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This Sacrament is also called the Sacrament of Penance, Confession, Mercy, Forgiveness, Peace, Love ...
There are three parts to a good Sacramental Confession: - Preparation
- Confession
- Penance
after which one should finally be happy of getting rid of the burden of sin.
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To prepare for a good Confession, one should first express the intention to oneself of doing a good Confession. This should be followed by a request to God, to obtain the Grace necessary to accomplish the task. Then, a person should say a few prayers, the usual ones are an “Our Father”, a “Hail Mary”, and a “Glory be” all the while keeping in mind the intention of doing a good Confession. A couple of handfuls of “Hail Mary” is usually helpful in calming the spirit and keeping the devil from getting you to do an incomplete Confession.
The next step is to take an inventory of your sins by checking a list from a reliable source that enumerates the various sins committed in thought, words or deed, since the last Confession. Then a careful review of any sins of omission is also a necessity. Look for any evidence of mortal sin, and any repetitious ones. A few more “Hail Marys” and it’s off to the confessional. While waiting one’s turn, one should continue a mental review of sins in order to make as complete a Confession as possible.
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Once in the confessional and the Priest has signaled the start of the process, one calmly follows the usual ritual of asking for the Priest’s blessing, state how long it has been since the last one, and state the intention of making a good confession. Slowly and deliberately admit to any mortal or habitual ones sins first. Once the sins are confessed, it’s time to close by saying that the sins are regretted and that a serious attempt will be made not to repeat them.
One should also say at this point that forgiveness is requested for any forgotten sins whether by deed, thoughts or words and ask for absolution and a penance. Then, one waits for the Priest to complete the required prayers which are required for the penitent to be absolved of his sins, while the penitent recites an act of contrition and listens carefully for the penance. Once the Priest’s blessing has been given, tell the Priest you will pray for him, exit the confessional and immediately carry out the penance.
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Kneeling, say the prayers given by the Priest for the penance. No one should rush through this, but should calmly recite the prayers keeping in mind that the penance is the final step in the remission of sins. Some Priests are much more generous in handing out penance than others, giving out a whole decade of the Rosary or more to recite. You should not compare one penance with another, since all are inspired by Jesus Christ who is acting through the Priest, and therefore are always just and right no matter how big or small the penance seems to be, no matter how serious the sins. One must be sure to say some prayers for the Priest, especially if he has requested them.
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