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Sacrament of Reconciliation
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and of their righteous posterity;: thou who hast made heaven and earth with all their order; who hast shackled the sea by thy word of command, who hast confined the deep and sealed it with Thy terrible and glorious name; at whom all things shudder, and tremble before Thy power, for Thy glorious splendor cannot be borne, and the wrath of Thy threat to sinners is irresistible; yet immeasurable and unsearchable is thy promised mercy, for Thou art the Lord Most High, of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful, and repentest over the evils of men. Thou, O Lord, according to Thy great goodness hast promised repentance and forgiveness to those who have sinned against Thee; and in the multitude of Thy mercies Thou hast appointed repentance for sinners, that they may be saved. Therefore thou, O Lord, God of the righteous, hast not appointed repentance for the righteous, for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against Thee, but Thou hast appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner. For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea; my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied! I am unworthy to look up and see the height of heaven because of the multitude of my iniquities. I am weighted down with many an iron fetter, so that I am rejected because of my sins, and I have no relief; for I have provoked Thy wrath and have done what is evil in Thy sight, setting up abominations and multiplying offenses. And now I bend the knee of my heart, beseeching Thee for Thy kindness. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I know my transgressions. I earnestly beseech Thee, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me for ever or lay up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For thou, O Lord, art the God of those who repent, and in me Thou wilt manifest Thy goodness; for, unworthy as I am, Thou wilt save me in Thy great mercy, and I will praise Thee continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings Thy praise, and Thine is the glory forever. Amen. The prayer of Manasseh
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is regularly scheduled for Saturdays from 4:00 pm to 4:45 pm. However, if this time is unsuitable for your particular situation, every effort will be made to set up an appointment at your convenience.
Five steps to a good confession
Many of these sins are mortal and the Eucharist is forbidden until a good confession is made to a priest and you have received absolution. Don't be hasty or superficial. If in doubt whether a sin is "mortal" or "venial", confess it and consult a good catechism or a priest very loyal to the Holy Father and Rome's teachings. A mortal sin involves a serious matter, there is sufficient reflection and it is committed with full consent of the will. Did I deny or doubt God's existence?
Did I participate in or approve of, the great evil known as
euthanasia (mercy-killing)? NOTE: In the area of deliberate sexual sins listed below, all are mortal if there is sufficient reflection and full consent of the will. Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts
and desires? Did I steal, cheat, help or
encourage others to steal or keep stolen property?
The priest may begin with a Scripture reading. After he finishes, the appropriate response is:: "Bless me Father in this confession for I have sinned. It has been ... (a week, a month or the length of time) since my last confession." Tell the priest your mortal sins and the number of time committed. If you have no mortal sins to confess, then confess two or three venial sins you have committed since your last confession. When you have finished telling your sins, you should say: "For these and all the sins of my past life, I am truly sorry." The priest may now give you some advice, assign your penance and ask you to say the Act of Contrition. Then wait and listen as the priest gives you absolution. Thank your confessor and carry out the penance you were assigned as quickly as possible.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having
offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because of Thy just punishments, but
most of all because they offend Thee my God who art all good and deserving of
all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and
to avoid the near occasions of sin. Don't worry if you can't remember all the words exactly as above. Using your own words is surely acceptable to God's ear but the priest needs to hear them so that he can fulfill his role as commanded by Jesus: "Whatever sin you retain shall be retained; whatever sin you forgive, I forgive." Live your life with Jesus, the man, as your role model. There is none better!
St. Rose of Lima - First Canonized Saint of the Americas If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about their cross or about troubles that may happen to them, if they would come to know the scales on which their crosses are weighed when they are distributed to us. Spend a few quiet moments enjoying God and the life He has given you.
When the heart is pure it cannot help
loving, because it has discovered the source of love which is God.
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If everyone would take only according to their needs and
would leave the surplus to the needy, St. Basil
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