A Guide to Confession

In preparation, examine your conscience with sincerity and honesty, while expressing to God your sorrow and a desire to amend your life. 

In the confessional/reconciliation room. you have the option of kneeling before a screen or sitting face-to-face across from the priest.

THE RITE OF RECONCILIATION

• Begin with the "Sign of the Cross" and then state how long it has been since you last went to confession. The priest may then read a passage from Holy Scripture.
• State your sins and remember to include the number of times you committed each particular one. (Keep in mind that in order to make a good confession, you must confess all mortal sins.)
• After confessing your sins, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past."
• The priest will then speak to you. Listen to him well as he will give you some type of penance to carry out. You will then be asked to express your sorrow for your sins in the form of prayer as in the following "Act of Contrition":

"O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You. And I detest all my sins, because of Your just punishment; 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 sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen."
 

• As your confession concludes, listen to the words of absolution, as prayed by the priest, Christ's representative on earth. As you listen, you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he ends with the words, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good," please respond with, "For His mercy endures forever."
• The rite may conclude with Father making the sign of the cross.

After confession, it is very important that you complete your penance as soon as possible. (If you do 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.) Also, give thanks to God for forgiving you and for the gift of sanctifying grace.

Return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often as we are fortunate to have this healing and consoling sacrament. Not only is it the way to have our sins forgiven, but it is also a powerful aid in strengthening us, in helping us grow in grace, and in assisting us in following the path of a truly christian life.

Sin Explained

Human nature was weakened when 'original sin' entered the world. Baptism removes the stain of original sin and fills us with grace, turning us back toward God. However, the consequences of original sin on humanity left us weakened, inclined toward evil, and we often commit personal or 'actual' sin. Actual sin is sin which an individual commits. There are two kinds of actual sin: mortal and venial.

Mortal sin is a serious offense against God, so serious that it destroys the life of grace in the soul. Three conditions must be present to commit 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.

Venial sin is a failure to observe necessary moderation in lesser matters of the moral law; or in serious matters, to act without full knowledge or complete consent. While venial sins does not have the grave effects of mortal sin, venial sin opens us to committing more grievous sin. Every christian should strive, through prayer and acts of penance and charity, to lead a life free of sin.

The Ten Commandments:

Traditional

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me. 
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. 
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day. 
4. Honor your father and your mother. 
5. You shall not kill. 
6. You shall not commit adultery. 
7. You shall not steal. 
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. 
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
 

Simplified

1. Love God more than all things. 
2. Say God's name with love. 
3. Keep Sunday holy. 
4. Honor your parents. 
5. Take care of all living things. 
6. Show respect for yourself and others. 
7. Do not steal. 
8. Tell the truth. 
9. Do not be jealous. 
10. Do not be greedy.

The Five Precepts of the Church are:

1. To attend Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation. 
2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed by the Church. 
3. To confess your sins at least once a year. 
4. To receive Holy Communion at least once during the Easter Season. 
5. To contribute to the support of the Church, according to your own abilities.

The holy days that are observed in the dioceses of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church within the United States are:

 

• January 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God**
• Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
• August 15 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary**
• November 1 - Solemnity of All Saints**
• December 8 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
• December 25 - Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

**Whenever the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1) or the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) or the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1) falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is lifted. [ref. Canon 1264, §2]