THE ACT of Contrition is a traditional Catholic prayer meant to guide us on carrying out our reconciliation with God. Reconciling humanity with God is the reason Jesus came to this world and is His gift to us. Its result will be to allow us to take on God’s nature and essence: Love. It is of paramount importance that we strive our hardest to embrace such a precious treasure.
Normally used after an examination of conscience or the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The prayer expresses the 3 main aspects of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the process of conversion:
- Sorrow for our sins and the injuries they have caused God, others, and the world.
- Express our hate towards the sins we have committed and the false pleasures associated with them.
- Announce our resolve, relying on the help of God, to not commit these sins again and to avoid those things that led us to sin.
These three aspects of the act of contrition are critical to carrying out a conversion of the heart, or interior conversion.
Interior Conversion
Without an interior conversion, any penances we do would be sterile and false. Our conversion should lead us to do works of penance and mercy. However, undertaking these without contrition would be futile due to their false motives.
As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of His grace.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1431
Following, I provide my favorite version of this prayer. Which I hope will be of great help to us along our Roads to Righteousness.
Act of Contrition Prayer
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. With your help, I firmly intend to do penance, sin no more and avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.
Amen
