Chapter 12 Introduction to
12:320 Forgiveness and Reconciliation
This page contains the general introductory materials for the
Web-hybrid course 12:320 Forgiveness and Reconciliation in the Church, taught at Saint Meinrad School of Theology,
May-July 2008. The general introduction to my courses and teaching
method can be found at Chapter d12 General Introduction To
Fr. Tom's Courses Please study the general page
first, especially if this is your first course with me.
Life's Three Great Questions
Back in the days when I taught high school – many, many years ago – I warned
students about the final exam – the very final exam that they would have
to pass at the end of their lives. The results of this exam determine not just
whether they passed to the next grade, or could go to college; this exam
determined where they went for all eternity. And I explained to the
highschoolers that this was such an important test that God gave them the
questions ahead of time so that they could prepare and get ready – Actually they
are to use their whole life to get ready for this final exam
The exam has three questions: 1) Who is God? 2) Who am I? 3) What am I going
to do about it (that is, questions 1 and 2)?
Even though this began as a gimmick to interest the students in the course
material – sophomores are more interested in "identity" and "career" issues than
in the literary forms of the Old Testament – over the years I have found that
the three questions have proved helpful to myself and to many other Catholics
with whom I live and work. Who is God? Who am I? What am I going to do about it?
The key to answering these three Final Exam questions correctly is the
insight that they must be answered in order – the first questions first,
then number two and then number three. Usually, the most pressing issue is
question number three "What am I going to do..." What am I going to do in this
circumstance, in that circumstance. Many times during our lives – indeed many
times each day – we have to make decisions. Should I buy this? Should I wear
that? What should I say to this person? How best to use my time and my money and
my talent?
Sometimes we ask little children: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
And as the children grow older, they ask the question themselves. What is it
that I really want to do with my life? While this is a very important question,
I have come to the firm conviction that we cannot answer that question unless we
first answer the questions: "Who am I?" and "Who is God?"
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Who is God? God is a God of unlimited forgiveness and mercy. Who are we? We
are created in the image of God? Sacraments are signs which give us a glimpse of
who God is.
It is this conviction that motivates our study of Forgiveness and
Reconciliation.
1. Pope John Paul II, in his "Message for Word Peace Day, January 1, 2002"
stated that Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religious leaders must take the lead
in "teaching forgiveness." This course is a response to the Pope’s invitation to
"teach forgiveness." What does it mean to forgive? How can we bring ourselves
(and others) to forgive? How can the liturgy, especially our sacramental
celebrations, help those to whom and with whom we minister come to forgive? As the Pope
states: "No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness."
2. The course will explore the concept of justice, and especially Divine
Justice. Does divine Justice demand retribution? John Baldovin, speaking of the
parable of the Prodigal Son, writes: "God does not require retribution of the
wayward son, but rather conversion. ... What seems unjust by human standards
pales before the abundance of divine goodness, a compassion that relativizes all
human attempts to be just." [Baldovin, in Johnson’s Between Memory and Hope, p
430.)
3. In the days following the terrible events of September 11, 2001, should
the primary effort of the United States be directed toward vengeance and
retaliation? Is it possible for Christian ministry to aid a nation to move
toward forgiveness? How? What role can Reconciliation rituals play in
this ministry?
4. As a Franciscan I continually strive to imitate and implement the values
of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis and Assisi have become synonymous with peace
and reconciliation. By teaching this course I hope that we may each become "a
channel of God’s peace."
5. The Lord's Prayer is a summary of the Gospel.
This reminds us that the forgiveness of trespassers central to the message of
Jesus.
My Personal History of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
I was born in 1939 of Catholic parents who sent me to
St. Anthony grade school in Wichita, KS. I made my “First Confession” – along
with all the other members of my class – one Saturday morning at the end of
First Grade; it was the Saturday before First Communion Sunday. Sunday was the
“big day” and I don’t remember anything about my First Confession. I remember
going to St. Anthony’s Church most every Saturday evening and lining up in back
of church to go to confession during Our Lady of Fatima devotions. I
continues the practice of “weekly confession” throughout my seminary days.
Again I have no particular memories of the sacrament – except a couple of times
during which – in response to some mention of sex – the priest gave me
“directives” which I found disturbing (and later learned was both incorrect and
un-healthful). But, in general, confession was an uneventful weekly devotion.
I was ordained to the presbyterate in June of 1966 and
that summer I attended a class taught by Fr. Bernard Härring (during which he
told the story of the little girl responding to the question “What’s the most
important thing about Confession?”) This was the first time I had heard about
“community celebrations” of the sacrament. In 1972, in Paris, I had courses
with Père Jounel, chair of the committee which finally produced our current
sacramental Ritual. While a student in Paris, I experienced several parish
celebrations of the sacrament which I found exceptionally beautiful, healing,
and life-giving – both for myself and, apparently, for the parish. When I
returned to the USA and was director of liturgy at St. Leonard Seminary in
Dayton, I introduced such celebrations to the community (before Christmas and
before Easter). After a period of initial resistance (many priests had never
heard of such a thing) they soon became very popular. Since then, I have had
many occasions to introduce “rite two” into parishes through preaching “Parish
Missions.” The devotion and enthusiasm with which people experience these
Communal Celebrations of the Sacrament of Reconciliation have convinced me that
I would never want to return to the days of private confession.
1. As a member of the Order of Friars Minor, I am immersed in the
thought and spirit of the little poor man of Assisi, Saint Francis, who devoted
his whole life to conversion, doing penance, and preaching reconciliation -- a
vision which culminates in his great "Canticle of Brother Sun." I was
schooled in the Franciscan theological perspective on sin and reconciliation of
teachers such as Saint Bonaventure and John Duns Scotus. I try to participate in
the great Franciscan tradition of compassionate confessors.
2. Following my Ordination in 1966 I had the opportunity to study under Rev. Bernard Häring.
During my doctoral studies at the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie de Paris, I
studied under Msgr. Pierre Jounel, Pierre-Marie Gy,
O.P. and Cyril Vogel. [Häring reshaped moral theology; Jounel is one of
the principle authors of the Ordo Penitentiae; Gy was president of the
ISL and has published widely on the reconciliation; Vogel is the author of the key
historical texts.] Two key lectures have been published in La Maison-Dieu
117 (1972): Pierre-Marie Gy, "Les bases de la pénitence
moderne," pp. 63-85; and Pierre Jounel, "La liturgie de la réconciliation,"
pp. 7-37.
3. I have published in the area of reconciliation and forgiveness.
A partial list of these publications can be found at
Chapter
r17 General Bibliography on Reconciliation The Federation of Diocesan
Liturgical Commissions invited me to write a study text for parishes on
sacrament of reconciliation (similar in format to Larry Johnson's study text for
the Order of Mass). Catholic Update has asked me to write two
widely distributed Updates on
the sacrament and I have completed three catechetical videos on
Reconciliation. In 2003 I am participated in the catechetical
series on Moral Development sponsored by the University of Dayton and have
contributed articles on grace and sin.
4. From 1976 to 1983 I taught the courses on Reconciliation and
directed the practical training on "how to hear confessions" and was pastor at
Saint Leonard College, Dayton, OH. I taught the core
course and the practicum on the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Saint Meinrad School of Theology
1984-2004.
Since I have given numerous workshops to priests and catechists and preached
parish missions on the
Sacrament of Reconciliation.
5. I was a member of the "Atonement and Reconciliation" seminar
of the North American Academy of Liturgy 1997-2000 and actively participated in
the annual meetings.
Assigned Reading
Enright, Robert D. and North, Joanna (Editors). Exploring Forgiveness.
Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1994. ISBN 0-299-15774-1
Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of
Forgiveness. Revised and Expanded Edition, New York: Schocken Books,
1998. ISBN 0-8052-1060-1. Paper. $13.00.
Martos, Joseph. Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to the
Sacraments in the Catholic Church. Revised and updated edition.
Liguori MO: Liguori/Triumph. 2001. $21.95. ISBN 0-76480718-8
The Rite of Penance (any edition, e.g. as in) The Rites of the
Catholic Church, Volume I, pp 517-629, Collegeville: The
Liturgical Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8146-6015-0.)
Additional Resources
Richstatter, Thomas. The Sacraments. Twelve (25 minute)
talks on 4 CDs. Available from
Now You Know
Media, 2008. $29.95.
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington D.C.: United States Catholic
Conference, 1994. ISBN 1-55586-513-5. "Part Two: The Celebration of the
Christian Mystery, Section One, Chapter One: The Paschal Mystery in the Age of
the Church," nn 1066-1134; Chapter Two: The Sacramental Celebration of the
Paschal Mystery," nn 1135-1209. "The Sacraments of Healing," nn 1420-1532. (=
CCC)
Code of Canon Law, "Book IV: The Office of Sanctifying in the Church,"
canons 834-839; "Part I: The Sacraments," canons 840-848; "Title IV: The
Sacrament of Penance," canons 960-997.
Dallen, James. The Reconciling Community: The Rite of Penance.
Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1986. Paper. 446 pp. $19.95, ISBN
0-8146-6076-2.
Kennedy, Robert J. (Editor). Reconciling Embrace:
Foundations for the Future of Sacramental Reconciliation. Chicago:
Liturgy Training Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-56854-114-7. $12.00.
Additional bibliography on the Sacrament of Reconciliation at
Chapter r17 Bibliography and a more general
bibliography can be found at Chapter d17 Bibliography
I would evaluate (grade) reflection papers according to the
following scale:
OK (B-) A 400 word
essay related to some aspect of the assignment which indicates that you
have read at least some of the assignment and have thought about it.
Good (B) A 400-600
word essay which summarizes the reading in a way that indicates that you have
read the assignment and have understood what you have read.
Better (B+ / A-) A
400-600 word essay which demonstrates that you have read the assignment and have
understood what you have read and have made some steps at integrating the
reading with your previous knowledge and pastoral experience.
Best (A) A
400-600 word essay which demonstrates that you have read the assignment and have
understood what you have read and that you are able to critique and evaluate the
reading by integrating it with your previous courses, reading, and pastoral
experience.
I have intentionally used "discussion forums" on ANGEL rather
than "drop boxes" so that you can see, read, learn from, and discuss the
postings of the other participants. You are encouraged to make comments on
the postings of the other participants. Studies have show that: 1. Adult learners benefit from peer feedback as much, if not more, than
younger learners. 2. Adult learners benefit from sharing real-life experiences as part of the
learning process. 3. Adult learners benefit from non-punitive suggestions for improvement
(peer feedback is not graded) 4. Adult learners benefit from exercising autonomy in the learning process
(they are free to accept, modify or reject any suggestions received).
I would also appreciate your help in updating, improving,
correcting, and expanding the notes on my website which are relative to this
course.
Further Instructions on Writing the
Script for a Parish Communal Celebration of Reconciliation
1. The final exercise of this course is to compose an original script
for a liturgy for a parish communal celebration of reconciliation.
Throughout the course we have investigated
contemporary forgiveness studies to examine how we pass from vengeance to
forgiveness and eventually to reconciliation. In this final, creative, summarizing exercise
for the course, we
will try to find ways in which the
Church's liturgy can help people come to forgiveness and reconciliation.
2. This original ritual must meet the following
criteria. ONE: The ritual employs and exemplifies the psychological and theological
principles studied during the course. TWO: It is to be written for a specific
(real or imaginary) congregation and directed to a specific instance (or area)
of our contemporary society in which forgiveness and reconciliation are needed.
THREE: It is to be actually usable in a parish context, i.e. it must
conform to the directives of the student's Church. For Roman Catholics,
this means that the liturgy must conform to the norms given in Chapter 2 of the
Ordo Penitentiae, "Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual
Confession and Absolution."
3. Your script is to contain three separate parts: 1) An
Introduction directed
to the participants in the course (not the participants in the
liturgical service). This introduction will describe the
situation, the date, the liturgical season, the congregation, your vision of the
celebration, and the thinking behind your choices. 2) A
Ministers' Script which would be used by the minister(s).
This script is to contain the full text of the rite: the introductions,
the rubrics and directions, the texts of the hymns, readings, prayers and the
homily. 3) A Service Booklet -- which would be given to the
congregation for their use during the celebration. This booklet contains
all the prayers and hymns and directions needed by the congregation. (Note
that this script for the
congregation can
be a wonderful opportunity for catechesis.) Each of these three parts will be
evaluated and graded.
This celebration is to be prepared for a specific congregation for a specific
date.
Indicate the specific congregation and the occasion for which you are
writing this script. [e.g. St. Paul Parish, Tell City IN, 7:00 p.m.,
April 5, 1998, Passion Sunday]
Describe the group celebrating, the liturgical or seasonal occasion.
Describe the themes you have chosen for this celebration, and explain why you
chose the particular hymns, readings, symbolic actions.
In general, give your vision of the celebration, and the thinking behind your
choices.
1. Prepare a complete script of the celebration which would be used by the
presiding minister, the musicians, the readers, the sacristan, etc.
2. The ritual you compose is to be actually usable in a parish context,
i.e. it must conform to the directives of the student's Church. For Roman
Catholics, this means that the liturgy must conform to the norms given in
Chapter 2 of the Ordo Penitentiae, "Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual
Confession and Absolution." While there are many possible ways to celebrate the Rite of Reconciliation
of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution, this
assignment is to prepare a Communal Sacramental Celebration as in the Chapter II
of the Rite as studied in this course. A Penance Service followed by
individual confessions is not acceptable for the purposes of this assignment.
3. Your script should provide for the "Dynamic of Sin and Repentance" studied in
class.
4. If you use prayers or anything else from another source other than your own
creativity, give the reference. Note the school policy on
plagiarism. In addition, I
would like to keep open the possibility of publishing several of the scripts
which pastors and parish planners might find useful in their pastoral ministry.
This makes the issue of citing references and sources doubly important.
5. Also note that to receive copyright permission from the USCCB for the NAB or
from ICEL for the Rite, the texts and prayers must have the identical spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, and line structure and format as in the original. When using a prayer or rubric from the ritual indicate its source in your
script. When quoting the Rite, quote by number, not by page.
For example:
The presiding priest then invites the people to come forward, saying:
"May the grace of the Holy Spirit
fill your heart with light,
that you may confess your sins with loving trust
and come to know that God is merciful." (Rite, #69)
6. Your celebration is to have the four-fold ritual structure: 1) Gathering,
2) Storytelling, 3) Reconciling, and 4) Commissioning.
7. It is helpful (but not necessary) to give the text of the hymns and readings in full – but if you do
not give them in full, give enough information (e.g. the reference and a summary) so that the
reader of your script would know the content of the reading or hymn without
looking up the reference. Give the complete text of the homily.
8. Indicate the ritual actions, symbols, gestures etc. that will be used in the
celebration. Your celebration is to be more than words only. It is to include
some ritual action.
1. This script is to contain all the information, prayers and hymns needed for
the congregation’s active and fruitful participation in the celebration.
2. The script is to contain those rubrics, directions, and explanations which
you think this congregation would find useful and/or necessary to participate
fruitfully in the rite.
3. These explanations, directions and rubrics are not merely directive, they can
be a wonderful opportunity for catechesis.
The Script for Rite Two: Tips
Many of us learned that "a sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ
to give grace." The Constitution on the Liturgy, #59 states that a
sacrament 1) gives grace, 2) builds up the Church, 3) is an act of worship. Does
your script do all three or just the first?
The Constitution on the Liturgy, #59 states that sacraments
instruct. Your script is not only occasional and practical, it should also
be catechetical. For example, what does would this congregation find helpful to
know about the changes in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Why are we having a
communal celebration? What sins are to be confessed? If they wish to approach
the priest individually, what do they say? Etc. – The rubrics tell not only
what is to be done, but why something is to be done. – The rubrics
and prayers are to be age appropriate – What does the sacrament say about who
God is; about who we are?
Sacrament of Reconciliation or Reconciliation Service? Who receives the
sacrament? Who celebrates the sacrament? Only those who confess individually?
What parallels can be drawn with Eucharist? Who celebrates the Eucharist, only
those present who receive Holy Communion? Do the other priest confessors
"concelebrate" the sacrament?
If the Eucharist is the model for all sacramental celebrations, we can learn
something about the proportion of prayers of praise and thanksgiving to the
proportion of prayers of petition and intercession. At the Eucharist the major
portion of the Eucharistic prayer is prayer of praise. This same thing should be
true of the sacrament of reconciliation. Look at your script. Are most of the
prayers petitions for forgiveness? Or are most of the prayers praise of a God
who is all forgiving and all compassionate?
At the Eucharist the General Intercessions flow from the word of God. At the
sacrament of reconciliation the examination of conscience should flow from the
word of God. In your script, is it the readings that shape the examination? Or
is the examination of conscience merely a sin list?
How do we celebrate reconciliation? What do people need to hear? More
about sin? Or more about God? (Do you think you could write a script without
using the word "sin"?) What does your script say about God? What does it say
about sin?
Your rite should be more than "just words" -- sacraments have
matter and form -- they are worded sign.
Are the symbols clear e.g. "throwing a stone" -- a stone can be thrown at a prostitute, a stone
can be our heart of stone, a stone can be a living stone building up the living
Christ, etc.
Do the symbols flow from the readings?
Do the symbols relate to baptism (Penance = Second Baptism).
Are the metaphors appropriate (e.g. "White as snow" where white = good,
graced; black = dirty, sinful.) "Bright as new..."
The Script for Rite Two: Logistics
Preparing a liturgy is much like putting on a play. Attention must be given
to lighting, props, settings, scripts, flow of the action, movement of the
people, etc.
Are visiting clergy introduced so that people know who will be standing where
for confessions?
What does the congregation do during the procession for praise and imposition
of hands?
How long would the celebration take? Is the length of time need for the
various ritual elements similar to the time need for similar elements at
Eucharist?
Is there some good reason for them to stay till the end of the rite?
The Script for Rite Two: Evaluation
THE INTRODUCTION (OR SITUATION) PAGE: For the purposes of
this "exercise" I wanted you to think of an actual concrete situation rather
than just a "Generic Rite II." The introduction page is not only to fill in the
background for me as I read the script , but also to give you the occasion to
state your overall vision of what you want to happen during the service. While
grace, of course, is a free gift of God, we begin planning with an overall
vision (or theme). An artist begins with an inspiration, a vision, and idea, a
melody. Sometimes this vision becomes clearer in the execution of it. Those
papers were best where the vision of the author was evident – where I could see
the connection between the readings the homily, the hymns, and the overall
dynamic of sin and forgiveness.
GATHERING RITES: How does the rite begin? What does the
Presider say we have gathered to do? "We have come here this evening in order to
confess our sins?" or "... to hear of God’s love?" Begin with grace rather than
sin. We are gathering to celebrate the fact that God loves us, not the fact that
we have sinned. Love always precedes the sin both chronologically and
thematically.
I think that the best way to speak of grace and sin is in
terms of a relationship rather than in terms of law. St. Paul says love has
power, the law is powerless.
Be aware of the liturgical season and its context. For
example, if Lent is "longing for baptism" time, it may be best to refrain from
using Easter symbols such as water, renewal of baptism, readings of the
resurrections, etc. For example, even though we may want to rejoice and sing
alleluia after our sins have been forgiven, when the sacrament is celebrated
during the season of Lent it would be best not use that word so that its joy and
newness and freshness would be "saved" for the Easter Vigil.
[Even if the four part structure of gathering, story telling,
reconciling, commissioning does not appear in the participation pamphlet for the
congregation, I still think it is a good idea if you while organizing the
material think in these terms. – And it reminds you: THINK EUCHARIST.]
STORY TELLING: What image of Christ and Church inform this
celebration? Is the one who prepared this celebration thinking eucharist
or confession? Where do people learn of their sins, from their reflection
on the word of God or from the examination of conscience? Does the homily flow
from the readings. Is more time spent describing God’s love for us or is more
time spent enumerating areas of sinfulness which will then need to be confessed?
Is the examination of conscience related to the reading and the homily? Does the
presider including himself among the sinners?
In the context of Reconciliation, inclusive language takes on a new meaning.
Not only "he" "she" but "priest" "sinners." Are the priest, the parish, and the
Church, included among sinners? Do the prayers reflect an awareness of social
sin and the need for repentance even for the sins that we are not aware of? Many
of the scripts seemed to presume that sin is always individual. These
celebrations should also take into account that many of our sins while personal
are collective and social.
When reading the examination of conscience do you think that it would
actually influence what you intend to say when it is your time to speak to the
priest? In reading the examination of conscience did you become aware of areas
of sinfulness that you were not aware of before? Did reading the examination of
conscience cause you to form sentiments of sorrow or contrition? Are the
instructions and rubrics in the form of invitations? Are they condescending? Are
they sufficiently specific? [Many people have not experienced the sacrament in
this form and are still confused about what to do. Some people need more
direction and security than what you might need yourself.] Many older people
expect a specific penance or some mention of a penance. Would the rite satisfy
these people? How is absolution is spoken of? Is it "given" or is it
"celebrated?"
Several papers included an "examination of conscience". What do you wish to
accomplish by this list? Reflecting on your own experience, have they ever
actually worked for you? In the former paradigm "confession," an examination of
conscience was something one could read from a book ahead of time in preparing
one’s list of sins for confession. In the sacrament of Reconciliation the
"examination of conscience" is the Homily. It is during the Homily that the word
of God is applied to our lives and we are given the occasion to reflect on how
much God loves us and the way in which we have responded to that love. The
difference between these two loves is "the sense of sin."
RECONCILING: Does the whole liturgical service evidence artistic unity?
Are the readings, music, gestures, prayers etc. about the same themes or are
they simply nice items joined together? Are the prayers liturgical
prayers? Does the Body of Christ address God in the Spirit? Does the rite use
material things? Liturgy is the prayer of the whole person. Does the rite
involve the human body and senses other then hearing? Does the service flow
towards a central point or moment? What is this moment? How is it celebrated?
In the language you employ in your homily and prayers, be attentive to the
"degree of the rupture" in the relationship with God. Sometimes I felt that your
language was too strong and would not be meaningful for most people who do not
feel that degree of separation from God. [Recall our discussion on the frequency
of serious sin.]
COMMISSIONING RITES: Are the commissioning rites worth staying for? Would you
miss anything if you left after the proclamation of the absolution prayer? Is
there a turning to the world? Is some help given so that we may "forgive those
who trespass against us"? Is there some reference that what we have done here
together will make a difference when we leave?
HANDOUT: In your participation handout, try to use a descriptive vocabulary
that is immediately accessible to the congregation. There are times when
technical terms are necessary; however there are times when such words are
simply confusing and do not communicate the meaning that you intend.
SUMMARY: Is the rite usable? Is it theologically correct? Is it liturgically
correct? Is it original, artistic, and creative? Are the rubrics clear and
helpful? Have the instructions for this assignment been followed? Does the rite
follow the Roman Ritual? Is there a description of the situation? Is there a
ministers’ text? Is there a congregation page? Is the congregation’s page
appropriately catechetical? Do you think someone celebrating this Rite would
feel gifted and want to come back?
© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province
of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights
Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.
Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas
are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act
(Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become
aware of it. This site was updated on
06/22/08 . Your comments on this site are
welcome at
webmaster2@tomrichstatter.org.
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