Our Elliana Therese had her First Reconciliation on the Feast of St. Therese!
She had been asking when she could go to confession, so after we got the go-ahead from our priest Brian and I started preparing her to receive the Sacrament for the first time. We thought it would happen sometime within the next month, but when Ellie heard it could happen as soon as we knew she was ready she begged us to do the lessons with her. So we did a mini-retreat weekend, where Brian and I took turns preparing her one-on-one. The lessons took place in the church, the Keller, Anna's Cafe and the Byzantine chapel. We used her Faith & Life book, Calico Critters and The Runaway Bunny :)
While helping her to make her Examination of Conscience in the chapel, it was pretty amazing to look up and see the painting of St. Therese--showering roses down upon her! Her examination was very thorough and, although I can't share what she said, let me just say it was pretty sweet/humorous to hear the things that she thought were so bad. During it all, I wondered how tenderly God must look at all of us, His little children.
The Thursday after her retreat, at 3pm--the Hour of Mercy--on the Feast of St. Therese, Ellie met Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation! Afterwards I asked her if she was nervous and she said of course not! She posed for a picture outside of the confessional, after making her penance, and she was jumping with joy and gratitude!
May we always receive the Sacrament with such childlike joy & gratitude!
St. Therese, pray for us!
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