If you do not know how to confess, feeluneasy or ashamed, simply ask the priestto assist you, Be assured he will help youmake a good confession. Simply answerthe questions without hiding anything outof shame or fear. Place your trust in God:he is your merciful Father and wants toforgive you.

• If you do not remember any serious sins,be sure to confess at least some of yourvenial sins, adding at the end: "I amsorry for these and all the sins of mypast life, especially for, , , (mention ingeneral any past sin for which you areparticularly sorry, for example all my sinsagainst charity, purity, etc.)."The priest will assign you some penanceand give you some advice to help you tobe a better Christian.Listen to the words of the absolutionattentively. At the end answer: "Amen."Be willing to do the penance as soon aspossible. This penance will diminish thetemporal punishment due to sins alreadyforgiven.

After ConfessionGive thanks to God forforgiving you again.If you recall some serious sin you forgot totell, rest assured that it has been forgivenwith the others, but be sure to confess itin your next Confession.

Rite of Reconciliationthe nenitent crosses himself as the cries:

In the name of the Father. and of the Son. and ofthe Holy SpiritTi'e ,-"115\','",1$ Amen.Tt-c ~la:/ say

May the Lord be in your heart and help you toconfess your sins with true sorrow.Either the priest or the penitent may read or say by heart some words takentrom the Holy Scr.ptu-e about the mercy of God and repentance. e.q

Lord, you know all things; you know that I loveyou.

accuses himself of his sins. Tile priest gives the opportunethe penance on turn. and invites the penitent to manifest

Tile penitent may say for example

Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me,a sinner.The priest gives him the absolution'

God, the Father of mercies, through the death andresurrection of his Son has reconciled the worldto himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us forthe forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of theChurch, may God give you pardon and peace, andI absolve you from your sins in the name of theFather, and of the Son, >1< and of the Holy SpiritThe penitent answers: Amen.The priest dismisses tile penitent wilh this or any other formulae

May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, theintercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of allthe saints, whatever good you do and suffering youendure, heal yoursins, help you to grow in holiness,and reward you with eternal life. Go in peace.The penitent should fulfill the penance imposed

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SHORT GUIDE FOR

CONFESSIONBy Jarnes Socias

The basic reouirement for a good Confessionis to have the intention of returning to Godlike the "prodigal son" and to acknowledge oursins with true sorrow before his representative.the priest."To those who have been far away from thesacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving loveImake this appeal. come back to this sourceof grace, do not be etreio! Christ himself iswaiting for you. He will heal you, and you willbe at peace with God!'"

Examination of ConscienceRecall your sins. Calmly ask yourself whatyou have done with full knowledge and fullconsent against God's and the Church'sCommandments.

When was my last good Confession? DidI receive Communion or other sacramentsin the state of mortal sin? Did I intention-ally fail to confess some mortal sin in myprevious Confession?Did I seriously doubt my faith or putmyself in danger of losing my faith throughreadings hostile to Catholic teachings orinvolvement in non-Catholic sects? Did I

* Homily of Pope John Paul II on September 13.1987. at Westover Hill s, San Antonio, Texas.

engage in superstitious practices: palm-reading, fortune telling, etc.?Did I take the name of God in vain? DidI curse, or take a false oath?Did I miss Mass on Sundays or holy daysof obligation through my own fault, withoutany serious reason? Did I keep fast andabstinence on the prescribed days?Did I disobey my parents and lawfulsuperiors in important matters?Did I hate or quarrel with anyone, ordesire revenge? Did I refuse to forgive?Did I hurt or cause to kill someone? DidI get drunk? Did I take illicit drugs? Did Iconsent to, recommend, advise or activelytake part in an abortion?Did I willfully look at indecent picturesor watch immoral movies? Did I readimmoral books or magazines? Did Iengage in impure jokes or conversations?Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts orfeelings? Did I commit impure acts, aloneor with others? Did I take contraceptiveor abortifacient pills or use other artificialmeans in order to prevent conception?Did I steal or damage another's prop-erty? How much? Have I made reparationfor the damages done? Have ! beendishonest in my business relations?Did I tell lies? Did I sin by calumny, ordetraction tel!ing tile unknown grave faultsof others without necessity, even if they aretrue? Did i judge others rashly in seriousmatters? Have I tried to make restitutionfor the bad reputation I caused?

If you remember other serious sins besidesthose indicated here, mention them in yourConfession.

Before ConfessionBe truly sorry for your sins. 'The essentialact of Penance, on the part of the penitent,is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection ofthe sin committed, together with a resolutionnot to commit it again, out of the love onehas for God and which is reborn withrepentance.

Understood in thisway, contrition is thereforethe beginning and the heart of conversion,of that evangelical meienoie which bringsthe person back to God like the ProdigalSon returning to his father, and which hasin the sacrament of Penance its visible signand which perfects attrition."

The resolution to avoid committing thesesins in the future (amendment) is a suresign that your sorrow is genuine andauthentic.

This does not mean that a promise nevertofall again into sin is necessary. A resolutionto try to avoid the near occasions of sinsuffices for true repentance. God's gracein cooperation with the intention to rectifyyour life will give you the strength to resistand overcome temptation in the future.

John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatioet Peenitentie, n. 31. 1983.

Act of Contritiono my God, I am heartily sorry for havingoffended you and I detest all my sins,because I dread the loss of heaven andthe pains of hell; but most of all becausethey offend you, my God, who are allgood and deserving of all my love. Ifirmlyresolve with the help of your grace, toconfess my sins, to do penance, and toamend my life. Amen.You may now go to Confession.

During ConfessionYou can begin your confession by makingthe sign of the cross and greeting thepriest: "Bless me father, for I havesinned."The priest gives you a blessing andyou may respond by reciting the wordsSt. Peter said to Christ: "Lord you knowall things; you know that I love you."You may continue with the time sinceyour last confession: "My last goodconfession was ... (how many weeks,months or years approximately)."Say the sins that you rernernber. Start withthe one that is most difficult to say, after thisit will be easier to mention the rest. If YOLi re-ceived general absolution, tell this and thesins forgiven then to the priest.