{"id":523,"date":"2025-06-09T10:52:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T10:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bibleinurdu.com\/my-prayer-book\/?p=523"},"modified":"2025-08-22T07:12:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:12:46","slug":"what-is-the-sacrament-of-penance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bibleinurdu.com\/my-prayer-book\/prayer\/what-is-the-sacrament-of-penance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is The Sacrament of Penance?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is The Sacrament of Penance?<\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is the sacrament in which the
\nHeavenly Father, through the merits of
\nJesus Christ receives again the child who
\nreturns repentant. It cancels the sins of the
\npast life, serves as the principal means of<\/p>\n

keeping oneself from falling into sin again,
\nand of correcting one’s faults. Approach
\nthe sacrament regularly. It is wise counsel
\nto go ordinarily to the same confessor and
\nnot easily to change one’s confessor
\nwithout necessity. The conditions
\nnecessary for making a good confession
\nare: prayer, examen, sorrow, resolution,
\naccusation, and satisfaction. Sorrow
\ncoupled with resolution is indispensable
\nfor receiving pardon.<\/p>\n

Prayer before Confession<\/span><\/h1>\n

“O Lord, may I know myself; may I
\nknow you!” (St Augustine). May I know
\nmy own selfishness, ignorance, and
\nweakness, and know, too, that you are
\nready to lift me up and sustain me as I
\nclimb toward the spiritual heights you call
\nme to attain. May I distrust myself and
\ntrust in you!
\nEnlighten my mind, that I may see all
\nmy sins clearly soften my heart, that I
\nmay be truly sorry for them; give me the<\/p>\n

grace and courage to confess them
\nsincerely, and thus obtain your pardon,
\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
\nAmen.<\/p>\n

Examination of Conscience<\/span><\/h1>\n

Relations toward the Sacrament
\n1. What is my attitude to the sacrament of
\npenance? Do I sincerely want to be set
\nfree from sin, to turn again to God, to
\nbegin a new life, and to enter into a deeper
\nfriendship with God? Or do I look on it as
\na burden, to be undertaken as seldom as
\npossible?
\n2. Did I forget to mention, or deliberately
\nconceal, any grave sins in past confessions?
\n3. Did I perform the penance I was given?
\nDid I make reparation for any injury to
\nothers? Have I tried to put into practice
\nmy resolution to lead a better life in keeping
\nwith the Gospel?<\/p>\n

Relations toward God<\/span><\/h1>\n

1. Is my heart set on God, so that I really
\nlove him above all things and am faithful
\nto his commandments, as a son loves his
\nfather? Or am I more concerned about
\nthe things of this world? Have I a right
\nintention in what I do?
\n2. God spoke to us in his Son. Is my faith
\nin God firm and secure? Am I whole-
\nhearted in accepting the Church’s
\nteaching? Have I been careful to grow in
\nmy understanding of the faith, to hear
\nGod’s word, to listen to instructions on the
\nfaith, and to avoid dangers to the faith? Have I
\nbeen always strong and fearless in
\nprofessing my faith in God and the
\nChurch? Have I been willing to be known
\nas a Christian in private and public life?
\n3. Have I prayed morning and evening?
\nWhen I pray, do I really raise my mind and
\nheart to God, or is it a matter of words
\nonly? Do I offer God my difficulties, my
\njoys, and my sorrows? Do I turn to God in
\ntime of temptation?<\/p>\n

4. Have I love and reverence for God’s
\nname? Have I offended him in blasphemy
\nswearing falsely, or taking his name in
\nvain? Have I shown disrespect for the
\nBlessed Virgin Mary and the saints?<\/p>\n

5. Do I keep Sundays and days of S
\nobligation holy by taking a full part, with
\nattention and devotion, in the liturgy, and
\nespecially in the Mass? Have I fulfilled the
\nprecept of annual confession and of
\ncommunion during the Easter season?
\n6. Are there false gods that I worship by
\ngiving them greater attention and deeper
\ntrust than I give to God: money,
\nsuperstition, spiritism, or other occult
\npractices?<\/p>\n

Relations toward Others<\/span><\/h1>\n

1. Have I a genuine love for my
\nneighbours? Or do I use them for my own
\nends, or do to them what I would not want
\ndone to myself? Have I given grave scandal
\nby words or actions?<\/p>\n

2. In my family life, have I contributed to
\nthe well-being and happiness of the rest of
\nthe family by patience and genuine respect
\nand giving them help in their spiritual and
\nmaterial needs? Have I been careful to
\ngive a Christian upbringing to my children,
\nand to help them by a good example and
\nby exercising authority as a parent? Have
\nI have been faithful to my husband (wife) in my
\nheart and in my relations with others?
\n3. Do I share my possessions with the
\nless fortunate? Do I do my best to help the
\nvictims of oppression, misfortune, and
\npoverty? Or do I look down on my
\nneighbour, especially the poor, the sick,
\nthe elderly, strangers, and people of other
\nraces?
\n4. Does my life reflect the mission I
\nreceived in Confirmation? Do I share in
\nthe apostolic and charitable works of the
\nChurch and in the life of my parish? Have
\nI helped to meet the needs of the Church
\nand of the world and prayed for them: for
\nunity in the Church, for the spread of the
\nGospel among the nations, for peace and
\njustice, etc.?<\/p>\n

5. Am I concerned for the good and
\nprosperity of the human community in
\nwhich I live, or do I spend my life caring the
\nonly for myself? Do I share to the best of
\nmy ability in the work of promoting justice,
\nmorality, harmony, and love in human
\nrelations? Have I done my duty as a
\ncitizen? Have I paid my taxes?
\n6. In my work or profession, am I just,
\nhard-working, honest, serving society out
\nof love for others? Have I paid a fair wage
\nto my employees? Have I been faithful to
\nmy promises and contracts?
\n7. Have I obeyed legitimate authority and
\ngiven it due respect?
\n8. If I am in a position of responsibility or
\nauthority, do I use this for my own
\nadvantage or for the good of others, in a
\nspirit of service?
\n9. Have I been truthful and fair, or have l
\ninjured others by deceit, calumny,
\ndetraction, rash judgment, or violation of
\na secret?
\n10. Have I done violence to others by
\ndamage to life or limb, reputation, honour,<\/p>\n

or material possessions? Have I involved
\nthern in loss? Have I been responsible for
\nadvising an abortion or procuring one?
\nHave I kept up hatred for others? Am I
\nestranged from others through quarrels,
\nenmity, insults, anger? Have I been guilty
\nof refusing to testify to the innocence of
\nanother because of selfishness?
\n11. Have I stolen the property of others?
\nHave I desired it unjustly and inordinately?
\nHave I damaged it? Have I made restitution
\nof other people’s property and made good
\ntheir loss?
\n12. If I have been injured, have I been
\nready to make peace for the love of Christ
\nand to forgive, or do I harbour hatred and
\nthe desire for revenge?<\/p>\n

Relations toward Self<\/span><\/h1>\n

1. Where is my life really leading me? Is
\nthe hope of eternal life, my inspiration?
\nHave I tried to grow in the life of the Spirit
\nthrough prayer, reading the word of God
\nand meditating on it, receiving the
\nsacraments, self-denial? Have I been<\/p>\n

anxious to control vices, my bad
\ninclinations and passions, e.g. envy, love
\nof food and drink? Have I been proud and
\nboastful, thinking myself better in the sight
\nof God and despising others as less
\nimportant than myself? Have I imposed
\nmy own will on others, without respecting
\ntheir freedom and rights?
\n2. What use have I made of time, of health
\nand strength, of the gifts God has given
\nme to be used like the talents in the
\nGospel? Do I use them to become more
\nperfect every day? Or have I been lazy
\nand too much given to leisure?<\/p>\n

3. Have I been patient in accepting the
\nsorrows and disappointments of life? Have
\nI performed mortification to “fill up what
\nis wanting to the sufferings of Christ”?
\nHave I kept the precept of fasting and
\nabstinence?
\n4. Have I kept my senses and my whole
\nbody pure and chaste as a temple of the
\nHoly Spirit consecrated for resurrection
\nand glory, and as a sign of God’s faithful
\nlove for men and women, a sign that is<\/p>\n

seen most perfectly in the sacrament of
\nmatrimony? Have I dishonoured my body
\nby fornication, impurity, unworthy
\nconversation or thoughts, evil desires or
\nactions? Have I given in to sensuality?
\nHave I indulged in reading, conversation,
\nshows, and entertainments that offend
\nChristian and human decency? Have I
\nencouraged others to sin by my failure to
\nmaintain these standards? Have I been
\nfaithful to the moral law in my married
\nlife?
\n5. Have I gone against my conscience
\nout of fear or hypocrisy?
\n6. Have I always tried to act in the true
\nfreedom of the children of God according to
\nthe law of the Spirit, or am I the slave of
\nforces within me?<\/p>\n

Confession of Sins\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n

In the confessional, humbly present<\/em>
\nyourself to the confessor saying ‘Bless me,<\/em>
\nFather, for I have sinned.’ Make the sign<\/em>
\nof the cross, then mention when you made<\/em>
\nyour last confession. Then briefly and<\/em>
\nsincerely make your accusation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Then say, ‘For these and for all the<\/em>
\nsins of my past life, especially…. (here name<\/em>
\nsome sin which you find easier to feel<\/em>
\nsorry for) I ask pardon of God and of you.’<\/em>
\nListen attentively to the advice and<\/em>
\nthe penance and the absolution, the priest<\/em>
\nwill give you in the following words:<\/em>
\nGod, the Father of mercies, through
\nthe death and resurrection of his Son has
\nreconciled the world to himself and sent
\nthe Holy Spirit among us for the
\nforgiveness of sins, through the ministry
\nof the Church, may God give you pardon
\nand peace, and I absolve you from your
\nsins in the name of the Father, and of the
\nSon, + and of the Holy Spirit.
\nR: Amen.
\nThe priest may add:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

May the passion of our Lord Jesus
\nChrist, the intercession of the Blessed
\nVirgin Mary and of all the saints, whatever
\ngood you do and suffering you endure,
\nheal your sins, help you to grow
\nholiness, and reward you with eternal life.
\nGo in peace.
\nR: Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prayer after Confession<\/span><\/h1>\n

First of all, say your penance, then make<\/em>
\nyour thanksgiving.<\/em>
\nHow good you have been to me, O
\nLord! Instead of punishing me, you have
\nshown me infinite mercy. I promise, with
\nthe help of your grace, to make up with
\ngreat love and good works for the
\ninnumerable offences which I have
\ncommitted against you.
\nMost holy Virgin, angels, and saints of
\nheaven, I thank you for your help; obtain
\nfor me consistency and the firm desire to
\nknow, love, and serve God better.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Sacrament of Penance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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