a bad way?
3. Did I celebrate Mass on Sunday?
4. Have I disobeyed the grown-ups who
take care of me?
5. Have I given my body the good food
and sleep it needs?
6. Have I hurt someone by what I have
said or done?
7. Have I taken money or anything that is not mine?
8. Have I always told the truth?
9. Have I been unfair to others-especially
those who are different than I am?
10. Have I refused to help people who
are in need?
Coming to Faith
Use your Scripture figures to tell the story
of how the disciples received the power to
forgive sins in God's name.
Use these words to complete the following
sentences.
42
purpose
not
sorry
sins
hurt
bad
To get ready to celebrate the sacrament of
Reconciliation, we examine our conscience.
To examine our conscience:
We remember our s' _____ _
We think about the times we have
made b ______ choices.
We ask ourselves if we did the wrong
thing on p, ________ , or
was it a mistake?
We remember that mistakes are
n ______ sins.
We tell God we are s _____ _
for our sins.
We also promise to tell those we have
h ______ that we are sorry.
Practicing Faith
Use the signs below to help you remember
the times this week you may have said or
thought or done an unloving or wrong thing.
Choose ONE of these times.
Tell God you are sorry.
Now write or draw how you will use your \
mouth, or hands, or feet, or eyes, or heart
to make up, or reconcile, with those you
have hurt.
How I will make up, or reconcile:
Say this prayer:
Jesus, I am sorry. Help me to love You
more. Thank You for forgiving me.
43
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
This lesson on examination of conscience is a very
difficult one for young children.
It is important that they do not develop false
consciences by believing that mistakes or accidents
are sins. Unconsciously, we adults can contribute to
these wrong feelings. Sometimes, especially when
we are tired or cranky, we scold or nag about
something, causing children to believe they have
committed a great wrong.
For example, we want the dishes stored a certain
way. The child mixes up this order. We scold so
that the child thinks a great wrong has been
committed. In reality, the child may have forgotten
or have been confused. The child has not
deliberately disobeyed us on purpose.
44
Gently help your child to form a good conscience
by using the activities on pages 41 and 43. Also,
encourage your child to decide to make one loving
choice each day. Do not expect your child to be
perfect-none of us is.
Teach your child by your own example what it
means to be sorry. Take a few minutes each week
to be alone with each of your children. Call it your
reconciling, or "making up," time. During this time,
each of you should ask the other for forgiveness for
one unloving thing done that week. End with a little
prayer like the one on page 45 and a big hug to
show your love.
Go over the Faith Summary to make sure your child
understands the main points of this
Participate with your child in the ''Take My Heart
Rite" during your parish liturgy. (See page 45.)
Faith Summary
We examine our conscience to
remember our sins.
Jesus gave us the sacrament of
Reconciliation to help us grow in
love for God, others, and ourselves.
Take My Heart Rite Suggestions
Show that you want to give your
heart, your love, to God and others.
Cut out the heart from the back of
the book. Fill it in and decorate it.
Then place a string or ribbon
through it. Practice on the one
below.
Jesus,
I give You my love.
(Name)
(Date)
At the beginning of the liturgy, parents,
guardians, and First Reconciliation
children process into the church with
the Mass celebrants. The children
carry their special reconciliation
hearts. All stand around the altar.
When the priest completes the
"Lord, have mercy" prayer at the
beginning of Mass, each parent or
guardian then places the heart
around the child's neck saying,
"I promise to help you,
to love God, others, and yourself
more each day. I give you
this heart."
The child responds,
"I promise to try to love God,
you, my family, and others more
each day. I give you my heart."
45
5' Celebrating Reconciliation
Our Life
Celebrating God's Gifts
We belong to God's world, to our Church,
and to our family. Look at pages 4-5 to see
some of God's gifts to us.
Sometimes God's people choose not to love
or take care of God's gifts and one another.
They forget that God wants us to live in
peace with one another.
Think of times when God's people show that
they do not love or care for some of God's gifts
or one another.
Draw or write how people show that they
are God's peacemakers by loving
and caring for God's world
and one another.
Taking Care
Helping People Who Need Us
Dear God,
Help me celebrate my
First Reconciliation well.
Sharing Life
Think of a time when people around
you did not show love for one another.
Imagine this is happening now.
What would you do to show you are
one of God's reconcilers, or
peacemakers?
47
Our Faith
God has given us a wonderful
sacrament of peace. It helps us to be at
peace and to become peacemakers . ..IQ
be at peace means to be friends of God
and one another. -
(n the sacrament Of Reconciliation we
celebrate that God forgives our sins.
We are ready to make peace with all
those we have hurt.
We celebrate that we .are one and at
p-e with ur whole parish family, our
Church, and with God's worl

Celebrating by Ourselves
Sometimes we celebrate the sacrament
of Reconciliation by ourselves with the
priest. The priest acts in God's name
and in the name of the whole Church.
We can talk to the face-to-face or
from behind a screen. Here is what we. do.
We get ready by examining our
conscience. (See page 41.)
We go into the Reconciliation Room
to meet with the priest. He greets us
in God's name and in the name of
the Church. We make the Sign of the
Cross together.
We listen. The priest may read a
story to us from the Bible about
God's love and forgiveness. He
reminds us that God always loves us.
We confess our sins to God. We do
this by telling our sins to the priest.
Remember, he never tells anyone
what we say in confession!
The priest helps us remember how
Jesus wants us to love God and one
another. He then gives us a penance.
This is a prayer or good work to do to
show God we are really sorry.
We pray an Act of Contrition. We
promise to try not to sin again.
The priest prays the words of
absolution. This means that God
forgives us.
We thank God because we have
been forgiven by God and by the
Church. We are sure that we are
God's friends. We are at peace.
49
Our Faith
Celebrating with Others
At times we celebrate the sacrament of
Reconciliation with the priest and with
other people in our parish. Here is
what we do.
We gather with our parish family and
sing a hymn. The priest welcomes us.
We listen to a story from the Bible.
We are reminded that God always
loves us and forgives us when we
are sorry for our sins.
We examine our conscience.
(See page 41.)
50
We pray an Act of Contrition and
the Our Father together. We ask
God to help us not to sin again.
The priest meets with us one by
one. We make our confession.
The priest gives us a penance
and says the words of absolution.
After everyone has been to
confession, we gather together
again. We thank God for loving
and forgiving us.
Then the priest blesses us. He asks
us to bring Jesus' peace to others.
We sing a happy song to thank God
for forgiving us and giving us peace.
Celebrating Reconciliation
These things are always part of the
celebration of the sacrament of
Reconciliation.
We examine our conscience and
are sorry for our sins. We promise
not to sin again.
We confess our sins.
We receive a penance.
We pray an Act of Contrition.
We receive absolution
and thank God.
,
Coming to Fai h
Use your Reconciliation Room figures
to act out with a friend how you can
celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation
in one of these ways:
by ourselves with the priest
with others and the priest
Use the following words to complete the
sentences below.
absolution
examine
penance
confess
Act of Contrition
promise
This is what we do every time we celebrate
the sacrament of Reconciliation.
We e our conscience
and are sorry for our sins.
We p, _______ not to sin again.
We c our sins.
We receive a p _______ _
We pray an A ___ of
C ______ _
We receive a ________ and
thank God.
Practicing Faith
Complete this prayer to God.
Dear God,
I am so happy to be celebrating my First
Reconciliation.
To show You that I want to live your
Law of Love, I will do these loving things
before celebrating my First Reconciliation.
Write or draw them here.
Now learn and sing this Reconciliation prayer.
The music is on the inside front cover of this book.
~
My Reconciliation Prayer
Jesus, You who blessed the children
Bless me as I come to You.
Bless my mouth to sing Your praises
For each day so fresh and new.
Bless my hands to do Your will
And comfort people weak and ill.
Bless my feet to follow You
And walk Your path so just and true.
53
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
Your child is almost ready to receive First
Reconciliation.
This lesson tells how to celebrate Reconciliation
alone and with others. Review each point in the
Faith Summary to make sure your child
understands this celebration.
Go over the steps with your child so that he or she
feels very comfortable with what is to be done.
(See pages 48 and 49.)
54
This is a good time to discuss with your whole
family how important the sacrament of
Reconciliation is in our lives. This celebration brings
us not only God's forgiveness of our sins but also
God's peace and love. The celebration of
Reconciliation also gives us an opportunity to
discuss with the priest things that are troubling us
and to receive direction in living our Christian faith.
One of the best ways to help your child develop a
lifelong habit of celebrating this peace-filled
sacrament of Reconciliation is to see you and all
the members of your family celebrating this
sacrament. This is particularly important at special
times in our lives like Christmas, Easter, and
moments of great decisions or celebrations.
Faith Summary
We can celebrate
Reconciliation by ourselves
with the priest.
We can celebrate
Reconciliation with others
in our parish family and
with the priest.

Practicing for Celebrating First Reconciliation
1. Choose a half hour of quiet time to be
alone with your child who is preparing
to receive First Reconciliation.
2. Let your child use the Scripture figures
to retell a favorite Scripture story.
3. Use the Reconciliation Room figures to
review each step in the celebration
of the sacrament. (See pages 48-51.)
4. For the Examination of Conscience
use the checklist on page 41 . Give
your child privacy but be available
should she or he need to talk with
you. Tell your child this is private
time between God and him or her.
Be careful not to pressure your child
to share his or her sins.
This is between your child, the
priest, and God.
You might wish to examine your
conscience at this time too.
When your child indicates that she
or he is ready, give each other a
hug. Then pray together: God, I am
sorry for my sins. I promise to try not
to sin again. Please help me,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
5. Now go over the other steps with your
child.
Complete this page so that your child
has a lasting memory of how much
love was shared as she or he prepared
to celebrate First Reconciliation.
I am so happy that God gave me
___________ to be my child.
(child's name)
I am so proud of how ________ _
has prepared to celebrate the sacrament of
Reconciliation for the first time.
As God does, I promise to forgive my child
always, and to ask _________ _
to forgive me when I hurt him or her. May
we always help each other to live as God's
friends, God's disciples.
Our Life
In the Bible, we read about how much
Jesus loved children. He often told
grown-ups that to belong to the Reign
of God they should imitate the goodness
and trust of children.
Just like today, some adults around
Jesus thought that children were a
nuisance and "get in the way." Jesus
did not agree with them.
Jesus and the Children
Many people had heard of Jesus'
goodness to everyone. One day a group
of parents brought their children to be
blessed by Jesus.
As always, there were huge crowds
around Him. The parents were having
a hard time reaching Jesus.
As they got closer, some of Jesus'
disciples saw them. Thinking that Jesus
would be too tired and busy to be
bothered with young children, they told
the parents to take the children away.
But Jesus stopped them. He beckoned
to the children to come to Him. Jesus
loved children very, very much.
He hugged them and said,
"Let the children come to me and do
not stop them, because the Kingdom of
God belongs to little children like these."
From Luke 18:15-16
and Mark 10:13-16
How do you think the children felt when
Jesus blessed and hugged them?
How does this story make you feel
about Jesus?
How can you show that you and
Jesus are real friends?
Our Faith
After Celebrating Reconciliation
After we celebrate the sacrament of
Reconciliation, we are at peace. We are
friends with God, ourselves, others, our
parish, and all of God's world.
Jesus asks us to become God's
reconcilers through this sacrament.
As friends of God we are to be
peacemakers.
We join with our family and our whole
parish to bring God's peace and justice
to everyone.
58
We can be God's reconcilers or
peacemakers by:
living God's Law of Love.
thanking God for God's love,
forgiveness, and peace.
being peacemakers in our homes.
looking out for those who are treated
unkindly, unjustly, or unfairly.
always being fair and just to everyone.
The sacrament of Reconciliation is a
lovely sacrament to celebrate with
friends. We can celebrate, especially at
important times in our lives like
Christmas and Easter. Whenever we
make very wrong choices or feel badly
about our choices, we should celebrate
this peace-giving sacrament soon. It is
our great sacrament of forgiveness.
To help us remember to be
peacemakers, learn this prayer. Say it
each day to remind you to be a real
friend of Jesus. It is a prayer like one
said by a special peacemaker of God,
St. Francis of Assisi.
My Prayer to Be God's Peacemaker
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of
Your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy. \ \
Dear God,
Please help me to be like ::
St. Francis-one of Your reconcilers,
one of Your peacemakers.
Coming to Faith
Use your Scripture figures to act out the
story of Jesus and the children.
The sacrament of Reconciliation calls
us to be God's peacemakers and to be
fair to everyone.
What does this mean for you?
Use your "Family and Friends" figures
to show how you feel about being one
of God's peacemakers.
Then decorate the banner below.
I am happy to be one of God's
60
Practicing Faith
Choose your favorite line from the prayer of
St. Francis. Tell why it is your favorite.
Draw or write here what you will do
sometime this week to live out this prayer.
Prayer: St. Francis, help me to be like
you, one of Jesus' peacemakers.
Faith Alive at Home
and in the Parish
Dear Family,
In this lesson your child is asked to be one of God's
peacemakers and to be just and fair to everyone.
Receiving the gift of peace in the sacrament of
Reconciliation will help your child to do this.
It is important, then, that your family give your child
an example of what it means to bring peace and
justice to your family, to your neighborhood, and to
your world.
Tell the story of St. Francis of Assisi. He was a rich
young man whose father wanted him to take over
the family business. But young Francis looked
around his town and was moved by all the poverty
and homelessness he saw.
62
He read the Gospel where Jesus said,
"Sell all your belongings and give the money to
the poor. Provide for yourselves purses that don't
wear out, and save your riches in heaven, where
they will never decrease .... For your heart will
always be where your riches are."
Luke 12:32-34
Francis gave up everything and dedicated his life to
caring for the poor. He gathered about him others
who also spent their whole lives in prayer and in caring
for those who were the victims of the world's injustice.
As a family, talk about what you will do to show that
you are God's peacemakers. Use the Faith
Summary during this discussion. Then join with
other First Reconciliation children and their families
during next Sunday's liturgy to proclaim publicly
your commitment to be more like Christ and to
bring God's peace and justice to others.
Faith Summary
Celebrating the sacrament of
Reconciliation makes us God's
reconcilers, or peacemakers.
As God's peacemakers we
are called to bring peace and
justice to everyone in God's
world.
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We Are God's Peacemakers Rite
Ask your child's catechist or religion teacher
when the group will celebrate the "We Are
God's Peacemakers Rite."
Follow the steps below.
At the end of Mass each First
Reconciliation child and family process
to the altar.
Each child carries the "Jesus and the
Children" figure from the back of the book.
The parent or guardian carries this book
with the family's "We Are God's
Peacemakers" promise.
The families and First Reconciliation
children quietly repeat their promise
whilelholding hands.
All process out, singing with the
congregation "The Prayer of
8t. Francis" or "Let There Be Peace."
We Are God's Peacemakers
Today we promise to be God's peacemakers .
This week our family promises to work for peace
and justice by:
Help us, Jesus, to keep our promise and be Your peacemakers.
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Sacrament of Reconciliation
Celebrating the Sacrament with Others
We sing an opening hymn and the priest greets us.
The priest prays an opening prayer.
We listen to a reading from the Bible and a homily.
We examine our conscience.
We make an Act of Contrition.
We may say a prayer or sing a song,
and then pray the Our Father.
We confess our sins to a priest. In the name of
God and the Christian community, the priest gives
us a penance and absolution.
We thank God for loving and forgiving us.
The priest blesses us, and we go in
the peace and joy of Christ.
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Celebrating the Sacrament by Myself
The priest greets me.
I make the Sign of the Cross.
The priest reminds me that God always loves me.
He or I may read a story from the Bible.
I talk with the priest about myself.
I confess my sins: what I did wrong and why.
The priest talks to me about loving God and others.
He gives me a penance.
I make an Act of Contrition.
In the name of God and the Church,
the priest gives me absolution. (He may
extend or place his hands on my head.)
This means that my sins have been-forgiven.
I thank God, for I know I have been
forgiven by God and the Church.