Children's Reconciliation

   

Children's Reconciliation

Since reconciliation must be an essential part of our lives, children at St. Barbara Parish learn about reconciliation from their earliest years. This "learning" involves more than just the mind. A learning of the heart takes place as well.

At both the special masses for children and at the regular weekend masses, how we treat each other, forgive each other and become welcoming persons in the image of Jesus Christ is central to so many of the homilies. The children hear this. They overhear it as well when the message is more attuned to adults.

Family members are encouraged to give each other signs of love and affection. In this context, Fr. Chuck like to point out to parish children how important it is for them to hug their parents (or guardians if the children are being raised by someone else) each day and to say "I love you." The children learn how parents are sometimes tired from work and maybe even short of temper. Children discover that a small hug and words of love can completely change their parent’s attitude!

Formal, sacramental reconciliation for St. Barbara children, is celebrated in a way that is welcoming and gracious. If you checked out the section on the Heart Room you will have noticed that the children sit on the sanctuary floor in an ambiance created by soft lighting and well-placed candles. The same setting is used for the Sacrament: the children are met at the church door by Fr. Chuck, a quiet attitude is emphasized.

Once the children are in place, our need for reconciliation with God and with one another is placed within the context of the Sacred Scripture. In order to keep the celebration on a personal level, each classroom has their own liturgy. This takes a lot of planning and commitment, but the small group experience makes all the effort worth while. The same text will be used for each of the reconciliation liturgies. We have found that the children tend to "compare notes" with one another and that families spend some time discussing what took place. Using the same scriptural texts for all the classes helps keep things more focused.

"What do fourth graders do that is a sin?" Children are taught to fine-tune their conscience by being asked to help with the examination of conscience. Year by year as the children advance to another grade level, their examination of conscience becomes more sophisticated to incorporate their ever-expanding world of experience. If it is a third grade reconciliation liturgy, kids will suggest what third graders do that is a sin. After each suggestion, everyone is quiet for a moment and thinks about if they have done that particular thing or not. Sometimes animated discussion breaks out when a particularly interesting point is brought up.

When the formal reconciliation and absolution from sin has been completed, the children discuss an appropriate penance. Almost always, the penance involves going home and doing some sort of act of kindness to another member of the family. In this way, children learn the need to "make up" and see that their efforts to keep the family together really do count.

And wouldn’t you know it…each classroom extends the reconciliation liturgy by having a small party afterwards.