6 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience – what sins have you committed since your last good confession.
2. Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3. Confess your sins to the priest.
4. Make certain that you confess all your mortal sins and the number of them.
5. After your confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
6. Pray daily for the strength to avoid the occasion of sin, especially for those sins you were just absolved from.
1. PREPARATION
Come, Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, Grant, that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
An Act of Faith:
O God, I firmly believe all the truths that you have revealed and that you teach us through your Church, for you are truth itself and can neither deceive or be deceived.
An Act of Hope:
O God, I hope with complete trust that you will give me, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all the necessary grace in the world and everlasting life in the world to come, for this is what you have promised and you always keep your promises .
An Act of Charity:
O God, I love you with my whole heart above all things, because you are infinitely good; and for your sake I love my neighbor as I love myself .
The Confiteor:
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary, ever Virgin, all the angels, and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for my to the Lord our God.
The Outline Of Receiving
THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION FOR CHILDREN
Enter the confession room.
Kneel down – Make the sign of the Cross. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of The Holy Spirit. Amen.
Say: Bless me father, I have sinned. My last confession was how many days /weeks /months /years ago. These are my sins:
1.- I missed, was lazy to pray in the morning or at night ____ times.
– I fooled around, talked, played during mass ____ times.
2.- I used God’s Name without respect or in vain ____ times.
3.- I missed, came late to mass on Sunday ____ times.
4.- I disobeyed, talked back, disrespect my parents, grandparents ____ times.
5.- I make fun of other people, hate someone ____ times.
– I was angry, stubborn ____ times.
– I fough, quarelled ____ times.
– I kept mean, bad thoughts about other ____ times.
– I called people bad names ____ times.
– I cursed, said bad words, wished bad things to anyone
___ times.
– I kept unforgiveness of someone in my heart ____times.
6.- I looked at bad pictures, read bad stories, played bad games ____ times.
7.- I stole, swapped toys, things belong to other people ____ times.
– I borrowed anything and did not return
– I cheated ____ times.
– I destroyed people things on purpose ____ times.
8.- I lied ____ times.
(9).- I was jealous of others ____ times.
10.- I set my mind on things belong to other people ___times
* Father, I am finished. Please ask God forgive my sins that I don’t remember.
* Listen to the priest’s instructions, advices and then say
2. The Act of Contrition:
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend with your help to sin no more, to do penance and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Amen.
* * *
3. After Confession
– Say the prayers / or do what the priest tells you.
– Thank God for forgiving your sins. Say your own prayer or say this one:
Heavenly Father, by dying on the Cross for love of us Your dear Son Jesus brought peace to the world by taking away our sins and giving us your forgiveness. I thank You for your mercy to me and to all who are truly sorry for having offend You. Help me to avoid sins and use this Sacrament more often. May the power of your love given to me in this sacrament guide me in all I do to please You in all things. Father, thank You for your love and mercy. Amen.
4. – Ask God for the help you to keep from offending God.
OTHER PRAYERS
Thanksgiving After Holy Communion
(Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas)
I thank You, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who have deigned, not through any merits of mine, but out of the condenscension of Your goodness, to satisfy me a sinner, Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray that this Holy Communion be not a condemnation to punishment for me, but a saving plea to forgiveness.
May it be to me the armor of faith and the shield of a good will. May it be the emptying out of my vices and the extinction of all lustfull desires; and increase of charity and patience, of humility and obediance, and all virtues; a strong defense against the snares of all my enemies, visible and invisible; the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to You, the one true God; and a happy ending of my life.
I pray too that You will deign to bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable banquet where You with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to your Saints true light, fulfillment of desires, eternal joy, unalloyer gladness, and perfect bliss. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
ANIMA CHRISTI
(Pray quietly after communion)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
In the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to Thee.
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee.
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though You were already there, I embrace You and unite myself to You; permit not that I should ever be separated from You.
Prayer of St. Bonaventure to Holy Eucharist
Pierce, O my sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of your love, with true serene and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for you, that it may yearn for you and faint for your courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with you.
Grant that my soul may hunger after you, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supernatural bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart hunger after and feed upon you, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of your savor; may it ever thirst after you, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God; may it ever compass you, seek you, find you, run to you, attain you, meditate upon you, speak of you and do all things to the praise and glory of your name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end; may you alone be ever my hope, my entire assistance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firm and rooted immovably, henceforth and forever. Amen.
