At the beginning of Mass, after singing the entrance hymn, the assembly recites an Act of Contrition in unison. The Confiteor prayer is an incentive for Christians to acknowledge their sins before God and and before their brethrens. After the devotion, the priest asks God for his forgiveness of all the sinners. In Latin, the prayer is called the Confiteor Deo.
“I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Amen.”
Freeing ourselves from the burden of sin allows us to fully experience our bond with the Lord, by following His Word and taking part in the rite of the Eucharist. When we humble ourselves and acknowledge our sins, we open our hearts to Christ. We also open our hearts to our brothers and sisters (in Heaven or on earth) by stating our need for their prayers, and by praying for them in return. Therefore, we do not experience our penance on our own, but together, in a spirit of universal brotherhood.
During the prayer, we reflect on our bad thoughts, our misdeeds, our offenses against God and against our neighbour. We also reflect on our failures to take action: all the good that we did not want or did not know to do.
There are so many pathways leading to sin that you can encounter in your daily life! Sins of action. sins of omission… Fighting it is a hard and constant struggle. Prayer is a powerful tool, helping us in our efforts. Join Hozana and discover the many prayer communities available to you! Pray together with your brothers and sisters around the world, support your neighbour and take a daily time for prayer.
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