Correct Form Of The Act Of Contrition?

[st-annes]

I was trying to post this before. My apologies if this double-posts.


As I understand it, there are at least two versions of the prayer. Are they both still considered acceptable? I was taught to say the second one below.


The older:

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
occasions of sin.


As I learned:

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.




I have been thinking about whether I should be saying the first one. Thank you.

[Resurrexi]

The following is the form which was approved by the Unites States Bishops before the renovation of the Roman Liturgy:

O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because 1 dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, 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 confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

The last sentence, though, would be changed when praying it during the Sacrament of Penance to "I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin."

I find the older version better for me personally because it helps me to better have the for characteristics of true contrition, which are, that it must be interior (from heart, not merely from the lips), supernatural (you must be sorry for your sins because of some reason which springs from faith such as fear of hell or love of God, not a merely natural reason such as your sin has made you go to prison), sovereign (you hate sin as the greatest of evils, even more than death itself) and universal (you are sorry for each of your mortal sins).

[st-annes]

Thank you very much. I'd been starting to think that the older one had a better sense of fullness, with its more stately language. I would like to rely on it from now on.

[PopeClementI(MorClemis)]

The important thing is heartfelt contrition, not the specific style of wording - as long as you have that, you are good to go!

Edited November 30, 2007 by PopeClementI(MorClemis)

[goldenchild17]

The following is the version I have learned to use since converting to Traditional Catholicism:

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 art 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.


Personally I like it more than the more recent one as I believe it shows a belief in the Sacrament of Penance moreso than the new one which to me seems to focus mostly on just being sorry and promising not to do the sin again. These things are all well and good, but I think in a prayer such as this a mention of the need to actually confess one's sins and to do the penance given by the priest is crucial.

peace

[goldenchild17]

If you're interested here is another act of contrition which I find very good:

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.

[Starets]

I like what you call the "old form" over the other one. The older one expresses well what I would like to express in such a prayer has episcopal approval is an added bonus.

[LouisvilleFan]

Most of the time I pray what they call the Off the Cuff Act of Contrition. Last year I wrote something out in my own words based upon the older Act of Contrition and was going to memorize it, but it seems like making up a simple prayer of sorrow on the spot makes me briefly examine my sins one last time and use my mind a little more. A pre-written prayer is too easy for me to rattle off without putting my heart into it, especially when I'm feeling a little nervous or under a bit of stress due to the nature of the situation.

Of course, this habit reflects the fact that I mostly take life as it comes with minimal planning. The structure of Catholicism is good for me, for that reason, but I can't handle too much structure

Obviously, nothing wrong with using the words the Church gives us, but some people probably don't know that you can use your own prayer too.

Edited November 30, 2007 by LouisvilleFan

[MissyP89]

I was raised on the second one, and that is what I use today. I'd like to learn the second one, though.

[Deb]

I use this one: 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 art 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.
My Priest also always has little cards with it printed up if one's brain blanks out at that moment.

When I made a general confession encompassing my entire life, the traditional act of contrition just didn't seem like enough so I used the following:

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,

Oh my savior, please cleanse me from every stain of sin. With your grace, I resolve to sin no more.

Edited December 6, 2007 by Deb

[kenrockthefirst]

It seems to me more a matter of stylistic preference than anything else, since both forms express the same attitudes, i.e. sorrow, penitence, the desire for the right relationship with God to be restored, strength to overcome sin in future.

Having said that, one of the things I like about the "new" version is that the sorrow and penitence are motivated not by fear - "Thy just punishments" - but by the sense of having "let down" God or hurting our relationship with Him. In other words, love is [i]more explicitly[/i] the motivation. Notice that I said "more explicitly," since that motivation is also present in the "old" version.

[Noel's angel]

Over here we use:

Oh my God, I thank you for loving me. I am sorry for all my sins- for not loving others and not loving you. Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen

I never heard of the other 2 until I came on here.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='kenrockthefirst' post='1430754' date='Dec 7 2007, 12:50 PM']It seems to me more a matter of stylistic preference than anything else, since both forms express the same attitudes, i.e. sorrow, penitence, the desire for the right relationship with God to be restored, strength to overcome sin in future.

Having said that, one of the things I like about the "new" version is that the sorrow and penitence are motivated not by fear - "Thy just punishments" - but by the sense of having "let down" God or hurting our relationship with Him. In other words, love is [i]more explicitly[/i] the motivation. Notice that I said "more explicitly," since that motivation is also present in the "old" version.[/quote]

That's hardly the case. The older form says "But most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love." It therefore expresses perfect just as well in that aspect and even better in other aspects.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

The version I know is, "O my God, I am very sorry for having sinned against you, and by the help of Your grace I shall not sin again."

[kenrockthefirst]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1430821' date='Dec 7 2007, 06:02 PM']That's hardly the case. The older form says "But most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love." It therefore expresses perfect just as well in that aspect and even better in other aspects.[/quote]
Hence my caveat: [i]Notice that I said "more explicitly," since that motivation is also present in the "old" version.[/i]