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CONFESSION PRAYERS
Prayers for Confession can be an
important part of this very special
Sacrament (also known as the Sacrament
of Penance) instituted by our Lord for the
forgiveness of sins. We wish to offer here
some moving and helpful prayers to say
before Confession as well as afterwards.
From Confession we can receive Gods
forgiveness for the sins that plague us
and hinder our path to holiness (through
the priest who acts in His name). We also
can get much needed strength and grace
from God to resist temptations to commit
these sins in the future. In so doing, we
draw closer to our Lord in our journey
towards Eternal Life with Him in heaven.
Many Christians, including some
Catholics, fall prey to the misconception
that they dont need to see a priest to
confess their sins, but, rather, that going
straight to God in prayer should suffice.
The problem with this notion is that our
Lord specifically instituted the Sacrament
of Penance Himself after His resurrection,
when he told His apostles Whose sins
you shall forgive, they are forgiven them;
and whose sins you shall retain, they are
retained (John 20:23).
He meant for their successors, namely the priests of His church, to forgive sins in His name. (Indeed, the Council
of Trent said that this power to forgive sins is made manifest in the Sacrament of Penance.) Remember that the
priest who hears your Confession is acting in persona Christi, that is to say in the person of Christ. Also, priests
can give you good advice or inspiring words from scripture to help you. Thats another benefit you wouldnt get just
confessing your sins to God at home!
Going to confession regularly can also help free you from emotional problems that you might otherwise develop in
trying to suppress a guilty conscience from your sins. Dont you usually feel better when you get something thats
been bothering you off your chest?
As Bishop Fulton Sheen once put it, Regular confession prevents sins, worries and anxieties from seeping down
into the unconscious and degenerating into melancholy fears and neuroses. While psychiatry or therapy may be
necessary for some, this wonderful Sacrament can work quite well in helping us cope with the weaknesses and
stresses in our daily lives.
It is ironic that, while society today readily forgives celebrities their transgressions if they just apologize for them
publicly, many in our faith have lost sight of the critical importance of apologizing for our sins to the one who
matters most in our Eternal Destiny, Our Lord, by going to Confession.

This problem is exacerbated in some cases by both a shortage of priests and available confession times in some
parishes. You can find confession schedules listed in this very helpful website that lists Mass times as well.
It is important to note that a good confession requires us to examine our consciences thoroughly for the sins
weve committed beforehand, to feel genuine contrition for them, and to do the penance then prescribed by the
priest after the confession with a firm purpose of amending our lives. (This penance is often a short prayer or
prayers such as the Our Father, and the Hail Mary, for example.)
But how do we know what sins to confess? In a society that has lost much of a real sense of sin, an examination of
conscience such as this one can help you discern your sins. You can find several other good such examinations
in prayer books and on the internet. They often use the Ten Commandments as a guide.
Our Faith recognizes the distinction between two types of sin: venial and mortal, as discussed here. Venial sins
can weaken our relationship with God. Mortal sins, if left unconfessed and unrepented can kill it, by shutting us
out from Gods sanctifying grace, the supernatural life of God in our souls! (Hence the name.)
(Think of mortal sins as being a cancer on the soul and venial sin as more like a cold.) All sins separate us from
God to one degree or another, but as St. John said in one of his letters not all sin is deadly (1 John 5:17).
Certain sins are considered mortal, such as murder, abortion, theft, adultery, and sex outside of marriage. Others
may be mortal or venial depending on the degree of sin. Gossiping about someone, for example, may be venial if
youre just sharing some information about them. If youre slandering them, however, that sin becomes mortal.
Drinking a glass of wine or beer after a hard days work is not sinful in itself, for another example. After all, didnt
Our Lord turn water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:1-10)? But willfully getting hammered,
drinking too much on a regular basis, puts you in mortal sin territory!
Speaking of this being willful, note also that there are three important conditions for a sin to be mortal: The sin
must be grave, we must know that it is grave, and yet commit it anyway with our full consent. We put our souls in
grave danger when we dont confess our mortal sins. A single deliberately unconfessed mortal sin can land us in
Hell and eternal separation from God! Keep in mind also that you should never receive Holy Communion if you
are aware of having committed a mortal sin without first having it absolved in Confession.
While our faith requires us to confess mortal sins at least once a year, we have the option to confess venial ones
to a priest as well, and this is highly recommended. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church expresses it: The
regular confession of our venial sins helps us to form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves
be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit." (CCC1458)
When going to Confession, tell the priest as fully as possible the number and nature of the mortal sins you've
committed since your last confession, and whatever venial ones as well. And dont worry if youve forgotten to
mention a mortal sin. Just confess that sin at your next available opportunity once you remember it, but dont take
communion until its been absolved by a priest!
Note also that the Catholic Church speaks of two types of contrition: Perfect and Imperfect. With Perfect
Contrition, as we say in the Act of Contrition after Confession, we are sorry for our sins because they offend God,
much as we would be if we offended someone special (which our Lord wishes to be to us in any case)!
With Imperfect Contrition our sorrow for our sins is more mixed with fear of Gods punishment. Either one is
sufficient for a good confession, although we should strive to treat our Lord as we would a close friend. You
wouldn't want to hurt someone like that would you?
The Sacrament of Penance gives us a great opportunity to receive our Lords graces to avoid and resist sin. That
doesnt mean we might not struggle with our sins and need to confess them again when we slip up. (Maybe again
and again!)
Still, when you fall down, dont despair! Get back up again in this sacrament as soon as possible to get Gods
grace and forgiveness. The devil is good at enticing us to sin by blinding us as to Gods justice beforehand and

then, once weve sinned, blinding us instead as to Gods mercy and enticing us into despair instead. Dont fall for
that trap! Avoid sin and its occasions as fully as possible, but when you slip up, get back to confession. The priest
is there to help restore your soul to its former state of grace.
Remember that our Creator died on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins so that we might be able to share
Eternal Life with Him. The popular expression that God loves the sinner but hates the sin applies here. Our Lord
doesnt want to lose any of us. The Gospels include wonderful references to Gods mercy, such as in the parable
of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).
Jesus Himself told Saint Faustina, in one of His many private revelations to her in the 1930s, My Heart overflows
with great mercy for souls and especially for poor sinnersFor them I dwell in the tabernacle as the King of
Mercy.
Keep in mind as well that there is no need to feel any shame in this process! Having to confess your sins to
another person, the priest, requires a great deal of humility, a virture par excellence in the eyes of our Lord.
And dont worry that what you say wont be kept confidential. If a priest reveals anything of what youve said to
anyone, that is grounds for his excommunication from the Church. Thats how important Jesus values your privacy
in confiding in Him through his priests!
Also, don't be concerned that your sins are too big to confess or that its been too long since your last confession.
These worries should never keep you away from the confessional. And dont ever feel you sins arent big enough
either! Your examination of conscience beforehand might turn up some petty vices you havent been able to
shake.
Regular confession can help you defeat those impulses that hinder your spiritual advancement, such as anger,
envy, lust, and pride, (which are among the Seven deadly sins).
Noted psychologist, author and EWTN radio host Ray Guarendi once called Confession a fabulous opportunity
to basically say Dear Lord, guide me to look at myself and to understand all the ways that I am not living for you,
and with your grace and strength, I can improve. ..Confessing our sins gives us a perfect opportunity to get
Gods love, mercy, forgiveness, and to make right what we can make right.