First, you ask for forgiveness and tell the priest how long since your last confession. Then, you list your sins, not out of a sense of guilt, but sorrow. The priest will ask you to make an act of contrition (which means stating how sorry you are for your sins and promising to try and do better). Then the priest will extend his hand over you and say, "Through the ministry of the Church may God grant you forgiveness and peace. I absolve you of your sins, in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Go in peace." At this point the priest might offer some good advice to help you avoid those sins in the future.
The priest acts as "in persona Christi", in the person of Christ. In other words, he is the conduit through which God offers forgiveness. He also acts as "in persona Communio", he represents and offers forgiveness on behalf of the community because when we sin, we sin both against God, ourselves and the community.
During the sacrament of reconciliation, the priest usually greets you and may invite you to begin by making the sign of the cross. The priest will then invite you to confess your sins and may offer some guidance or ask questions to help you reflect on your actions. After you have confessed your sins, the priest will offer words of comfort, advice, and encouragement, and then assign you a penance to complete as a way of showing your desire for healing and reconciliation. Finally, the priest will absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
During the Rite of Ordination, a priest will say prayers invoking the Holy Spirit to empower the candidate with the gifts needed for ministry, consecrate their hands for the celebration of the sacraments, and offer blessings for their future service to the Church.
A common prayer of sorrow used during reconciliation is the Act of Contrition. It is a prayer expressing regret for sins committed and a resolve to avoid sin in the future. It can be recited as part of the sacrament of reconciliation to seek God's forgiveness and grace.
Reconciliation is very important because through the sacrament of reconciliation you are sure that your sins are forgiven. Unlike Christians who pray silently and are not sure if their sins are forgiven, we can be sure. We confess with the priest and say our penance; we know that if we die at that moment we would go to heaven and have no sins in our souls. There are two types of sins mortal and venial; someone who dies with a mortal sin in their soul has little chance of making heaven.
Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, a priest receives the grace of the Holy Spirit which configures him to Christ in a special way. This includes the power to consecrate the Eucharist, forgive sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and administer other sacraments such as Baptism and Anointing of the Sick.
A priest uses the sign of the cross to symbolize forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. This gesture recalls the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, emphasizing the forgiveness of sins through his atoning death. The priest may also extend a blessing as a sign of reconciliation and absolution.
A Priest
During reconciliation, you say 'An Act Of Contrition'. After this is said, the priest absolves you from your sins, gives you a penance, and may close by saying "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good" to which you would respond with "For His mercy endures forever".
Confession
Reconciliation can only be administered by a priest.
The sacrament can be done anywhere as long as there is a priest to do it.
The two primary parts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation are Confession and Absolution. During Confession, the penitent person tells, or confesses, their sins to the priest, who is acting in the Person of Christ. Absolution is when the priest, who was given the authority to forgives sins by Christ Himself, grants the penitent person pardon for their sins and releases them from the guilt and shame of their sin, thus restoring them to a state of grace and reconciliation with Mother Church.
Roman Catholic AnswerA priest always wears violent when hearing confession.
The person who can perform a sacrament is a priest or a bishop.
Catholic AnswerThe Sacrament of Reconciliation needs a penitent (the person confessing their sins) and a priest (God's representative who is giving the absolution). The priest should be wearing a stole, but this is not strictly necessary for the validity of the sacrament.
Jesuits may receive the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest.
the sacrament of reconciliation or penance
Catholic AnswerThe Sacrament of Reconciliation needs a penitent (the person confessing their sins) and a priest (God's representative who is giving the absolution). The priest should be wearing a stole, but this is not strictly necessary for the validity of the sacrament.