Tag Archives: reconciliation

LifeTeen.com Blog

Living Forgiveness

By | March 21, 2013

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Perhaps the toughest part of forgiveness is forgiving ourselves. This Lent, I’ve made specific efforts to forgive myself for past wrongdoings. I’ve reflected on what lead me to those sins or mistakes. I’ve confessed them and have felt Jesus take them off of my shoulders. The freedom that comes with Jesus’ forgiveness is life-changing. But we have to let it change our lives. We have to accept that He forgives us. He doesn’t hold a grudge, so who are we to hold one?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

My Side of the Confessional: What Is It Like for a Priest?

By | November 26, 2012

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I was once riding in a shuttle-bus with a number of older folks on the way from an airport. They noticed that I was a priest and started asking questions about it. “Do you do all of the priest stuff?” “Yep.” “Even the Confession thing?” “Yeah. All the time.”

One older lady gasped, “Well, I think that that would be the worst. It would be so depressing; hearing all about people’s sins.”

I told them that it was the exact opposite. There is almost no greater place to be than with someone when they are coming back to God . . .

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Why Do Catholics Confess Their Sins to a Priest?

By | November 8, 2012

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Priests can forgive our sins because Jesus has given them that authority through the grace of Holy Orders. With that power, priests can hear and forgive our sins by acting through Christ.

Jesus gave the Church the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as Penance or Confession, to allow us to have an intimate conversation with our God through the priest. . . .

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LifeTeen.com Blog

“Bless Me Father, I’m #sorrynotsorry”

By | November 6, 2012

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This is also a feeling Catholics may have when approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We know we need to go. Christ gave us this sacrament by which we “obtain pardon from God’s mercy” and are “reconciled with the Church” (CCC 1422). We need to hear those words — “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace!” Yet sometimes, like my mother, we do something and while we know it’s wrong we’re not that sorry. Should we still go to confession?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

God Doesn’t Text

By | May 30, 2012

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That was a tough question, but the next one worried me:

“Was I afraid to talk with God, to be honest with Him, and listen to Him even if I didn’t like it?”

I had to think about it for a while. I realized that while I trusted God with most things, there was still one thing that I avoided – Confession. I would go to Mass every Sunday and pray throughout the day asking for help or thanking Him, but I didn’t like sharing my weaknesses with Him.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Lust vs. Love

By | March 28, 2012

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In Matthew 5:28, Jesus says that, “Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

When Jesus said this, it was completely radical, because he revealed that lust (something that happens inside your heart) is a sin just as much as an external action. What we think with our minds and desire in our hearts is a big deal.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Thou Shalt NOT Have Fun

By | March 27, 2012

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My image of God the Father, enthroned in heaven in flowing white robes and Birkenstock sandals, was overshadowed by my certainty that he didn’t want me to have any fun. Not only was God all about rules, he’d drop anybody that strayed off his path. Parochial school should have taught me how to live but instead I learned how not to die and burn. The result was that I treated Moses’ Commandments with the same reverence I reserved for one of Letterman’s “Top Ten” lists.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Do You Gossip?

By | March 26, 2012

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I wish I could say that seeing how hurt she was cured me of any desire to ever speak ill of anyone. I felt bad. But I also experienced the power of words for the first time, and the power of sharing a secret, fact, or observation about another person was intoxicating. While I knew it was wrong, I often resorted to gossip to garner attention. I operated under the assumptions of “I’m just saying what everyone already knows,” “I’d totally say this to their face.” Or, the ever popular, “Well, I’m telling people so they can add it to their prayer intentions.” While this used to prick my conscience, like any sin, the more I spoke the less I felt bad.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Library Thief

By | March 21, 2012

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The idea of stealing something is totally scary to me. I can’t even imagine the amount of fear that would paralyze me if I ever went to steal something like shoes, cash, or a camera. I would be shaking like a wet puppy in winter. But I would be sweating like it’s Phoenix in July. And I’m also pretty sure that the sick feeling in my stomach, the shame, and the guilt would drive me to return the stolen item the next day. I’m a sensitive person.

So, why am I writing about this commandment?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Envy, Anger, and Hatred in My Life

By | March 19, 2012

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“You Shall Not Kill” Exodus 20:13 As a little kid, I was jealous of my neighbor. He was my age, but he could hit the baseball better than I could. He would smack the ball into the outfield and everyone would shout “Run! You can do it!” I never heard “Run!” shouted to me. It was usually “Duck!” or “Open your eyes!” or “Put down the snow-cone until after the game!” We’ve all experienced knowing someone who’s better than you at something or has something Read more [...]

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Saint Quotes: St. Charles Borromeo on Sin

By | March 17, 2012

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“Behold Jesus Christ crucified, Who is the only foundation of our hope; He is our Mediator and Advocate; the victim and sacrifice for our sins. He is goodness and patience itself; His mercy is moved by the tears of sinners, and He never refuses pardon and grace to those who ask it with a truly contrite and humbled heart.” -Saint Charles Borromeo Read more [...]

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LifeTeen.com Blog

My Name is God

By | March 12, 2012

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The concept of having a name is an interesting thing. Don’t you think? A name is one of the most basic necessities we possess. Think about it. Without a name we would not be able to differentiate one person from another. How different would your interactions with other people be if there were no such thing as names?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

What Do I Say in Confession?

By | March 8, 2012

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I stepped into the confessional and kneeled down at the kneeler. The priest opened the partition and I froze. I could not for the life of me remember what to say to the priest. Luckily he sensed my nervousness and walked me through the whole thing.

Because I know that sometimes we forget what to say I’ve provided a basic structure of what you should say at the beginning of your confession. I hope it helps!

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Examination of Conscience [PDF]

By | March 6, 2012

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Not sure if you’ve broken any of the Ten Commandments? Or maybe you don’t know what the Ten Commandments even are? (It’s okay, 10 is a lot to remember.) Print out this Examination of Conscience to take with you when you go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation!

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LifeTeen.com Podcast

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: 02/19/2012

By | February 14, 2012

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God doesn’t play Words with Friends. Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time: Is 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25; Ps 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14; 2 Cor 1:18-22; Mk 2:1-12 Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Life Teen Staff Picks: Tenth Avenue North Music Video

By | August 5, 2011

I’m so excited for you to watch this video if you haven’t already seen it! I love this band and when I first heard this song I couldn’t help but play it over and over again. It’s a great reminder of the way that the Sacrament of Reconciliation wipes our soul clean and in God’s eyes we are an innocent and pure as the day we were baptized.

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Camp Tepeyac 2011, Week 04 (Life Teen), Day 03

By | August 4, 2011

It was a day of challenges and facing fears today at Camp Tepeyac. The campers took on the high ropes course and the paintball field today, spending time with their brothers and sisters, affirming each other and working as teams. After their challenges outside, the teens were challenged to enter deeply into mass and reconciliation, led by worship leader Mikey Needleman and host Lisa Garcia. God’s grace and mercy were abundant tonight and the campers celebrated with a bonfire.

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Camp Covecrest 2011, Week 09 (Life Teen), Day 2

By | August 2, 2011

Day two at Covecrest was a fun-filled day. Teens started the day with Mass after some organized free time, celebrated by Fr. Joe Fitzgerald. After Mass it was time to get messy! Parishes spent the afternoon participating in messy games which included throwing water balloons, pouring oatmeal on each other and diving into the mud pit! Campers cleaned off to head to an evening session led by Randy Raus, this week’s host, on “Epic Rescue.” Following the session was a chance for everyone to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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Camp Tepeyac 2011, Week 03 (Edge), Day 02

By | July 27, 2011

Camp Tepeyac enjoyed some cooler weather and a lot of fun and mess on day two of the second Edge week of camp. The day started off with a bang thanks to praise and worship led by Gabe Reyes and a bible study sparked by host Joe Chernowski on the parable of the Prodigal Son. Organized free time, including a hike to the Lookout, was next. Afterwards, everyone was excited to get covered in paint, water, and “yuck” during messy games. The evening presented a skit and a witness from one of the summer staffers, leading into a session and reconciliation. It was certainly a grace-filled and exciting day!

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Camp Covecrest 2011, Week 08 (Life Teen), Day 2

By | July 26, 2011

Campers at Covecrest spent day two getting messy! The afternoon was filled with messy games complete with water slides, oatmeal and mud! After all the messy games, teens cleaned off for an evening session. Br. Paul Kostka, this week’s host, gave a talk on Reconciliation with Joseph Summers leading praise and worship. The evening concluded with a chance for campers to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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