I find these various Acts of Contrition to be wonderful meditations. In fact meditating upon them intensifies the act of praying them aloud to God. Each contains nuggets of wisdom, each stirs the heart and conscience. Although it would seem out of sequence, I find it very helpful to meditate upon Acts of Contrition before doing an examination of conscience. And then of course, praying them to God. My wayward course in life has left my conscience a bit burnt out in some areas. Meditating upon these Acts of Contrition helps me to focus prayerfully upon those areas. May the Holy Spirit fan into flame the areas in our consciences which have become doused and callous…
I. 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.
II. My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.
III. O my God, I am sorry for my sins because I have offended you. I know I should love you above all things. Help me to do penance, to do better, and to avoid anything that might lead me to sin. Amen.
IV. O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven, and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
V. Forgive me my sins, O Lord,
forgive me my sins;
the sins of my youth,
the sins of my age,
the sins of my soul,
the sins of my body;
my idle sins,
my serious voluntary sins;
the sins I know,
the sins I do not know;
the sins I have concealed for so long,
and which are now hidden from my memory.
I am truly sorry for every sin, mortal and venial,
for all the sins of my childhood up to the present hour.
I know my sins have wounded Thy Tender Heart,
O My Savior, let me be freed from the bonds of evil through the most bitter Passion of My Redeemer. Amen.
O My Jesus, forget and forgive what I have been. Amen.
VI. O Lord Jesus, lover of our souls, who, for the great love with which You loved us, willed not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live, I grieve from the bottom of my heart that I offended You, my most loving Father and Redeemer, to whom all sin is infinitely displeasing, who so loved that You shed Your blood for me, and endured the bitter torments of a most cruel death. O my God, my infinite Goodness, would that I never offended You. Pardon me, O Lord Jesus, as I most humbly implore Your mercy. Have pity on a sinner for whom Your blood pleads before the face of the Father.
O merciful and forgiving Lord, for the love of You, I forgive all who have ever offended me. I firmly resolve to forsake and flee from all sins, and to avoid the occasions of them, to confess, in bitterness of spirit, all those sins which I committed against Your divine goodness, and to Love You, O my God, for Your own sake, above all things and for ever. Grant me grace so to do, most gracious Lord Jesus. Amen.
VII. Merciful Father, I am guilty of sin. I confess my sins before you and I am sorry for them. Your promises are just; therefore I trust that you will forgive me my sins and cleanse me from every stain of sin. Jesus Himself is the propitiation for my sins and those of the whole world. I put my hope in his atonement. May my sins be forgiven through His Name, and in His blood may my soul be made clean. Amen.
An Archived Wanderer 