Guidelines for a Good Confession

And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. - Matthew 16:19

St. Joan of Arc Act of Contrition O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all of my sins because of Thy just punishments. 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 sin no more, and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen. Guidelines for a good Confession

RECOGNIZING SIN AND goods or happiness, it results in GROWING IN HOLINESS harm to the sinner, who is always the As followers of Jesus, we need to primary victim of sin.The Church examine our lives and recognize teaches that there are two kinds of our sinful thoughts, words, deeds, sin: mortal and venial. Mortal sin and omissions so that we can bring is a deliberate and free choice of them to God for forgiveness. Such something known to be seriously an examination of conscience should wrong that destroys our friendship be done regularly, always with with God and separates us from trust in God’s mercy and love and him (cf. 1 Jn 5:16-17).All of the in the power of the Sacrament of following three conditions must be Reconciliation. met for a sin to be mortal: (1) it must be something serious; (2) it must be We all sin, but we do not all done with sufficient knowledge of its acknowledge our sins. It takes gravity; and (3) it must be done with honesty and courage to reflect upon sufficient freedom of the will. Venial our refusals of God’s grace and sin is a minor offense against God’s our rejections of his law of love. law that hurts our relationship with Contemporary society is often blind God but does not destroy it. to the reality of sin and sometimes even presents sinful behaviors or The Sacrament of Reconciliation is lifestyles as positive goods to be the ordinary way to have our sins sought and desired. forgiven. It is an encounter with the mercy of the living God, who meets In his Reconciliation and us where we are in our weakness and Penance (1984), John Paul our sins, and it powerfully deepens II suggests that the defining sin of our psychological and spiritual modern times is the “loss of the growth. The source of many graces, sense of sin”and reminds us of St. it should be celebrated regularly and John’s warning:“If we say we have whenever the need is felt. no sin,we deceive ourselves, and the Monthly confession is a healthy and truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8). Sin is effective means of growing closer to the deliberate violation of God’s law. God and leading a balanced, Christ- centered lifestyle. Although sin promises illusory CONFESSIONS TIMES our joy,peace of heart, and purity Chapel of conscience. Monday – Saturday 8:00AM – 8:25AM HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION Monday 5:30PM - 5:25PM Pray to the Holy Spirit for self- Wednesday knowledge and trust in the mercy 5:30PM - 6:25PM of God. Confessions are also available by appointment Examine your conscience, be

CONTRITION truly sorry for your sins, and We need contrition, or sorrow resolve to change your life. for our sins, to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation Prayer before Confession and contrition must include a O most merciful God! Prostrate firm purpose to amend our life at your feet, I implore your and avoid the near occasions forgiveness. I sincerely desire to of sin — that is, the situations, leave all my faults and to confess persons, places, and things that my sins with all sincerity to you lead us to sin. Sorrow for sin is and to your priest. I am a sinner, very different from sadness or have mercy on me, O Lord. Give selfhatred. As we draw closer to me a lively faith and a firm hope God, our sense of sin and sorrow in the Passion of my Redeemer. for sin become deeper,just as do Give me, for your mercy’s sake a sorrow for having offended so good 4. The Priest may ask questions a God. Mary, my mother, refuge for clarification or give you some of sinners, prays for me that I may counsel on a point from your make a good confession. Amen. confession. 1. When in the confessional, the Priest will begin with the Sign 5. The Priest will give you a of the Cross. Welcoming you, penance. the priest will say:“May God, who has enlightened every heart, 6. The Penitent makes an act of help you to know your sins and contrition. trust in his mercy,” or similar words taken from Scripture.You 7. The Priest will give you answer:“Amen. Then say,“Bless absolution.

8. Listen as the priest absolves you of your sins and enjoy the fact that God has truly freed you from all your sins. If you forget to confess a mortal sin, you are still forgiven, but must mention it the next time me, Father, for I have sinned. It you go to confession. has been ____ weeks/ months/ years since my last confession. 9. Do the penance the priest These are my sins...” assigns you. 2. Confess all mortal sins committed since your last If you are anxious or unsure of confession by kind and number. what to do, take this guide with You may also confess any venial you or tell the priest and he will sins. make it easier for you.

3. At the end of your confession say these or similar words: For these and all the sins of my life I am sorry. • Adherence to a schismatic AN AID TO YOUR group EXAMINATION • Putting faith in superstition, OF CONSCIENCE e.g., horoscopes, good luck charms, etc. 1. I am the Lord your God. • Joining the Masons or other You shall not have strange secret society gods before me. • Receiving Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin • Do I seek to love God with all • Receiving the Sacraments of my heart and with all my soul Confirmation or Matrimony and with all my strength (Dt while in the state of mortal sin 6:5)? Do I put anything or • Willful participation in illicit anyone above God? Do I pray (non-emergency) “General daily? Absolution” services • Have I received Holy • Being married by a Justice of Communion in the state of the Peace or by a minister of mortal sin? another denomination (without • Have I abused the Sacrament of dispensation) Penance by lying to the priest • Involvement in false or pagan or deliberately not confessing a worship mortal sin? • Willfully denying the Faith of • Have I denied a truth of the the Catholic Church faith out of concern for the respect or opinion of others? • Involvement in occult practices, e.g., witchcraft, ouija boards, seances, palm reading, tarot cards, hypnotism, divination, astrology, black magic, fortune telling, sorcery, new age crystals etc. • Involvement in or adherence to New Age or Eastern philosophies, atheism or agnosticism • Apostasy (leaving the Church) • Despair of God’s grace or sacred person or object mercy • Making an oath in a secret • Presumption (committing a society mortal sin with the idea that • Telling a lie or withholding a you can just go to confession serious sin in confession • Hatred of God • Blasphemy (words of hatred, • (buying or selling reproach or defiance toward spiritual things) God; speaking ill of God) • Failure to receive Holy • Perjury (lying under oath) Communion at least once per • Swearing false oaths year ( if possible, during the Easter Season) 3. Remember to keep holy the • Desecration of the Holy Lord’s Day. Eucharist • Did I deny or doubt God’s • Do I try to keep Sunday as existence? • Did I refuse to believe God’s revelation • Did I deny I was a Catholic? • Did I abandon the Catholic Faith? • Did I despair of or presume on God’s mercy

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

• Have I used God’s holy name irreverently? • Have I blasphemed God, the Church, Mary, the saints, or sacred places or things? • Using God’s name intentionally as a curse • Seriously wishing evil upon another • Serious slander or insult of a a day of prayer, rest, and and respect? relaxation, avoiding unnecessary • Do I support and care for work? the well-being of all family • Have I deliberately come late or members? left early from Mass without a • Have I neglected family duties? good reason? • Do I honor and obey my lawful • Missing Mass on Sunday or superiors? a • Serious failure to care for aged without a serious reason parents • Intentional failure to fast or • Serious neglect of the duties of abstain on appointed days one’s state in life • Requiring employees to work • Serious disrespect for or on Sunday in non-essential disobedience to parents, occupations superiors or authorities • Did I neglect prayer for a long • Wishing death or evil on time? parents • Did I fail to pray daily? • Abuse or serious neglect of • Am I always reverent in the children presence of the Most Blessed • Failure to baptize children in a Sacrament? reasonable time (within a few • Was I inattentive at Mass? months) after birth • Did I arrive at Mass late? • Serious neglect of the religious • Did I leave Mass early? education or upbringing of • Did I do unnecessary work on children Sunday? • Failure to carry out the last will • Have I failed to educate myself of deceased parents concerning the teachings of the • Did I neglect my duties to Church? my husband, wie, children, or parents? 4. Honor your father and your mother. 5. You shall not kill.

• Do I honor and respect my • Have I deliberately harmed parents? anyone? • Have I deliberately hurt my • Have I had an abortion or parents? encouraged an abortion? • Do I treat my children with love • Have I attempted suicide or euthanasia • Serious entertainment of suicidal thoughts • Attempting or intending suicide • Willful failure to bury the body or ashes of the dead • Willful engagement in unjust seriously considered it? lawsuits • Have I abused drugs or alcohol? • Bigotry (hatred for persons of • Have I led anyone to sin other races) through bad example or • Intentionally placing through direct encouragement? temptation before the weak • Murder, homicide or manslaughter 6. You shall not commit • Have I had or advised anyone adultery. to have an abortion? • Promoting, counseling or For the married paying for an abortion • Knowingly voting for someone • Am I faithful to my spouse in who is pro-abortion thought and action? • Willfully injuring or trying to • Have I used artificial hurt another person contraception, or been • Willfully leading another into sterilized? serious sin • Was I married outside the • Driving dangerously or Church without proper recklessly permission of the Church? • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol For the unmarried • Willfully harboring hatred for another • Have I engaged in sexual • Taking or selling illegal drugs activity with anyone of either • Willful drunkenness sex? • Self mutilation • Excessive tattoos For all • Excessive body piercing • Sterilization • Have I deliberately viewed • Promotion of or involvement in pornographic magazines, videos or internet websites? accounts • Have I masturbated? - Taking advantage of the poor, • Have I used impure language or simple, inexperienced or less told impure jokes? fortunate • Do I dress modestly? - Denying help to the poor, needy or destitute when able to 7. You shall not steal. help them easily - Defrauding creditors - Have I stolen or accepted stolen - Bribery or taking bribes goods? - Blackmail - Have I deliberately destroyed - Fraud or embezzlement the property of others? - Price fixing - Have I cheated anyone of what - Tax evasion I owe? - Forgery - Do I gamble excessively? - Excessive waste or expense - Do I share what I have with the - Violating copyrights poor and the Church according - Slavery to my means? - Serious cruelty to animals - Have I pirated materials: videos, - Did I give a full day’s work in music, software? return for a full day’s pay? - Stealing a large amount of money or a valuable item 8. You shall not bear false - Willfully destroying or defacing witness against your neighbor. another’s property - Stealing something consecrated - Have I lied? Have I sworn to God or from a holy place falsely? - Buying, selling, receiving or - Have I plagiarized or been concealing items known to be academically dishonest? stolen - Have I gossiped? Have I - Willful failure to make revealed secrets or confidential restitution information without good - Excessive gambling reason? - Defrauding workers of their - Have I ruined the good name wages of others by spreading lies or - Serious failure to fulfill work maliciously revealing their faults requirements and sins? - Padding expense or per diem - False witness (not under oath) my spouse? - Do I guard my imagination and senses? - Have I watched shows, plays, pictures or movies that contain impure scenes with the deliberate intention of being aroused by them? Am I responsible about what I read? - Viewing pornography in books magazines, movies, the internet, etc. - Reading sexually explicit materials - Dwelling on impure thoughts or fantasies for the purpose of or perjury (under oath) arousal - Telling large or premeditated - Willfully lusting after another lies - Detraction (revealing the 10. You shall not desire your faults of another without serious neighbor’s goods. reason), or calumny (harming the reputation of another by falsities) - Violation of a confidence - Am I envious of the possessions, without good reason abilities, talents, beauty, or - Being an accomplice to success of others? another’s grave sin - Serious and willful greed or - Did I give a bad example, abuse avarice drugs, drink alcohol to excess, - Intention to steal or destroy the fight or quarrel? goods of another

9. You shall not desire your You shall love your neighbor as neighbor’s wife. yourself.

- Have I deliberately and - Do I love my neighbor? Is there consciously permitted sexual anyone whom I do not love or thoughts about anyone besides refuse to love? Have I wished harm or misfortune on anyone? - Do I forgive from my heart those who have hurt me? Do I harbor hatred or grudges? Do I pray for my enemies? - Have I ridiculed or humiliated others? - Do I seek to help others in need? - Do I love myself as God loves Do I fast for one hour before me? Holy Communion (water and - Do I care for my physical, medicine allowed)? emotional, and spiritual health? - Do I contribute to support the - Do I forgive myself for my sins material needs of the Church? after bringing them to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

Precepts of the Church

- Have I deliberately missed God Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day There is One God in Three of obligation without a serious Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. reason? - Do I go to confession at least Jesus Christ once a year when I have serious Jesus is one Person: a Divine sins to confess? Person. He has two natures. A - Do I receive Holy Communion, Divine Nature and a Human Nature. at least once during Eastertime? - Do I take part in the major The Main Events in feasts celebrating Our Lord, the the Life of Christ Virgin Mary, and the saints? Conception in the womb of the - Do I abstain from meat on Blessed Virgin Mary, Birth in Bethlehem, Presentation in the Fridays during Lent (for ages 14 Temple, Baptism in the Jordan and over) and fast on one full River by St. John the Baptist, meal on Ash Wednesday and Temptations in the desert at Good Friday (for ages 18-59)? the beginning of His public ministry, Sermon on the Mount, Transfiguration, Last Supper, The Beatitudes Carrying of the Cross to Calvary, 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: Death on the Cross, Resurrection for theirs is the kingdom of and Ascension into Heaven. heaven. 2. Blessed are the meek: for they Titles of the shall possess the land. Blessed Virgin Mary 3. Blessed are they who mourn: The New Eve, Mother of God, for they shall be comforted. Mother of the Church, Our 4. Blessed are they that hunger Lady, Most Holy Virgin, Queen, and thirst after justice: for Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Mystical they shall have their fill Rose, and Mediatrix 5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. The Seven Sacraments 6. Blessed are the clean of heart: Baptism, Confession, Holy for they shall see God. Eucharist, Confirmation, 7. Blessed are the peacemakers: Matrimony, Holy Orders, and for they shall be called the Anointing of the Sick. children of God. 8. Blessed are they that suffer What is a Sacrament? persecution for justice’ sake, A Sacrament is an outward, for theirs is the kingdom of visible sign instituted by Jesus heaven. Christ that gives the grace it signifies. The Corporal Works of Mercy • To feed the hungry; The Theological Virtues • To give drink to the thirsty; Faith, Hope, and Charity • To clothe the naked; • To harbour the harborless; The Cardinal Virtues • To visit the sick; Prudence, Justice, Temperance, • To ransom the captive; and Fortitude. • To bury the dead.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of the Lord.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit Joy, Long-Suffering, Charity, Humility, Peace, Fidelity, Patience, Modesty, Kindness, Continence, Goodness, and Chastity. The Spiritual Works of Mercy General Sins Against • To instruct the ignorant; the Theological Virtues • To counsel the doubtful; 1. Presumption of God’s Mercy • To admonish sinners; 2. Despair • To bear wrongs patiently; 3. Resisting and/or Attacking • To forgive offences willingly; the known truth • To comfort the afflicted; 4. Envy at another’s spiritual • To pray for the living and the good dead. 5. Obstinancy in sin 6. Final impenitence Three Eminent Good Works Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance The Seven Capital Sins and 1. Willful murder their Opposite Virtues 2. Sodomy 1. Pride - Humility 3. Oppression of the poor 2. Avarice - Generosity 4. Defrauding laborers of their 3. Lust - Chastity wages 4. Anger - Meekness 5. 5. Gluttony - Temperance Nine Ways of Being an 6. Envy - Brotherly Love Accessory to Another’s Sin 7. Sloth - Diligence 1. By counsel 2. By command 3. By consent 4. By provocation 5. By praise or flattery 6. By concealment 7. By partaking 8. By silence 9. By defense of the sinful action

The Four Last Things Death, Judgement, Heaven, or Hell