Penance:
Every Friday at 6pm - 6.30pm (from beginning of October to end of April)
7pm - 7.30pm (from beginning of May to end of September)
Before Confession:
1. Examine Your Conscience: Reflect on your actions, thoughts, and words since your last confession to identify your sins.
2. Feel Sincere Sorrow: Be genuinely sorry for your sins, not just for the consequences, but for offending a good and loving God. This is called contrition and is essential for forgiveness.
3. Resolve to Change: Make a firm intention to avoid sin in the future.
During Confession:
1. Enter the Confessional: You can choose a face-to-face option or remain behind a screen.
2. Begin: Make the Sign of the Cross and say, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [state length of time] since my last confession".
3. Confess Your Sins: Be direct and humble. List your mortal sins (including their kind and number) and any venial sins that come to mind.
4. Conclude Your Confession: Say, "For these and all the sins of my past, I am truly sorry" or a similar phrase.
5. Listen and Accept: The priest will give you spiritual advice and assign a penance.
6. Say the Act of Contrition: Pray the Act of Contrition as the priest directs.
7. Receive Absolution: The priest will then offer absolution (God's forgiveness) as a priest of Christ.
After Confession:
1. Complete Your Penance: Carry out the penance assigned by the priest as a way to show your gratitude for God's mercy.
2. Give Thanks: Spend time offering thanks to God for His forgiveness and the grace you have received.
Prayers:
I confess
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned through my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do;
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sister, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Act of Contrition:
Children’s act of Sorrow
O my God, I thank you for loving me. I am sorry for all my sins, for not loving others and not loving you. Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen".
Priests’ Prayer of Absolution
God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Examinations of Conscience:
An examination of conscience
What is there room for in my life? Do I waste my time? Do I clutter up my life with useless activities? Do I waste money on satisfying a craving for things? What is my attitude to money, to material possessions, to food and drink, to clothing? Is my attitude based on what I need, or on what I want? Is my attitude influenced by the material needs of others? Is my attitude the same as Christ’s? Am I honest and just in the use of money and property? Do I “stretch a point” if other people do so also? Do I use my own gifts and talents for myself or for other people? Do I respect my own self, as someone made in God’s image and likeness? Do I find it hard to forgive, and to ask for and accept forgiveness? Do I believe that God will never reject me?
Is there room in my life for other people? Do I respect and value other people? How do I treat the members of my family? Do I accept that when I say “I love you” , I take on certain real and practical responsibilities? Do I fulfil those responsibilities? Am I unfaithful to those I love by neglecting them, ignoring them, ill-treating or in any other way? Do I love my neighbour? Do I bother to get to know my neighbour? Ought I to do so? Am I prejudiced about my neighbour because of his colour, class, creed, position, or any other reason? Do I make other people happy? Do I help people to see better, or to understand more clearly, or to cope more easily with their suffering? Am I my brother’s keeper?
Is there room in my life for God? Am I too busy to pay God much attention? Do I keep myself deliberately busy because I am afraid of meeting God too closely? Am I prepared to be silent and to listen when I pray? Do I use words as a smokescreen to keep God at bay? Do I let my doubts frighten me? Do I contribute to the worship in the parish by working for the parish community? Am I satisfied just to be present? Does my passive presence fulfil my obligation to worship? Is religion just a sort of insurance policy for me? Do I worship God with sincerity? Do I worship God throughout the week? Does my daily living give praise to my Creator and Father? Do I live like Jesus Christ, giving myself without limit to my fellow men? Do I do the work of God’s Spirit in my daily life?