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A Guide to Confession

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A Guide to Confession 2075 7-19 4-22.qxp_2075 3-00 4-22 7/18/19 8:28 AM Page 1 I Do I forgive from my heart those who have hurt PRAYER TO OUR LADY All of the following three conditions must be met me? Do I harbor hatred or grudges? Do I pray for BEFORE CONFESSION for a sin to be mortal: (1) it must be something seri - my enemies? Mary, Mother of Jesus and my Mother, your Son ous; (2) it must be done with sufficient knowledge I Have I ridiculed or humiliated others? died on a cross for me. Help me to confess my sins of its gravity; and (3) it must be done with suffi - I Do I seek to help others in need? humbly and with trust in the mercy of God, that cient freedom of the will. Venial sin is a minor I Do I love myself as God loves me? Do I care for I may receive his pardon and peace. offense against God’s law that hurts our relation - my physical, emotional, and spiritual health? ship with God but does not destroy it. RECOGNIZING SIN AND I Do I forgive myself for my sins after bringing The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the ordi - them to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? GROWING IN HOLINESS nary way to have our sins forgiven. It is an As followers of Jesus, we need to examine our Precepts of the Church encounter with the mercy of the living God, who I Have I deliberately missed Mass on a Sunday or lives and recognize our sinful thoughts, words, meets us where we are in our weakness and our Holy Day of obligation without a serious reason? deeds, and omissions so that we can bring them to sins, and it powerfully deepens our psychological I Do I go to confession at least once a year when I God for forgiveness. Such an examination of con - and spiritual growth. The source of many graces, have serious sins to confess? science should be done regularly, always with trust it should be celebrated regularly and whenever I Do I receive Holy Communion, at least once dur - in God’s mercy and love and in the power of the the need is felt. Monthly confession is a healthy ing Eastertime? Sacrament of Reconciliation. and effective means of growing closer to God and I Do I take part in the major feasts celebrating Our We all sin, but we do not all acknowledge our leading a balanced, Christ-centered lifestyle. sins. It takes honesty and courage to reflect upon Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints? CONTRITION I Do I abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent our refusals of God’s grace and our rejections of his We need contrition , or sorrow for our sins, to (for ages 14 and over) and fast on one full meal on law of love. Contemporary society is often blind to the reality of sin and sometimes even presents sinful receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and contri - Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (for ages 18-59)? A Guide tion must include a firm purpose to amend our life Do I fast for one hour before Holy Communion behaviors or lifestyles as positive goods to be to Confession sought and desired. In his encyclical Reconciliation and avoid the near occasions of sin — that is, the (water and medicine allowed)? situations, persons, places, and things that lead us to I Do I contribute to support the material needs of and Penance (1984), Pope John Paul II suggests that PREPARING FOR RECONCILIATION the defining sin of modern times is the “loss of the sin. Sorrow for sin is very different from sadness or the Church? self-hatred. As we draw closer to God, our sense of In the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), sense of sin” and reminds us of St. John’s warning: “If IMPRIMATUR we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and sin and sorrow for sin become deeper, just as do we encounter Jesus Christ, who after rising from our joy, peace of heart, and purity of conscience. William E. Lori, S.T.D. the dead breathed the Holy Spirit on his Apostles — the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8). Bishop of Bridgeport the first priests — and gave them the power to for - Sin is the deliberate violation of God’s law. ACT OF CONTRITION October 8, 1999 give sins in his name (Jn 20:23). The Heart of Christ Although sin promises illusory goods or happiness, O my God, I am heartily sorry for having burns with love for us and he wants us to experi - it results in harm to the sinner, who is always the offended you, and I detest all my sins because of ence his immense and unfathomable mercy by con - primary victim of sin. The Church teaches that there your just punishments, but most of all because 2075 7/19 © Copyright 2007-2019 by Knights of Columbus. fessing our sins and receiving his forgiveness. This are two kinds of sin: mortal and venial. Mortal sin is they offend you, my God, who are all good and All rights reserved. Sacrament gives us the consolation of God’s pardon a deliberate and free choice of something known to deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the Photo: Giovanni Francesco Guercino, Return of the Prodigal Son , be seriously wrong that destroys our friendship Museum of the Diocese, W łoc ławek, Poland. and strengthens our relationship with Christ and help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the © Alinari / Art Resource, New York. his Church. with God and separates us from him (cf. 1 Jn 5:16-17) . near occasions of sin. 2075 7-19 4-22.qxp_2075 3-00 4-22 7/18/19 8:28 AM Page 2 Mass without a good reason? HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION are still forgiven, but must mention it the next time 7. You shall not steal. I Pray to the Holy Spirit for self-knowledge and you go to confession. 4. Honor your father and your mother. I Have I stolen or accepted stolen goods? I trust in the mercy of God. Examine your con - I Do the penance the priest assigns you. Do I honor and respect my parents? I Have I deliberately destroyed the property of oth - science, be truly sorry for your sins, and resolve to I Have I deliberately hurt my parents? ers? I change your life. Do I treat my children with love and respect? I Have I cheated anyone of what I owe? If you are anxious or unsure of what to I I Go to the priest and begin with Do I support and care for the well-being of all fam - I the Sign of the do, take this guide with you or tell the Do I gamble excessively? Cross. Welcoming you, the priest will say: “May ily members? I Do I share what I have with the poor and the priest and he will make it easier for you. I God, who has enlightened every heart, help you to Have I neglected family duties? Church according to my means? I know your sins and trust in his mercy,” or similar AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE Do I honor and obey my lawful superiors? I Have I pirated materials: videos, music, software? words taken from Scripture. You answer: “Amen.” 5. You shall not kill. 8. You shall not bear false witness against 1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have I Have I deliberately harmed anyone? Then say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It your neighbor. strange gods before me. I Have I had an abortion or encouraged an abor - I has been ____ weeks/ months/years since my last I Do I seek to love God with all my heart and with Have I lied? Have I sworn falsely? tion? I confession.” all my soul and with all my strength (Dt 6:5)? Do I Have I plagiarized or been academically dishon - I I Have I attempted suicide or seriously considered Confess your sins openly and candidly. Tell the put anything or anyone above God? Do I pray daily? est? priest of all mortal sins and the number of times it? I Have I gossiped? Have I revealed secrets or confi - I Have I had any involvement with the occult, witch - each was committed, and then you may confess I Have I abused drugs or alcohol? dential information without good reason? craft, wicca, ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, new I some of your venial sins. (Although it is not strictly Have I led anyone to sin through bad example or I Have I ruined the good name of others by spread - age crystals, fortune telling, or the like? Have I put necessary to confess venial sins, the Church recom - through direct encouragement? ing lies or maliciously revealing their faults and faith in horoscopes? mends that you do.) If you do not know whether a 6. You shall not commit adultery. sins? I Have I received Holy Communion in the state of For the married sin is mortal or venial, ask the priest. If you have no 9. You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife. mortal sin? I mortal sins, confess venial sins you have committed Am I faithful to my spouse in thought and action? I Have I deliberately and consciously permitted I Have I abused the Sacrament of Penance by lying I since your last confession; you may also mention Have I used artificial contraception, or been ster - sexual thoughts about anyone besides my spouse? to the priest or deliberately not confessing a mortal some mortal sin from your past life for which you ilized? I Do I guard my imagination and senses? sin? I are particularly sorry, indicating that it has already Was I married outside the Church without proper I Have I watched shows, plays, pictures or movies been confessed.
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