DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION

DEVOTIONS FOR CONFESSION 

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION

For Divine assistance in order to make a good Confession.

O Almighty and most merciful God, Who hast made me out of nothing, and redeemed me by the Precious Blood of Thine Only Son; Who hast with so much patience borne with me to this day, notwithstanding all my sins and ingratitude; ever calling after me to return to Thee from the ways of vanity and iniquity, in which I have been quite wearied out in the pursuit of empty toys and mere shadows; seeking in vain to satisfy my thirst in unclean waters, and my hunger with husks of swine: behold, O most gracious Lord, I now sincerely desire to leave all these my evil ways, to forsake the region of death where I have so long lost myself, and to return to Thee, the Fountain of Life.

I desire, like the prodigal son, to enter seriously into myself, and with the like reception from His most tender mercy.  But, O my God, though I can go astray from Thee myself, yet I cannot make one step towards returning to Thee, unless Thy divine grace move and assist me.  This grace, therefore, I most humbly implore, prostrate in spirit before the throne of Thy mercy; I beg it for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who died upon the Cross for my sins; I know that Thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he may be converted and live; I know Thy mercies are above all Thy works; and I most confidently hope that as in Thy mercy Thou hast spared me so long, and hast now given me this desire of returning to Thee, so Thou wilt finish the work which Thou hast begun, and bring me to a perfect reconciliation with Thee.

PRAYER BEFORE THE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

O Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, King of kings, and Lord of lords, who hast made me out of nothing in Thine image and likeness, and hast redeemed me with Thine own Blood; whom I a sinner am not worthy to name, or call upon, or think of: I humbly pray Thee, I earnestly beseech Thee, to look mercifully on me, Thy wicked servant.  Thou Who hadst mercy on the woman of Chanaan and Mary Magdalen; Thou Who didst spare the publican and the thief upon the cross, have mercy upon me.  Thou art my hope and trust; my guide and my succour; my comfort and my strength; my defence and my deliverance; my life, my health, and my resurrection; my light and my longing; my help and my protection.

I pray and entreat Thee, help me and I shall be safe; direct me and defend me; strengthen me and comfort me; confirm me and gladden me; enlighten me and come unto me.  Raise me from the dead; I am Thy creature, and the work of Thy hands.  Despise me not, O Lord, nor regard my iniquities; but according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies have mercy upon me, the chief of sinners, and be gracious unto me.  Turn Thou unto me, O Lord and be not angry with me.  I implore Thee, most compassionate Father, I pray Thee meekly, of Thy great mercy, to bring me to a holy death, and to true penance, to a perfect confession, and to worthy satisfaction for all my sins.  Amen.

O Lord God, who enlightenest every man who cometh into this world, enlighten my heart, I pray Thee, with the light of Thy grace, that I may fully know my sins, shortcomings, and negligences, and may confess them with that true sorrow and contrition of heart which I so much need.  I desire to make full amends for all my sins, and to avoid them for the future to Thy honour and glory, and to the salvation of my soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. 

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

ü  Whether a grievous sin was forgotten through want of proper examination, or concealed or disguised through shame.

ü  Whether you confessed without a true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment.

ü  Whether you have repaired evil done to your neighbor. Whether the penance was performed Without voluntary distractions.

ü  Whether you have neglected your confessor's counsel, and fallen at once into habitual sins.

ü  Then examine yourself on the ten commandments; the commandments of the Church' the seven-capital sins; the duties of your state of life and your ruling passion.

ü  Calmly recall the different occasions of sin which have fallen in your way, or to which your state and condition in life expose you; the places you have frequented. The persons with Whom you have associated.

ü  Do not neglect to consider the circumstances which alter the grievousness of the sin, nor the various ways in which we become accessory to the sins of others.

The Ten Commandments

1.     I am the Lord thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, not serve them.

2.     Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for. the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.

3.     Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

4.     Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee.

5.     Thou shalt not kill.

6.     Thou shalt not commit adUltery.

7.     Thou shalt not steal.

8.     Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9.     Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

10.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

The Six Commandments of the Church

1)     Mass on Sundays and holy-days of obligation.

2)      To fast and abstain on the days appointed.

3)     To confess at least once a year.

4)     To receive Holy Eucharist during the Easter-time.

5)     To contribute to the support of our pastors.

6)     Not to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are related to us within the third degree of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at forbidden times.

The Seven Deadly Sins

1. Pride--
2. Covetousness--
3. Lust
4. Anger
5. Gluttony
6. Envy
7. Slot

 Contrary Virtues

1.     Humility

2.     Liberality

3.     Chastity

4.     Meekness

5.     Temperance

6.     Brotherly love

7.     Diligence

The Four Sins which cry out to Heaven for Vengeance

1. Wilful murder.
2. The sin of Sodom.
3. Oppression of the poor.
4. Defrauding the labourers of their wages.

Nine Ways of being an Accessory to another's Sin

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 ill done.

The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy

1. To admonish sinners.
2. To instruct the ignorant.
3.To counsel the doubtful.
4. To comfort the sorrowful.
5.To bear wrongs patiently.
6. To forgive all injuries.
7. To pray for the living and the dead.

The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To visit and ransom the captives.
5. To harbor the harborless.
6. To visit the sick.
7. To bury the dead.

Preliminary Examination

WHEN did you make your last confession? Did you take sufficient pains to awaken contrition?
Did you omit to confess a mortal sin either intentionally or through forgetfulness?
Did you intentionally neglect to say the penance which was imposed on you, or were you so careless as to forget it?
Have you carried out the resolutions you made at your last confession or have you paid no heed at all to them?

Examination on the Ten Commandments of God

1.     Have you doubted in matters of faith? Murmured against God at your adversity or at the prosperity of others? Despaired of His mercy?

Have you believed in fortune-tellers or consulted them? Have you gone to places of worship belonging to other denominations?

Have you recommended yourself daily to God? Neglected your morning or night prayers? Omitted religious duties or practices through motives of human respect?

Have you read books, papers, websites, and periodicals of anti-Catholic or atheistic tendency? Made use of superstitious practices? Spoken with levity or irreverence of priests, Religious, or sacred objects?

2.     Have you taken the name of God in vain? Profaned anything relating to religion?
Have you sworn falsely, rashly, or in slight and trivial matters? Cursed yourself or others, or any creature? Angered others so as to make them swear, or blaspheme God?

3.     Have you kept holy the Lord's Day, and all other days commanded to be kept holy?

Bought or sold things not of necessity on that day? Done or commanded some servile work not of necessity? Missed Mass or been wilfully distracted during Mass? Talked, gazed, or laughed in the church?

4.     Have you honored your parents, superiors, and masters, according to your just duty? Deceived them? Disobeyed them? Have you failed in due reverence to aged persons?

5.     Have you procured, desired, or hastened the death of anyone? Borne hatred? Oppressed anyone? Desired revenge? Not forgiven injuries? Refused to speak to others? Used provoking language? Injured others? Caused enmity between others?

6 and 9. Have you been guilty of lascivious dressing? Been in lewd company? Readimmodest books, or websites? Been guilty of unchaste songs, discourses, words, or actions? Wilfully entertained impure thoughts or desires?

6.     Have you been guilty of stealing, or of deceit in buying, or selling, in regard to wares, prices, weights, or measures? Have you wilfully damaged another man's goods, or negligently spoiled them?

7.     Have you borne false witness? Called injurious names? Disclosed another's sins? Flattered others? Judged rashly?

11. Have you coveted unjustly anything that belongs to another?

12.  

Examination on the Precepts of the Church

HAVE you gone to confession at least once a year? Received holy communion during Easter-time?
Have you violated the fasts of the Church, or eaten flesh meat on prohibited days? . . ..
Have you sinned against any other commandment of the Church?
Examine yourself also in regard to the seven capital sins and the nine ways of being accessory to another's sin.

After the Examination

Having discovered the sins of which you have been guilty, together With their number, enormity, or Such circumstances as may change their nature, you should endeavor to excite in yourself a heartfelt sorrow for having committed them, and a sincere detestation of them. This. being the most essential of all the dispositions requisite for a good confession, with What humility, fervor, and perseverance should you not importune Him Who holds the hearts of men in His hands to grant it to you!

Act of Contrition

Recite very attentively one Of the following acts:

I.

ETERNAL Father! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they displease Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

II.

O MY God, I am truly sorry that I have sinned, because Thou art infinitely good and sin displeases Thee. I promise not to offend Thee again. I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, and I will endeavor to please Thee in everything.

III.

O GOD! infinitely worthy of all love, my creator, my saviour, my benefactor, why did I ever offend Thee? Lord, have mercy on me. How ungrateful I have been to Thee, Who art infinitely good! Father, forgive me. I love Thee, my God, with my whole heart and above all things; I hate sin because it is offensive to Thy goodness. I am truly sorry for having offended Thee, and with Thy help I will shun the occasions of sin and seek to please Thee in all things.

Invocations

O MARY, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
Indulgence of 3OO days; Plenary, under usual conditions if recited daily for an entire month. S. C. Indulg., Mar. 15, 1884; S. Pen. Ap., Apr. 15, 1932.
IN thy conception, O Virgin Mary, thou wast immaculate!
Pray for us to the Father, Whose Son Jesus, conceived in thy womb by the Holy Ghost, thou didst bring forth!
Indulgence Of 3OO days; S. C. Indulg., Nov. 21, 1793; S. Pen. MI., Apr. 24, 1933.
HOLY Virgin, Mary Immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, speak thou for us to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son and our Brother!
APPROACH the confessional with the same recollectedness and reverence as would fill your heart if Christ our Lord were seated there in person ready to hear your confession. The priest is really the representative of Christ.
When you kneel down, say: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned, and then begin the Confiteor, proceeding as far as Through my fault, etc.

The Confiteor

I CONFESS to almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever a virgin,to blessed Michael the archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my faUlt, through my most grievous fault. . . .
Then tell when you made your last confession and begin the avowal of your sins. Confess all your sins with a contrite and humble heart, and conclude thus:
For these and all the sins of my past life, especially my sins of (naming some grievous sin), I am heartily sorry, beg pardon of God, and absolution of you, my Father (then finish the Confiteor) . . .. Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary, ever a virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
Listen then With humility and docility to the instruction of your confessor, and during this time avoid all recurrence as to the confession itself; remembering that sins forgotten after a serious examination are really comprised in the absolution. Accept with submission the-penance imposed, and if any obstacle that you foresee will prevent your accomplishing it, state this respectfully.
While the priest pronounces the words of absolution, endeavor to excite an act of perfect contrition. Should your spiritual Father deem it proper to defer absolution, acknowledge your unworthiness, and do not murmur. Leave the confessional resolved to use every effort, by an amendment of life and sincere repentance, to obtain God's pardon, which His minister will ratify.

Thanksgiving after Confession

ETERNAL Father! I thank Thee, I bless Thee, for Thy goodness and mercy. Thou hast had compassion on me, although in my folly I had wandered far away from Thee and offended Thee most grievously. With fatherly love Thou hast received me anew after so many relapses into sin and forgiven me my offenses through the holy sacrament of Penance. Blessed forever, O my God, be Thy loving-kindness, Thy infinite mercy! Never again will I grieve Thee by ingratitude, by disobedience to Thy holy will. All that I am, all that I have, all that I do shall be consecrated to Thy service and Thy glory.
"Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee."

Indulgence of 3OO days.-Pius X, June 27, 19O6.