Penance
How to prepare for a good confession
Confession is not difficult, but it does require preparation.
❶ We should begin with prayer, placing ourselves in the presence of God, our loving Father. We seek healing and forgiveness through repentance and a resolve to sin no more.
❷ Then we review our lives since our last confession, searching our thoughts, words and actions for that which did not conform to God’s command to love him and one another through his laws and the laws of his church. This is called an examination of conscience.
❸ We tell God how truly sorry we are for our sins.
❹ We make a firm resolution not to sin again
This is the Sacrament in which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. It results in reconciliation with God and the Church. (US Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary)
What is the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation
The Rite of Penance & Reconciliation
