Confessing sins to a priest in a confessional.
Roman Catholic AnswerThe word "penance" means five different specific things in the Church:1) Penitence, or repentance: hating sin and being sorry for it, and making a firm purpose of amendment.
2) Public: this was up until the 11th century when notorious and public sinners had to make public penalties, often for years.
3) Canonical: prayers and good works, e.g. fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage, retreat imposed by ecclesiastical authority on those guilty of offences against canon law. Public penance may not be imposed for occult offences - in other words, if no one knows of your sin, you don't have to perform a public penance for it.
4) Sacramental: this would be the prayer or work you have to do that the priest gave you after confession, it is also known as satisfaction.
5) Any prayer, mortification, or other good work, imposed either on yourself or by a lawful superior, performed in a spirit of penance.
from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957
To attend a Catholic confession, one should first examine their conscience, then approach a priest at a church or schedule a confession appointment. During the confession, the individual will confess their sins, receive guidance and penance from the priest, and then perform the assigned penance as an act of contrition.
* Examine your conscience thoroughly * Be sincerely sorry for your sins * Confess your sins to the best of your ability * Resolve to amend your life * After your confession, do the penance the priest gives you
Penance is whenever you feel remorse about a sin or something bad you did and stop doing it or ask for forgiveness. For instance, if you cheated on a test and told the teacher, you would be offering penance.
Before you go to confession, you must examine your conscience and pray for q good confession. Then you sit before the priest and confess your sins, mortal and venial. He will "forgive your sins" and give you penance (usually prayers). End.
The first step is contrition, that is saying sorry to the people you have sinned to and getting their apology...Feel sorry for your sins too... this has cleansed you 50 % The second step is self examination. Recall all the sins you have commited. The third step is to confess it in the confessional box. The last step is penance.......to say the penance which you have been told by the priest. This has cleansed your soul 100 % God Bless!!!!
IntroductionWell, penance, reconciliation, and confession are all the same thing, just different names for it. Catholics celebrate this sacrament to be free of sin.What is sin?Sin is anything that we do wrong. There are two types of sins, venial and mortal. Venial sins are small things, such as lying or hitting. Mortal sins are serious, such as murder. We mustconfess mortal sins, or we are not forgiven. We cannot receive communion until we do. If you do, that is a sin. If you remember a sin, but purposely don't confess it, we are not forgiven.The Process of ReconciliationWhen you go into the confessional, you say hello to the priest (Deacons aren't allowed to hear confessions.) and either sit face-to-face or kneel in front of a screen. You say, "Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it has been ______ (amount of time [estimated]) since my last confession. These are my sins." You tell the priest all the sins you can remember doing. When you are done, you say, "For these and all my sins I am sorry." You pray the Act of Contrition. The priest will then give you absolution, saying, "_______(your name), I absolve you from all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." You then say, "Amen." The priest will give you something to do to make up for your sins (called penance). You say thank you to the priest and then you exit the confessional.The Act of ContritionOh, my God, I am sorry for my sins. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you and your Church. I firmly intend, with the help of Your Son to do penance and to sin no more. Amen. ConclusionIn conclusion, after you do your penance, you are clean of sin! All Catholics who have received this sacrament for the first time are required to go at least twice a year: Lent and Advent. There is all about reconciliation!
The priest's role in confession does include giving each penitent a particular penance as a part of their contrition for their sins. The particular penance given depends on a host of factors including the sins committed, the culture, and most importantly, the priest. In the United States, most priests for regular penitents have them offer a number of prayers (i.e. 3 Our Fathers, 5 Hail Marys, etc.) as penance. For instance, if a child is making his first confession, it is not likely that his penance will be extremely cumbersome. Similarly, most adults who go to confession regular are given short, simple penances. However, if the person has confessed a serious sin such as murder, rape, etc., the penance may be something more than a private prayer. In such a situation, the priest may tell the person that their penance is to turn themselves in or seek professional help.
To go to confession in the Catholic Church, you should first examine your conscience to reflect on your sins. Then, find a priest and go to the confessional or reconciliation room. Begin by making the sign of the cross and saying, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." Confess your sins honestly and sincerely, and listen to the priest's advice and penance. Finally, say an Act of Contrition to express your sorrow for your sins. The priest will then give you absolution, and you will be forgiven.
Penance is when you are sorry for your sins and you do something to show how sorry you are. For example if you stole your sister's cookie you might bake her a cake, say sorry, and/or say a few prayers. However penance is determined by the priest when you go to confession. He will tell you what your penance is.
Mortal sins can only be forgiven in the sacrament of penance or with an act of perfect contrition with the resolve to go to confession as soon as possible. Venial sins can be forgiven with an act of imperfect or perfect contrition, reception of the Holy Eucharist, use of a sacramental, after death.
Reconciliation is very important because through the sacrament of reconciliation you are sure that your sins are forgiven. Unlike Christians who pray silently and are not sure if their sins are forgiven, we can be sure. We confess with the priest and say our penance; we know that if we die at that moment we would go to heaven and have no sins in our souls. There are two types of sins mortal and venial; someone who dies with a mortal sin in their soul has little chance of making heaven.
It is compulsory for Hindus to go on one pilgimage and that one is to go to the river ganges every year to wash away their sins. If they do not they are condsidered unclean and are forever with their sins.