The basic
requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God
like the "prodigal son" and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow
before the priest.
Sin in my Life
Modern society
has lost a sense of sin. As a Catholic follower of Christ, I must make an
effort to recognize sin in my daily actions, words and omissions.
The Gospels
show how important is the forgiveness of our sins. Lives of saints prove that
the person who grows in holiness has a stronger sense of sin, sorrow for sins,
and a need for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession.
The Differences
in Sins
As a result of
Original Sin, human nature is weakened. Baptism, by imparting the life of
Christ's grace, takes away Original Sin, and turns us back toward God. The
consequences of this weakness and the inclination to evil persist, and we often
commit personal or actual sin.
Actual sin is
sin which people commit. There are two kinds of actual sin, mortal and venial.
Mortal sin is a
deadly offense against God, so horrible that it destroys the life of grace in
the soul. Three simultaneous conditions must be fulfilled for a mortal sin: 1)
the act must be something very serious; 2) the person must have sufficient
understanding of what is being done; 3) the person must have sufficient freedom
of the will.
Remember
If you need
help–especially if you have been away for some time–simply ask the priest and
he will help you by "walking" you through the steps to make a good
confession.
Before
Confession
Be truly sorry
for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is
contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with
a resolution not to commit it again, out of the love one has for God and which
is reborn with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the
future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic.
This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A
resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true
repentance. God's grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life
will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.
Examination of
Conscience
Before going to
Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last
sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and
a firm resolution not to sin again.
A helpful
pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and
the Precepts of the Church:
1. Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in
Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust
in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God's mercy?
2. Have I avoided the profane use of God's
name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
3. Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding
unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at,
or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer
for a long time?
4. Have I shown Christlike respect to
parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been
attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?
5. Have I cared for the bodily health and
safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported
in any way abortion, "mercy killing," or suicide?
6. Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud,
jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?
7. Have I been just in my responsibilities
to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race
or other reasons?
8. Have I been chaste in thought and word?
Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I
given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV,
pictures, reading?
9. Have I stolen anything from another,
from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill
my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
10. Have I spoken ill of any other person?
Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?
11. Have I permitted sexual thoughts about
someone to whom I am not married?
12. Have I desired what belongs to other
people? Have I wished ill on another?
13. Have I been faithful to sacramental
living (Holy Communion and Penance)?
14. Have I helped make my parish community
stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?
15. Have I done penance by abstaining and
fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?
16. Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I
accept God's will for me?
During
Confession
After examining
your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You
may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.
Begin your
confession with the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _________ weeks
(months, years) ago."
The priest may
read a passage from holy Scripture.
Say the sins
that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In
order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins,
according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since
your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for
these and all the sins of my past life."
Listen to the
words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will
diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited,
express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:
An Act of
Contrition
O my God, I am
heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I
dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have
offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly
resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to
amend my life. Amen.
At the End of
Confession
Listen to the
words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the
ordained priest.
As you listen
to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest.
If he closes by saying, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,"
answer, "For His mercy endures forever."
After
Confession
Give thanks to
God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell,
rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess
it in your next Confession.
Do your
assigned Penance.
Resolve to
return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. We Catholics are fortunate to
have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our
sins forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses,
grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.
