Your Child's First Penance: Handing on the Faith

"I'm sorry. Your child first heard those words from you very early in life. You spoke them in a moment of carelessness or impatience, and your little one soon learned to echo them. Soon your child will say ""I'm sorry"" to God and to the whole Church, represented by its priest, in the Sacrament of Penance. The need for forgiveness is a constant in family life and in our lives as believers because we are imperfect beings who often distance ourselves from God and from one another. Family members learn together to seek and give forgiveness and to keep from hurting each other. Jesus also helps his brothers and sisters learn to live together through word and example, and through the outpouring of grace we receive all the sacraments. Penance is a divine remedy for sinfulness. Your Child's First Penance will help you prepare your child to make First Penance a joyful experience. "