Of the seven sacraments there are three that are received by children who are in primary school — two of them are received when they are in second class and one in sixth class. Before we even start to reflect on what the sacraments are and what meaning they have for us, we can say that the two received in second class are described similarly. Second class is seen as the time when Catholic children celebrate their First Confession and their First Holy Communion. The word ‘first’ implies that there is at least one, if not many, coming after.
What we commonly refer to as Confession is often called the Sacrament of Penance or the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The three terms capture different aspects of the sacrament, all of which are important in our understanding what the sacrament means and its value or us as we try to live our life in faith, with hope and loving God and our neighbour. Also, it is considered one of the two sacraments of healing, the other being the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.