• We examine our conscience by reviewing the Ten
Commandments and identifying those that we have broken.
And we must have perfect contrition for these sins; in
other words be truly sorry for them and resolved to not
repeat them.
• We enter the confessional or reconciliation room
and greet the priest. We say “bless me Father for
I have sinned, it has been xxx since my last confession.”
• We confess all our mortal or serious sins and
answer any questions the priest has.
• When we have finished confessing we say an Act
of Contrition, one is: Oh my God, I am very sorry
for having offended You. I detest all my sins, because
I dread the loss of heaven and fear the pain of hell, but
most of all, because I have offended You, my God, who are
all good and deserving of my love. I firmly resolve, with
the help of Your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the
near occasion of sin. Amen.
• The priest will say the prayer of Absolution
and give you penance to do.
• We then leave and immediately perform the penance
given to us.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is for our spiritual healing. According to the Gospels, after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:22-23) That’s why Jesus left this sacrament, to heal our spiritual wounds, which we call sin.