He Is Risen! Let us also rise with Him!
Not only does the Sacrament of Reconciliation free us from our sins, but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession, we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in His presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
Jesus breathed on the Apostles and sent them out to forgive or retain sins. Those seeking the forgiveness of God and healing in their lives can find grace and peace in this Sacrament. A schedule of our confession times can be found here, or you may make an appointment for another time during the week. Call the Parish Office and ask to speak to a priest to schedule an appointment.
In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
When someone is seriously ill, not necessarily in danger of death, the healing presence of the Lord should be requested in the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Please call the Parish Office to arrange a time for a priest to visit. This Sacrament is also celebrated communally at Mass at specified times during the year. Furthermorem, when a parishoner is confined to home or hospital because of illness, advanced age or infirmity, please call the Parish Office to inform us so that we may arrange for Holy Communion to be brought to the home and so that we can pray for them.