Act of Contrition

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 occasion of sin. Amen.

Holy Days of Obligation

The Holy Days of Obligation are the days other than Sundays on which we celebrate the great things God has done for us through Jesus and the saints.
 

On Holy Days of Obligation,
Catholics are required
to attend Mass.

Six (6) Holy Days of Obligation
celebrated in the United States

January 01 -  The Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Ascension Thursday- 40 days after Easter Sunday

August 15 -  Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

November 01 - All Saints Day

December 08 – The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

December 25 – Christmas, The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Before Confession  Be truly sorry for your sins.  Pray to the Holy Spirit to help you make a good confession:
 
Prayer to the Holy Spirit  Come, Holy Spirit, and help me to know how much God loves me and wants to forgive me.  Help me to see and to love the goodness God has placed in me and in others.  You have asked me to love God, myself and others.  Show me how I have failed, to help me be sorry for my sins.  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful; And kindle in them the fire of your love.
 
Examination of Conscience  Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.
 
A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts (Laws) of te Church. 

Click on  Examination of Conscience 
to view the helpfu patterns for examination of conscience.

The Precepts of the Catholic Church describe the minimum effort we must make in prayer and in living a moral life. All Catholics are called to move beyond the minimum by growing in love of God and love of neighbor.
 
 The Precepts are as follows:

1. Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
2. Confession at least once a year
3. Reception of Holy Communion during the Easter season
4. Observance of the days of fast and abstinence
5. Providing for the needs of the Church
6. Observe the church's law on marriage   

After Confession  Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.  Perform the assigned Penance with sincerity and gratitude.
 
Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. As Catholics we are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life!
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In the Confessional

You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.
 
Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.. Amen.
 
Bless Me Father for I have sinned.  It has been  _______ weeks (months, years) since my last confession."
 
Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.)
 
After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."
 
Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.
 
When invited, say the Act of Contrition: 
 
Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church, given by Jesus through the priest.  As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest.