Sacrament of Confession

There is the chance to receive Confession at the times shown on page 1 of the newsletter.

To help you prepare for Confession, please see Examination of Conscience or the Short Examination of Conscience.

The Precepts of the Church say that Catholics must confess serious sin at least once a year. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 2041

Prayer for the Priest before Confession

Heavenly Father, bless your priest who will hear my confession.

Fill him with your love and wisdom, that he may guide me closer to you.
Jesus Christ the High Priest, bless your priest that he may image your presence to all who come to him.
Holy Spirit, come into the heart of your priest and, for the sake of the church fill him with your many gifts.
Blessed Mother Mary, wrap your mantle around your priest and always keep him close to the heart of your Son Jesus.
All holy angels and saints, pray for us during this sacrament and always.
Amen. 

Christ offers through the Church the grace of mercy and forgiveness which is first accomplished in Baptism when a person is cleansed from Original Sin and all their actual sins.

But it also is to be found in the Sacrament of Confession. This Sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

How to go to Confession

Examine your conscience using the 10 Commandments or the examinations offered further below.

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  • Contrition - being truly sorry for your sins

  • Confession: Confessing all your sins to God through His priest and not hiding any of these sins as that would invalidate the absolution.

  • The assigning of penance: the priest gives you a penance so that you may die to sin as Our Lord who was sinless did die for your sins, and so that you may make reparation for the damage done to the Holiness of the Church by your sins.

  • Act of Contrition: here is a simple Act of Contrition which you should learn off by heart for both Confession and your night Prayer:

    • O My God, because you are so good, I am truly sorry that I have sinned against you. But with the help of your Grace, I will not sin again and I resolve to avoid all occasions of sin.

  • Absolution: the Priest then raises his hand over you and gives you absolution when he says at the very least these necessary words as he blesses you:

    • I absolve you from your sins in the name of the + Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

  • Carrying out your Penance: you then leave the confession and go to your penance in a spirit of thanksgiving for God’s mercy towards you.

To help you prepare for Confession, please see Examination of Conscience or the Short Examination of Conscience

Sacrament of Confession Outline

Most of us prepare for our First Holy Communion, and in doing so, our first Confession, but for those who as Adults were brought into the Church through RCIA or Confirmation, then they need guidance in preparing for the Sacrament of Confession.

We receive God’s forgiveness and Healing when we are:

  • Truly sorry for all of our sins

  • When we confess all of our sins on our conscience to the Priest in both number and kind.

    • In other words, we need to specify the kind of sin and the number of times we committed that sin

  • Willing to do the penance given by the Priest for those sins.

In Confession, Christ acts through the Priest as:

  • Judge: determining the nature of the Sin and level of Culpability;

  • Physician: as the Healer of sins;

  • Reconciler: Reconciles Penitent to God and to the Church.

 

A Priest in Confession is under the Seal of Confession:

  • He may not talk to anyone about a Penitent’s sins heard in Confession.

  • He may not indicate by deed or gesture the nature of the sins of a Penitent that he hears in Confession to anyone.

  • If he does this, he breaks the seal of Confession and he suffers, immediately, automatic Excommunication from the Church; only the Pope can absolve him of this sin and this penalty.

“In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life, a man is sick on account of sin. For that reason, he needs medicine so that he may be restored to health, and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of Penance.”

St Francis de Sales