Hi, my name's Father Mike Schmitz and this is The Center Presents.

So I think I might have mentioned this a couple times, maybe I haven't.

But there's this program called Renewed and Received that put out by Ascension.

It's basically first reconciliation prep and first holy communion prep.

It's for kids who are going through this.

But also it's for parents.

A lot of times people look back on their those early years and they say like,

I kind of didn't get it.

Maybe I didn't care at the time.

Maybe I wasn't paying attention.

Maybe I was sick that day.

I don't know the importance of the Eucharist.

I don't know the importance of confession.

In fact, one of the big questions comes up.

Even if someone was there, they showed up for class and they maybe even cared,

is like, I don't get why I have to go to a priest for confession.

Why do I have to?

Why do we have to go to a priest for confession?

And I like, that's a great question.

I would say this.

I would say that we recognize that God has bound himself to his sacraments,

which means that whenever we celebrate the sacraments, he's there.

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