Devotions for Confession

Call to mind that this confession may be the last of your life. Therefore, prepare yourself for it as if you were dying, and ask upon your deathbed and already at the bar of the divine judgment. Beg of God to give you the grace to make a good examination of conscience, the light to see your sins clearly, and the strength to make a sincere confession and to amend your life.

Begin by examining yourself on your last confession: whether a grievous sin was forgotten through want of proper examination, or concealed or disguised through shame; whether you confessed without a true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment; whether you have required restitution to your neighbour; whether your penance was performed without voluntary distractions; whether you have neglected your confessor's counsel, and fallen at once into habitual sins.

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

Examine yourself also in regard to the Seven Capital Sins and the nine ways of being accessary to another's sin.

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 endeavour 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, fervour, and perseverance should you not importune Him Who holds the hearts of men in His hands to grant it to you!

Consider Who He is, and how good and gracious He is to you, Whom you have so often and so deeply offended by these sins. He made you — He made you for Himself, to know, love, and serve Him, and to be happy with Him forever. He redeemed you by His blood. He has borne with you and waited for you so long. He is your God and moved you to repentance. Why have you thus sinned against Him? Why have you been so ungrateful? What more could He do for you? Oh, be ashamed, and mourn, and despise yourself, because you have sinned against your Maker and your Redeemer, Whom you ought to love above all things!

Consider the consequences of even one mortal sin. By it you lose the grace of God. You destroy peace of conscience; you forfeit the felicity of heaven, for which you were created and redeemed; and you prepare for yourself eternal punishment. If we grieve for the loss of temporal and earthly things, how much more should we grieve for having deliberately exposed ourselves to the loss of those which are eternal and heavenly!

Consider how great is the love of God for you; if only from this, that He hath so long waited for you, and spared you, when He might have so justly cast you into hell. Behold Him fastened to the cross for love of you! Behold Him stretching out His precious blood as a fountain to cleanse you from your sins! Hear Him saying, 'I thirst' — 'I thirst with an ardent desire for your salvation.' Behold Him stretching out His arms to embrace you, and waiting until you should come to yourself and turn unto Him, and throw yourself before Him, and say, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son.' Let these considerations touch your heart with love for Him Who so loves you, and, with love, will beget true contrition, most acceptable to God.

Say the Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Gloria to obtain true contrition. Then add the Invocations.

Recite very attentively one of the following acts.

Approach the confessional with the same recollected mien 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.

Then tell when you made your last confession, and begin the accusal 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 thee, blessed Mary, ever 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 this 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, endeavour to excite an act of perfect contrition. Recall 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.