Catholic Truth - How To Prepare For Confession

Prayer Before Confession

Most Merciful Father, I rely on Your goodness and mercy. I come to You with filial confidence to confess my sins and implore Your forgiveness, for You will not despise a humble and contrite heart. Give me light, love, and sorrow, that I may discover, detest, and confess all the sins that I have committed. I acknowledge that I have been most ungrateful to You, but I sincerely repent and detest the wrongs I have done. Bless me therefore and receive me again into Your favor.

O Holy Ghost, Spirit of Love and Dispenser of all graces, help me to receive this great Sacrament worthily, give me Your grace that I may make a careful examination of conscience and discover my sins. Touch my heart that I may hate and detest them, and assist me to make a firm resolution to avoid sin henceforth. Spirit of Love and Truth, assist me to make a sincere, entire, and truthful Confession to Your representative, the priest, and thus obtain Your forgiveness, Your grace, and Your love.

O Jesus, my Savior, my Good Shepherd, I have strayed far from the path of virtue. I did not follow in Your footsteps. I wandered into forbidden places. Repentant and sorrowful, I beg to be again admitted into the fold of Your faithful followers. I desire to confess my sins with the same sincerity as I would wish to do at the moment of my death. My Jesus, give me the grace to make a heartfelt contrition and amendment of life, so that I may glorify You.

Mary, my Mother, Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, refuge of sinners, assist me by your holy intercession. Help me to call to mind all my offenses and to be truly sorry for having offended God.

My dear Guardian Angel, who has been a witness to my sins, help me to recall them and to be truly sorry for them.

All holy Angels and Saints of God, pray for me. Amen.

(The following questions are only a guide, they are not meant to imply these are the only sins you should confess.)

Examination of Conscience

Your Last Confession

When did I make my last confession?
How many times have I received the Sacraments unworthily?
Have I tried to avoid the near occasions of sin?
Did I:
    have true sorrow?
    conceal any mortal sins and thus commit a sacrilege?
    receive Holy Communion after a bad Confession?
    receive Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin?
    forget a mortal sin in my last Confession? (it must be confessed in this Confession)
    perform my penance?
    make necessary restitution?
    repair injury done to another's good name?

The First Commandment

I am the Lord, thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.

Have I:
    been neglectful in prayer, or said them carelessly, with willful distractions?
    wilfully doubted in matters of faith?
    denied my religion?
    been wilfully distracted during prayer?
    distracted others in prayer, such as by talking in Church before or during Mass, or by not keeping my children quiet?
    read books against my faith?
    used words of Scripture in jest?
    despaired of, or presumed on God's mercy by continuing a long time in mortal sin?
    murmured against God or His Providence?
    refused to resign myself to God's Will?
    spoken against my religion or its ministers?
    consulted fortune tellers or practiced superstition?
    affiliated myself with a forbidden secret society?
    received the Sacraments unworthily?
    shown irreverence towards the Blessed Sacrament,
       or in the use of sacramentals (holy water, the Sign of the Cross, etc)?
    neglected my penance?
    taken part in non-Catholic church services?
    failed to keep promises or vows made to God?

The Second Commandment

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord, thy God, in vain.

Have I:
    taken the name of God in vain (cursing, swearing, in jest)?
    encouraged others to use evil or profane language?
    spoken irreverently of holy things?
    cursed?
    sworn falsely or unnecessarily?
    blasphemed God (in thought, word, or writing)?
    broken a vow?
    desired evil on others, or cursed them, or asked God to curse them?

The Third Commandment

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day (Sunday).

Have I:
    willfully neglected Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
    come in late for Mass or left early?
    been disrespectful in Church, such as by talking before or during Mass while others are trying to pray, or by not keeping my children quiet?
    misbehaved in Church and/or caused others to do so, or allowed my children to do so?
    performed unnecessary servile work on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation?
    desecrated Sundays or other Holy Days by excessive drinking or gambling, or
    by keeping sinful company or frequenting sinful amusements?

The Fourth Commandment

Honor thy Father and Mother.

Have I:
    been disobedient or disrespectful to my parents, teachers, pastor, or lawful superiors?
    been stubborn towards them?
    grumbled at them?
    used insulting language toward them?
    struck them?
    made them unhappy by misconduct?
    wished them evil or serious harm?
    failed to assist them in old age, sickness, or poverty?
    neglected to pray for the repose of their souls?
    broken any civil laws or disobeyed any lawful authority?
For parents:
Have I:
    neglected to send my children to church on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
    neglected to send them to a Catholic School (if one is available)?
    given then a bad example?
    permitted them to go to questionable places or be with questionable friends?
For employees
Have I:
    formented discord?
    failed in respect or honesty?

The Fifth Commandment

Thou shalt not kill.
(This also includes injury to the soul, and uncharitableness.)

Have I:
    been intemperate in eating or drinking?
    struck or wounded others?
    been guilty of anyone's death or bodily injury, either by act, participation, instigation, counsel, or consent?
    performed an abortion?
    had an abortion?
    encouraged others to have an abortion?
    quarreled with others?
    willfully entertained thoughts of hatred, revenge, jealousy, aversion, resentment, or contempt for others?
    borne hatred?
    given scandal or thrown temptation to others?
    provoked others to anger?
    approved or encouraged the anger of others?
    wished others evil, or death?
    participated in or consented to "mercy killing"?
    allowed anyone to die without having last rights?
    given way to anger and/or passion?
    led others into sin?
    sent or advised parents to send children to a school where
       their Catholic Faith or morals would be endangered?
    given way to pride?
    been envious?
    abused drugs?
    sinned by excessive eating and/or drinking, or by becoming intoxicated?
    given way to sloth?
    attempted suicide or entertained thoughts of it?

The Sixth and Ninth Commandments

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

Have I:
    willfully entertained impure thoughts and/or desires?
    willfully desired to see or do anything impure?
    spoken immodestly or taken pleasure in immodest conversations?
    read immodest books? written improper things?
    sung or listened to improper songs?
    watched and/or participated in immodest dances, plays, or movies?
    boasted of my sins?
    taken pleasure in immodest looks or touches on myself or others?
    been guilty of undue familiarities or sinful kisses?
    visited dangerous places of amusement?
    committed immodest actions alone or with others? with a married person?
    committed homosexual acts?
    gazed with willful pleasure on improper objects or pictures and/or shown them to others?
    voluntarily exposed myself to temptation by curiosity
       or by frequenting dangerous company or places?
    kept company with a married person?
    been guilty of sins contrary to marriage obligations?
    used contraceptives or abortifacient "contraceptives", or been sterilized,
       or encouraged, advised, or instructed others to commit such sins?
    dressed immodestly?
    failed to train my children in matters of chastity?
    been a cause of temptation to the purity of others by
       immodest dress, freedom of speech, or manners?
    deliberately led others into sin?
    taken part in the sin of others?
    not avoided the proximate occasion of these sins?

The Seventh and Tenth Commandments

7. Thou shalt not steal.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

Have I:
    been guilty of stealing or cheating?
    knowingly bought, accepted, shared in, or concealed stolen goods?
    not returned stolen goods or their value?
    willfully damaged anothers property?
    willfully had the desire to steal, cheat, or damage my neighbors goods?
    neglected to pay for such damage?
    not returned things I have found to the owner?
    not made sufficient effort to find the owner of things I have found?
    refused to return things I have borrowed?
    unjustly delayed or refused to pay my debts?
    sought the things of this world too eagerly?
    desired to steal or commit any injustice?
    been a party to another's stealing or injustice?
    performed work carelessly?
    wasted time at work?
    been avaricious?
    squandered mine or another's property?
    wronged my family by prodigal expenses,
       such as excessive drinking, gambling, etc.?

The Eighth Commandment

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Have I:
    borne false witness against my neighbor?
    been guilty of telling lies?
    been guilty of detraction, by revealing my neighbors' secret faults?
    been guilty of calumny, by saying what is false or uncertain about my neighbor?
    caused ill-feeling by tale-bearing?
    been guilty in any way of uncharitable speech?
    neglected to repair the harm done by my sinful speech?
    listened wilfully to detraction or calumny?
    flattered others in their sins and bad habits?
    sinned by hypocrisy and pretense of virtue?
    entertained a false suspicion of my neighbor or been guilty of rash judgement?
    attributed bad motives to others when I could not be certain of their motives?
    signed false papers or documents?
    read others letters and/or violated their right to certain secrets?
    been guilty of sacrilege, by speaking against a priest or anyone consecrated to God?

The Six Precepts of the Church

1. To attend Mass and to abstain from servile work on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
2. To fast and abstain from meat on the days appointed by the Church.
3. To confess one's sins at least once a year.
4. To receive worthily the Blessed Eucharist at Easter Time or within the time appointed.
5. To contribute to the support of the Church.
6. Not to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of kindred or otherwise prohibited by the Church;
    not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times;
    in general, to observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

Have I:
    failed to assist at Mass on Sundays and/or Holy Days of Obligation,
       or done so without due reverence and devotion?
    performed unnecessary servile work on such days?
    failed to go to Confession at least once a year?
    failed to receive Holy Communion during Easter time (Septuagesima Sunday
       through Trinity Sunday, i.e., the third Sunday before Ash Wednesday
       through the Sunday after Pentacost Sunday)?
    received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?
    failed to observe the precepts of fasting and abstinence without lawful reasons and proper dispensation?
    failed to contribute to the support of the Church according to my means?
    planned to "marry" or actually pretended to enter the married state before a minister or civil magistrate?
       (That is, entered into an invalid so-called "marriage" outside the Church.)
    approved of other Catholics doing this?
    acted as a witness for them in such a "marriage"?
    married within the forbidden degrees of kinship?

Act of Contrition

Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Confession

When you enter the confessional say the following:

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (number of days, weeks, months, or years) since my last confession.

Tell all your sins distinctly and finish by saying:

For these and all my sins of my whole life, especially ... I am heartily sorry and I humbly ask for penance and absolution.

Then listen to the priest. After he has given the penance and while he is giving you absolution repeat the Act of Contrition. After you leave the confessional say the following:

Act of Thanksgiving

My God, I thank You for Your great mercy in letting me go to confession, and in forgiving me my sins. Help me that I may always do my best to please You. From now on I will love You above all things. I will pray often to You, and I will always pray with great devotion. I will, for Your sake, abhor sin more than death itself and avoid all occasions that have unhappily brought me to it. This I resolve to do with the aid of Your Divine grace, without which I can do nothing. I beg Your blessing on these my resolutions. Supply also, by Your mercy, whatever defects I may have committed in this confession, and give me grace to be now and always a true penitent.

Now perform your penance.

If you came to this page from Catholic Truth close this window to return there.
If you came to this page from some where else click here to go to the main Catholic Truth page.