Sacrament of Reconciliation

Confession Guide

Monthly Confession is a good family rhythm for receiving God’s mercy and beginning again.

Prayer Before Confession

Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind that I may clearly know my sins. Move my heart that I may be sincerely sorry for them, honestly confess them and firmly resolve to amend my life. Spirit of Wisdom, grant me to see the malice of sin and my ingratitude toward You, the all-loving God. Spirit of Fortitude, help me to make whatever sacrifice is needed to avoid sin in the future. Amen.

A Family-Safe Examination of Conscience

Ask the Holy Spirit for light, then consider these questions calmly and honestly.

Faith and Prayer

Have I denied or doubted God’s existence or refused to believe what God has revealed?
Have I trusted in horoscopes, fortune-telling, charms, tarot cards, Ouija boards, reincarnation, or other superstitious practices?
Have I denied that I am Catholic, abandoned the Catholic Faith, or contributed to another person abandoning it?
Have I despaired of God’s mercy or presumed upon it?
Have I neglected daily prayer for a long time?
Have I blasphemed, taken God’s name in vain, cursed, or broken an oath or vow?
Have I failed to learn and follow the teachings of the Church?

Worship and Sundays

Have I missed Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Have I been irreverent or voluntarily inattentive in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?
Have I arrived late, left early, or done unnecessary work on Sunday through my own fault?

Family and Duties

Have I disobeyed or disrespected my parents or legitimate superiors?
Have I neglected my duties to my spouse, children, parents, school, work, or state in life?
Have I failed to take an active interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I failed to give a full day’s work for a full day’s pay or to give employees a fair wage?
Have I given scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?

Life and Care for Others

Have I been impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful, or lazy?
Have I abused drugs, drunk to excess, fought, quarreled, or set a bad example?
Have I physically injured anyone, supported the direct taking of innocent life, or failed to seek help when tempted to harm myself?
Have I approved of ending a person’s life because of illness, age, suffering, or disability?
Have I ignored the needs, dignity, or personal boundaries of another person?

Purity and Faithfulness

Have I respected God’s gift of the body in my thoughts, words, images, choices, and actions?
Have I dressed or behaved in a way intended to lead myself or others away from purity?
Have I sought, shared, or encouraged material that dishonors the dignity of the body?
Have I respected personal boundaries and treated every person as made in the image of God?
Have I been faithful to my marriage vows and respected the marriages of others?
Have I rejected the responsibilities of marriage or encouraged another person to do so?

Honesty and Property

Have I stolen, cheated, kept stolen goods, or helped or encouraged another person to do so?
Have I made restitution for stolen or damaged goods?
Have I deliberately failed to fulfill contracts, pay bills, or meet just obligations?
Have I given or accepted bribes, gambled rashly, or deprived my family of necessities?

Truth and Reputation

Have I lied deliberately to deceive or injure another person?
Have I spoken falsely under oath?
Have I been uncharitable in thought, word, or deed?
Have I gossiped, revealed another person’s faults or sins without good reason, judged rashly, or damaged a reputation?
Have I failed to keep a secret that I should have kept?

Church Disciplines

Have I knowingly failed to observe the days of abstinence established by the Church?
Have I knowingly failed to fast when the Church required it and I was bound to do so?
Have I failed to receive Holy Communion during the Easter season?
Have I failed to confess serious sins at least once a year?

Eucharistic Preparation

Have I received Holy Communion while conscious of serious sin?
Have I received Holy Communion without observing the required fast from food and drink, apart from water and medicine?
Have I made a dishonest Confession by deliberately withholding a serious sin?

Forgiveness

Have I refused to forgive those who hurt me or those I love?
Have I held resentment, desired revenge, or refused a reasonable effort at peace?
Have I failed to ask pardon or repair harm I caused?

Support of the Church

Have I failed, according to my means, to help provide for the needs of the Church?
Have I failed to offer my time, abilities, prayer, or material support when I was reasonably able?

How to Go to Confession

1
The priest will greet you.
2
Say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.” Then say how long it has been since your last Confession.
3
Tell the priest your sins simply and forthrightly. For serious sins, give the kind and approximate number.
4
The priest will give you advice and assign a penance.
5
Pray the Act of Contrition.
6
The priest will give you absolution.
7
The priest may say, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
8
Respond, “His mercy endures forever.” The priest will then dismiss you.
9
Carry out the assigned penance.

Prayers for Confession

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Prayer After Confession

Almighty and Merciful God, Whose mercy is boundless and everlasting and of Whose goodness the riches are infinite, I thank You because You have so graciously pardoned all my sins and restored Your Heavenly favor. I am awed by Your divine compassion and the incomprehensible love of Your Son, which has led Him to institute so gentle and powerful a remedy for sins. In union with all the gratitude that has ever ascended to You from truly penitent hearts, I proclaim Your merciful praises on behalf of all in Heaven, on earth and in purgatory, for ever and ever. Amen.