 ACT OF CONTRITION VS. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
“ A Good Act of Contrition”
Make it the Last Thing you Say!
I said it while our home-made ‘canoe” took on water when I was ten. I said it when the small jet, that I just blessed, failed to gain altitude over the Rocky mountains. I said it as I swerved to miss a deer and my car slid down the embankment on it’s roof. I say it everyday before I receive communion and I say it as my last words every night before I go to sleep. I say it because I am sincere about what the prayer means to me and so that I can say it with confidence in the hour of my death, with my very last breath .
A NEED TO BE FORGIVEN
One who has a well formed conscience is very much aware of their own sinfulness. They are aware of the small everyday sins (venial) as well as, by their own remission, the serious sins (mortal) which severs our relationship with God. When in the “state” of sin we are mindful of the desire and need to be forgiven. As Catholics we are also aware of God’s desire to forgive and the avenues to be forgiven. Without becoming scrupulous (overly worried about the possibility of our sins leading us away from God and ultimately to Hell) we want to make amends so our spiritual growth will not be stymied. The “ordinary” way to receive that assurance of Grace that returns us to the path of Christian life is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But for instant contrition and assurance of God’s mercy with the desire to amend out life we have the act of contrition:
“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee,
and I detest all my sins for thy just punishment.
But most of all because I have offended thee my God
Who is all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve with the help of your Grace to sin no more
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.”
LIFE OF GRACE
As members of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, we understand that since Mary was conceived without sin, she was truly “full of Grace”. In the response to that condition of the soul she did marvelous things as the first disciple of Christ. She trusted in the times of uncertainty, trials, pain, loss and suffering. She was firmly resolved in the love of God. We too want this life of grace. The moment we fail through sin we desire to return quickly in order to continue in the battle against evil in this world until we are one with God and the saints in heaven.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
So in order to receive the grace of the Eucharist with a loving heart, we whisper the “Act of Contrition” to ourselves while we wait in line…. At the end of the day, as we evaluate our successes and failure in the mission of the Church, we pray our act of contrition with the hope to begin again, if we wake, and that we may be assured of His Divine Mercy as we await judgment if God calls us home during the night . We say it in the moments of life when we fear life is slipping away without our control or desire…. when we sin and our heart is breaking with sorrow… we say it over and over again with firm resolve and love of God above all things so that in the hour of death and with our last breath we can pray it one last time with confidence and love.
WHEN THE ACT OF CONTRITION IS NOT ENOUGH!!
There has been some confusion about when an “Act of Contrition” can be used in the place of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As mentioned above the ordinary means to receive the grace of forgiveness is through the Sacrament. In the Sacrament all venial and mortal sins are absolved and forgiven. In addition to the forgiveness of the particular sins confessed one is also restored to “Full membership Status” within the Roman Catholic Community. Only those who are without serious (mortal) sin can share the privileges of full membership such as: RECEIVING EUCHARIST, BEING A SPONSOR FOR BAPTISM OR CONFIRMATION AND RECEIVING THE GRACE OF SUCH SACRAMENTS AS MATRIMONY, HOLY ORDERS OR CONFIRMATION. (The sacrament is binding but the grace is not received.)
Receiving Eucharist is still not permitted when one has deliberately failed to fulfill their Sunday Obligation among the many other serious sins that have become common place in our society such as: Co-habitation (living and sharing the privileges of marriage without the sacrament); Sexual intercourse outside of marriage, abortion, as well as many other serious sins that constitute a Mortal Sin.
DON’T CHEAT YOURSELF THE LIFE OF GRACE!!!
If you are in doubt whether you are in the state of grace and are properly disposed to receive Eucharist because you are not sure of the severity of a particular sin, one is free to make an Act of Contrition and receive Eucharist with the full intention of going to confession to discuss and confess such a sin with the priest. BUT if one is most sure that their sin has separated them
From Christ and the Church (ie. examples above) YOU ARE NOT TO GO FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE EUCHARIST.
As embarrassing as it may seem to practice this respect for Eucharist it is necessary to reinforce within us the responsibility of a life in Christ and through the Church. When one receives knowingly while in the state of Mortal Sin it compounds the sin and also must be confessed.
REMEMBER: The Act of Contrition is just that… It is a heartfelt act, to be forgiven for sin... .Which shows our contrition which moves us to God’s forgiveness… while the fullest experience of such forgiveness for serious sin is reserved for the Sacrament. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 27 February 2010 )
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Please pray for families of Mary Mashoney, Bailey Stout and Esther Pfrogner, who died recently. Also for the family of Heather Wolf, whose father, David Adams, died recently. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 27 February 2010 )
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