First Blessing and Fellowship with Fr. Jerome Ocampo

The Church, by custom, has attached special significance to the “first blessing” of a newly ordained priest. This “first blessing” is usually given to his ordaining bishop immediately following his ordination and to those who attend his first Mass of Thanksgiving. However, the privileges of this “first blessing” have customarily extended themselves throughout his first year of priesthood and have been spiritually enriched by grace and special indulgence.

Indulgences

An indulgence is “A remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven” (CCC 1471). Indulgences are intrinsically linked to the authority Christ gave to the Church to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to “bind and loose” in His Name (Mt. 18:18), what we call the “power of the keys”.  

So, how do we understand the “remission of temporal punishment”? All sin has its damaging effects. While sin is reconciled and forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation, the effect of the sin remains. For example, one who quarrels with another and speaks hurtful words out of anger may experience forgiveness through the sacrament, but the relationship itself has been damaged by the quarrel and needs to be healed. Forgiveness must be given and sought, and peace needs to be made to repair this damage. Penance, properly understood, is always medicinal in nature, not punitive. Penance repairs the damage caused by our sin. Indulgences “loosen” this reparational penance, which must be done in this life or the next (purgatory). Indulgences are not magical or “grace for sale”, but deeply personal encounters with the mercy of God. Remember, God’s mercy is given for our salvation and transformation. That is why indulgences are always an invitation to deeper conversion and to grow in the love of God and in communion with the whole Body of Christ, the Church.

To receive an indulgence, the work first must be enriched with the grace of the indulgence by the Church and a Catholic must undertake it with the intention of receiving the indulgence, which can be applied to oneself, others, or to the souls in purgatory. There are many prayers and works enriched with indulgences, either plenary (full) or partial. These indulgenced works are contained in the official texts of the Church, the Raccolta or the Enchiridion of Indulgences. The conditions for receiving the indulgence are as follows:

(1) Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(2) Participate in Mass and receive Holy Communion worthily.

(3) Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.  At least one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be is considered sufficient.  

(4) Detach from All Sin, whether it be mortal or venial.

A final word; in a world that often denies the seriousness of sin and the hope of eternal life, indulgences are a means of grace and a powerful reminder that healing is possible, grace is abundant, and God’s mercy is always near at hand, for us and for all souls.