An archbishop in Myanmar urged Catholics to frequent to receive the Sacrament of Confession.
Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay asked parishioners and the children to receive the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Sacrament of Confirmation, saying, “Listen to Jesus, and we should go for confessions and be eager to receive the body of Christ.”
“We must do penance for our sins. For the cleanliness of our bodies, we have to fast an hour ahead before going to Holy Communion,” he said.
He said thus while celebrating the Holy Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Mandalay on May 29, the feast of the Ascension.
During the Mass, children and people received the first Holy Communion and Sacrament of Confirmation.
In his homily, the prelate followed the "questions and answers" type. He asked them about the sacraments, devotion, and Christian teachings, among other faith matters.
Archbishop gave the examples of the disciples, who had profound faith.
He encouraged Catholics to stand for the truth, live according to faith, and believe in the Holy Catholic Church.
“Listen, parents, teachers, elders, church authorless, priests, and nuns,” the prelate advised.
“Confirmation means the fulfillment of our baptism. We have got real Christian lives. We received baptism when we were children because of our parents, who brought us to the church, but for the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is we, ourselves who have decided to accept it, so I am happy,” Emily told RVA News.
Henry Ambrose, a boy who accepted the first Holy Communion, said, “I was so excited because it was the first time for me to receive the Body of Christ. My feelings are changed as Jesus comes into my heart.”
Teresa, a girl who also received the first Holy Communion, communion, said, “The Eucharist, where Jesus is present, is the center of all other sacraments.”
“Earlier, I witnessed how elders received the Holy Communion. Now, after receiving it, I feel I must pay attention to Jesus, who is present in my heart.”
As many as 21 teenagers received the Sacrament of Confirmation and 13 children received the first Holy Communion and 13 received both sacraments.
St Joseph’s Sisters and St. Columban Sisters taught them catechisms five days a week as a preparation for receiving the Sacraments.
The preparation programs lasted for one and a half months. During the preparations, they did bible sharing and coloring.
For some, a ferry for their transportation was provided so that the children could come to church for the catechism class.
Although catechism classes had stopped in 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, now their catechism classes have resumed from the middle of April 2022. - Pinky Thiri Kyaw and Marcus Nyi Nyi Tun/ RVA Myanmar
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