Obedience to a confessor is the most acceptable offering which we can make to God, and the most secure way of doing the divine will. –St. Alphonsus Liguori

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Confession is available daily before masses.

Sick and invalid parishioners may request for a confessor’s visit by appointment.

Examination of Conscience

The Sacrament of Reconciliation requires preparation by Examination of Conscience.

I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me. (Exodus 20:1-3)

Do I give God time every day in prayer?
Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
Do I seek to surrender myself to God´s Word as taught by the Church?
Have I ever received communion in the state of mortal sin?
Have I ever deliberately told a lie in Confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in Confession?
Are there other “gods” in my life: Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Have I used God´s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
Have I been angry with God?
Have I wished evil upon any other person?
Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

Remember to keep holy the Lord´s Day. (Exodus 20:7)

Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
Do I do needless work on Sunday?

Honor your father and your mother. (Exodus 20:12)

Do I honor and obey my parents?
Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
Have I given my family good religious example?
Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

You shall not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

Have I had an abortion or encouraged or assisted anyone to have an abortion?
Have I physically harmed anyone?
Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
Have I been angry or resentful?
Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I mutilated myself?
Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?
Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against human life such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?

You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
Have I been guilty of masturbation?
Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
Have I been guilty of any sinful homosexual activity?
Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words, actions?
Am I careful to dress modestly?

You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

Have I stolen what is not mine?
Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen or damaged?
Do I waste time at work, school, and home?
Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
Do I pay my debts promptly?
Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
Have I cheated anyone out of what is justly theirs, for example creditors, insurance companies, big corporations, minimum wage and benefits required by law?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

Have I lied? Have I gossiped? Am I a propagator of FAKE NEWS?
Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
Have I injured the reputation of others by slander?

You shall not desire your neighbor´s wife. (Exodus 20:17)

Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity, addiction to impure sources in media: print and the net?
Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?
Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex: flirting, being superficial, etc.?

You shall not desire your neighbor´s goods. (Exodus 20:17)

Am I jealous of what other people have?
Do I envy possessions of others?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?

A GUIDE TO CONFESSION

How to go to Confession

You always have the option to go to confession kneeling, behind a screen of the confessional box or face to face, if you so desire.
Make the Sign of the Cross and say: “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been (state how long) since my last confession. These are my sins.”
Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. You might even want to discuss briefly the circumstances and the root causes of your sins and ask the priest for advice or direction. It is recommended that you begin with your serious sins.
Listen to the advice and the penance the priest gives you. Then recite the Act of Contrition while he absolves your sins.
Spend some time with Our Lord thanking and praising Him for the gift of His mercy. Fulfill your penance as soon as possible.

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION

O Most Merciful God!

Prostrate at your feet, I implore your forgiveness. I sincerely desire to leave all my evil ways and to confess my sins with all sincerity to you and to your priest. I am a sinner, have mercy on me, O Lord. Give me a lively faith and a firm hope in the Passion of my Redeemer. Give me, for your mercy´s sake a sorrow for having offended so good a God. Mary, my Mother, Refuge of Sinners, pray for me that I may make a good confession.

Amen.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, But most of all because they have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen