Conscience is God’s voice in our hearts. It is the gift God gave human beings to be able to use reason in order to judge right from wrong.
Sin
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A sin is something we intentionally say, do, or think that goes against God’s teachings. We can sin both by doing wrong and by failing to do the good that we should.
Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation
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The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the Sacrament in which we confess our sins when we are truly sorry for them and receive forgiveness from God through a priest. This Sacrament reunites us with God and His Church and fills us with sanctifying grace.
Penance
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Penance is a prayer, good work, or other act given to us by a priest in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation that we must say or do to make up for our confessed sins.
Act of Contrition
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An Act of Contrition is a formal prayer telling God we are sorry for our sin, want His forgiveness, and need His help to do better next time. We say an Act of Contrition before receiving absolution when we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Examination of Conscience
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An Examination of Conscience is a list of statements of questions that helps us to identify and confess all of our sins.
