“Forgive me, Father …” is really the point of being there in the first place. God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Ĭonfessions are heard every Saturday from 6.30 -7.00pmįor dialogue confessions contact any priest of your choice.I remember using “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” until our pastor said it didn’t make sense, as if we were asking to be rewarded for sinning(!) Probably on his recommendation, (I really don’t remember …) I’ve been saying “Bless me, Father, for a good confession.” I think it’s reasonable to ask for a blessing for the grace to confess well.
The priest then extends his hands in blessing over the penitent, and prays the prayer of absolution: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the occasion of sin. O my God, I am truly sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because they displease you who art good and deserving of all my love. To begin, the penitent kneels and, by custom, says: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned”, and may add, “It has been since my last confession” and begins his/her confession.Īfter hearing the confession, the priest assigns a penance, and the penitent accepts the penance with the following prayer: The normal practice for administration of the Sacrament of Penance is in private - with only the penitent and the priest present. Structure of Confession / Absolution Rite: This helps the penitents to overcome their faults, and the harm their sins have caused others -to be reconciled with the man and with the Church, and to return to behaviour consistent with being a disciple of Christ.Ībsolution: After the penitent accepts the acts of penance, the priest, by the authority that the Church has given him (see the quote from John 20:22, 23 above), absolves the sinner that is, he grants God’s pardon for the sins. The person who performs this penance thus shows his/her sorrow for one’s sinful acts. This may be saying certain prayers and/or performing some other fitting action. This is known as “Dialogue Confession”Īct of Penance: The priest-confessor proposes certain actions – penance -for the penitent to perform. It is also permissible, if both the priest and penitent agree, to administer and receive the sacrament of penance “face to face” in another room. Traditionally confession takes place in the “confessional”, a small room where the priest and penitent are separated by a screen to assure complete privacy and anonymity. The confession is entirely private – the priest-confessor never reveals anything the penitent confesses. She/He must repent her/his sins, and seek the sacrament of penance – that is, to go to confession to a priest.Ĭonfession: The penitent confesses to a priest all the sins one can recall after examining his/her conscience – that he has not confessed before. Another word for repentance is “contrition”. Contrition: First the penitent (the repentant sinner), must be aware of his sinfulness and must be truly sorry (contrite) for his/her sins.
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