Today’s Lenten activity – #29 – is an opportunity for catechists to help prepare young people to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Lent, of course, is a season of repentance. For Catholics, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is an intimate encounter with the Lord’s mercy and forgiving grace. A good confession should always be preceded by an examination of conscience.

An Examination of Conscience

• Fill a glass bowl or a tall drinking glass with water.
• Explain that the clear water represents us when we are in the state of grace – in a healthy relationship with Jesus.
• Pour a small drop of food coloring into the water.
• Explain that this small drop of food coloring represents sin.
• Comment on how even a small drop affects the whole bowl/glass of water.
• Next, pour in some bleach which will immediately make the color disappear. (practice this at home first to make sure you use the right amount for a dramatic effect)
• Explain that the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation removes our sin and restores us to a state of grace.
• Tell the young people that, before we approach the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, we need to make an examination of conscience – a way of taking a closer look at our relationship with Jesus and with our neighbors to identify what we might be doing (or not doing) to hurt those relationships.
• Do a prayerful examination of conscience with the young people. Invite them to get into a comfortable posture and to close their eyes. Lead them in some deep breathing to quiet them. Consider playing some instrumental music quietly in the background.
• As you lead the examination of conscience, be sure to leave lots of pauses to allow the young people to reflect on each item.
• Here are a number of examinations of conscience for you to choose from (some with general questions, some based on the Commandments, and a few based on the Lord’s Prayer or the Beatitudes):
• http://www.loyolapress.com/an-examination-of-conscience.htm
• http://www.scborromeo.org/confess.htm
• http://catholicism.suite101.com/article.cfm/examination_of_conscience
• http://catholicism.suite101.com/article.cfm/conscience_examination_tweens
• http://catholicism.suite101.com/article.cfm/conscience_examination_teens
• http://www.stjosephschurch.net/confessionchildren.htm
• http://www.stisidore-yubacity.org/faqbeatitudes.htm
• http://www.paxchristiusa.org/news_events_more.asp?id=266