Why teach the Sacrament of Penance in Catholic Schools?
The
seven Sacraments play a pivotal role within the lives of Christians as they guide,
model and mark the most fundamental events within their lives (Catholic
News Agency, 2013). According to
the Archdiocese of Sydney (2013), “the seven sacraments are the visible signs
of God’s presence with us in our journey of faith”. The Sacrament of Penance is
significant as it is strengthens and heals the relationship between God and His
family which has been detrimental affected by sin (Cleary, 2012). It is important that the Sacrament of Penance
is taught to a Christian follower as it is ‘necessary for salvation for those
who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for
those who have not yet been reborn’ (CCC, 980). This is important in teaching
the upper years of a Catholic Primary School as they begin to prepare
themselves to receive Confirmation/Holy Spirit.
The teaching of these sacraments must have more emphasis and deepness when educating the upper primary years within a Catholic school, rather than being a compulsory unit which covers at least two and half hours of the teaching week. The Sacrament of Penance aims at building a closer relationship between God and His family through reconciling their sins. It is the role of teachers to provide an opportunity for students in Catholic Schools to understand the process of which penance occurs and why the sacrament is important to their faith. There are several biblical references such as Lev.20 and Exodus 32.30 in which the importance of penance is made evident. By which Christians are exposed to the power of God’s grace and the impact of restoring an everlasting relationships with Him (Archdiocese of Sydney, 2013). Not only is in important to teach about this sacrament as it is stated in the religious education syllabus but also to encourage students to develop knowledge and skills which enhance them as faithful Christian followers in a religious and social aspect. By developing an understanding of the meaning of penance and the power of forgiveness, students can adapt such Christian values and beliefs in their social interaction with others. This is particularly useful in the upper years of primary which social issues are more likely to arise. Penance goes beyond just being reconciled for the sins committed but refraining from committing them again. In the upper primary years, this is pivotal in their own learning as they learn more about responsibility, consequences and free choice. In terms of their religious development, the implementation of rich learning experiences in teaching the Sacrament of Penance is important not only to develop and restore their relationship with God which has been affected by sin but also to carry on God’s Grace and Word of loving others how He loves and to forgive others as He lives within us. The teaching of this particular sacrament develops the student’s understanding and knowledge about conscious and how their actions/words may affect themselves and others. Penance educates them on looking beyond being sorry for what they have done by actually developing the conscious and knowledge of knowing not to do it again and on the power of forgiveness. Therefore it is the role of educators to encourage such forgiveness and thinking by making the links between the Sacrament of Penance and the student’s everyday lives more evident through stimulating and engaging learning experiences. |