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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.
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