Do you want to make a good confession? Here's how to do it ...
What is Penance?
Penance, or Confession, is the sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to forgive sins committed after Baptism.
How many and what things are required to make a good confession?
Five things are required to make a good confession:
1) the examination of conscience; 2) the pain of sins; 3) the proposition not to commit any more;
4) confession; 5) satisfaction or penance.
What sins are we obliged to confess to?
We are obliged to confess to all mortal sins, not yet confessed or confessed badly;
However, it is useful to confess the Venials too.
How should we accuse deadly sins?
We must fully accuse the mortal sins, without letting ourselves be overcome by a false shame to be silent, declaring the species, the number and also the circumstances that added a new serious malice.
Who for shame or for another reason should keep a mortal sin,
would you make a good confession?
Whoever, out of shame, or for some other unjust reason, would keep silent about a mortal sin, would not make a good confession, but would commit a sacrilege.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Your confession is possibly weekly; and if sometimes, to your misfortune, you happen to commit a serious fault, do not let the night surprise you in mortal sin, but immediately purify your soul, at least with an act of perfect pain with the intention of confessing as soon as possible .
Have your stable confessor to choose after asking for advice and after praying: even in body diseases you call your usual doctor because he knows you and understands you in a few words; then only he goes to another when you feel an invincible repugnance to manifest some hidden plague to him: and this only to avoid the danger of a sacrilegious confession.
To your Confessor, manifest with sincerity and regularity all that can serve him to know you well and guide you: tell him the defeats suffered and the victories reported, the temptations he had and the good intentions formulated. Then he always humbly accepts commands and advice.
In this way you will not be slow to progress on the path of perfection.
BEFORE CONFESSION
Preparatory prayer
Most merciful my Savior, I have sinned and much sinned against you, through my guilt, through my great guilt, rebelling against your holy law, and preferring to you, my God and my heavenly Father, miserable creatures and my whims. Although I do not deserve punishment, do not deny me the grace to know, detest and sincerely confess all my sins, so that I can obtain your forgiveness and truly amend me. Holy virgin, intercede for me.
Pater, Ave, Glory.
Examination of conscience
First ask yourself these questions:
When did I make the last confession? - Did I confess well? - Did I keep some serious sin out of shame? - Did I do penance? - Did I make Holy Communion? - How many times ? and with what provisions?
Then he diligently examines the sins committed, in thoughts, in words, in deeds and omissions, against the commandments of God, the precepts of the Church and the duties of your state.
AGAINST THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
1. You will have no other God than me. - Did I act badly, - or did I neglect to say the morning and evening prayers? - Did I chat, laugh, joke in church? - Have I voluntarily doubted the truth of the faith? - Did I talk about religion and priests? - Did I have human respect?
2. Do not mention the name of God in vain. - Did I pronounce the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of Our Lady, and the Blessed Sacrament in vain? - Did I blaspheme? - Did I swear unnecessarily? - Have I murmured and cursed against God complaining about his divine Providence?
3. Remember to sanctify the party. - Did I leave out listening to Mass at the party? - Or did I listen to it only in part or without devotion? - Have I always gone to the Oratory or to the Christian Doctrine? - Did I work in Festa without need?
4. Honor the Father and the Mother. - Did I disobey my parents? - Did I give them any sorrows? - Have I never helped them in their needs? - Have I disrespected and obeyed my superiors? - Did I speak ill of them?
5. Don't kill. - Did I quarrel with my brothers and companions? - Did I have feelings of envy, hate, revenge against others? - Have I given scandal with acts of anger, with words or with bad deeds? - Did I fail to help the poor? - Have I been stingy, gluttonous, intemperate in food? - I've drunk too much?
6 and 9. Do not commit impure acts. - Do not desire the woman of others. - Did I keep in mind bad thoughts and wishes? - Did I listen to or give bad speeches myself? - Have I guarded the senses and especially the eyes? - Did I sing outrageous songs? - Did I commit unclean actions alone? - with others? - and how many times? - Have I read bad books, novels or newspapers? - Have I cultivated special friendships or illicit relationships? - Have I frequented dangerous places and entertainment?
7. and 10. Don't steal. - Don't want other people's stuff. - Have I stolen or wanted to steal in or out? - I have not returned the stolen things or those found? - Did I harm other people's stuff? - Did I work diligently? - Did I waste money? - Did I envy the rich?
8. Don't say false testimony. - Did I tell lies? - I was the cause of some serious damage to my lies. - Did I think badly of the neighbor? - Did I manifest the faults and mistakes of others unnecessarily? - Have I even exaggerated or invented them?
AGAINST THE PRECECTS OF THE CHURCH
Have I always approached with frequency and pity the Holy Confession and the Holy Communion? Did I eat fatty foods on purpose on forbidden days?
AGAINST STATE DUTIES
As a worker, did I spend my working hours well? - As a schoolboy, have I always waited at my studies, with diligence and profit? - As a young Catholic, have I always and everywhere carried out good conduct? Have I been lazy and idle?
PAIN AND PURPOSE
Considerations
1. Consider the great evil committed, seriously offending God, your Lord and Father, who has done you many benefits, loves you so much and infinitely deserves to be loved above all things and served with all fidelity.
Did the Lord need me? Certainly not. Yet he created me, you gave me a mind capable of knowing him, a heart capable of loving him! He gave me the faith, the baptism, he put the blood of his Son Jesus at my disposal. Oh infinite goodness of the Lord, deserving of infinite gratitude. But how can I recall the duty of gratitude to myself, without crying? God loved me so much and I, with my sins, I despised him so much. God has made me many benefits and I have rewarded him with very serious, innumerable insults. How unhappy I feel, because ungrateful! How much I want to change my life to reward him for the great benefits he has done to me.
2. Also reflect that the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ was caused by your sins.
Jesus died for the sins of men and also for my sins. Can I remember these truths without crying? I can listen without horror to this lament of Jesus: «You too with my enemies? You too among my crucifixors? » Oh how great before the Crucified Jesus is the malice of my sins; but how great is the hatred I finally feel against them!
3. Think again about the loss of grace and Heaven and the well-deserved punishment of hell.
Sin, like a hurricane that disperses the best crops, has thrown me into the deepest spiritual misery. Like a terrible sword it wounded my soul and, dispersing its grace, made me die. I find myself with the curse of God in the soul; with Paradise closed on the head; with hell wide open under your feet. Even now I could, in a moment, from the place where I find myself sinking into hell. Oh what a risk to be in sin, what misery to cry with tears of blood! Everything is lost; only I have remorse and the terrible probability of falling into hell!
4. At this point, feel a strong feeling of compunction for the painful situation in which you find yourself, and promise never to offend the Lord in the future.
Could I make the Lord understand that I am truly repentant, if I did not manifest a serious will to never sin again?
And then He maybe looks at me and says to me: If now you don't finally change your life, and don't change it forever, I will reject you from my heart…. Greetings! Can I refuse the forgiveness that God himself offers me? No, no, I can't. I will change my life. I hate the wrong I have done. "Damned sin, I don't want to commit you anymore."
5. Thrown therefore at the feet of Jesus, even before those of the Priest, and, in the attitude of the prodigal son who returns to the father, recites these acts of pain and purpose.
Acts of pain and purpose
My Lord and my God, I repent from the bottom of my heart for all the sins of my life, because for them, I deserved the punishments of your justice in this world and in the other, because I corresponded with true ingratitude to your benefits; but above all because for them I offended You who are infinitely good and worthy of being loved above all things. I firmly propose to amend and never sin again. You give me the grace to be faithful to my purpose. So be it.
O Jesus of burning love, I had never offended you, my dear, good Jesus, with your holy grace I do not want to offend you anymore; never to be disgusted again, because I love you above all things.
HOLY CONFESSION
Introducing yourself to the Confessor, kneel; ask for the blessing saying: "Bless me, Father, because I have sinned"; therefore makes the sign of the cross.
Without being questioned, then manifest the day of your last Confession, tell him how you kept your particular purpose, and, with humility, sincerity and brevity, he then makes the accusation of sins, starting with the most serious.
It ends with these words: «I also confess the sins that I do not remember and do not know, the most serious of past life, especially those against purity, humility and obedience; and I humbly ask for absolution and penance. "
Then obediently listen to the Confessor's warnings, discuss your particular purpose with him, accept penance and, before absolution, repeat the "Act of pain" or the prayer: "O Jesus of love on fire".
AFTER CONFESSION
Satisfaction or Penance
Immediately after the confession he goes to some secluded place of the Church and, if not otherwise prescribed by the Confessor, recites the prayer imposed for penance; then recall and carefully sculpt the advice you have received and renew your good intentions, especially those concerning the flight of sinful occasions; lastly thanks the Lord:
How good you have been with me, O Lord! I have no words to thank you; because instead of punishing me for so many sins that I have committed, you have all forgiven me with infinite mercy in this Confession. Again I regret it wholeheartedly, and I promise, with the help of your grace, never to be offended again and to compensate with countless bitter love and good works the countless offenses that I have done to you in my life. Most Holy Virgin, Angels and Saints of Heaven, I thank you for your assistance; You also give thanks to me for the Lord of his mercy and obtain for me constancy and progress in good.
In temptations he always invokes divine help, saying for example: My Jesus, help me and give me grace to never be offended!