by Rosemarie Quintal

Created on: November 02, 2009   Last Updated: January 29, 2010

Here is the prayer the Act of Contrition which is the absolution moment of the Sacrament of Catholic confession and also the topic of this essay I learned when I was seven years old: "Oh my God I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee; and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishment! But most of all because they offend Thee Oh Lord Who art All Good and deserving of all my love. I truly confess with the help of Thy Grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin, Amen." I have quoted the Act Of Contrition as taught to me before I received my first Holy Communion as a Catholic. I have capitalized all the words that have reference to God.  The Act of Contrition is a reminder to a Catholic of what the sacrament of penance is. Reciting sins to a Priest to obtain absolution by counting your violations of the ten commandments is not enough to confess your sins. The Act of Contrition cannot be found in the Catholic catechism. Prayers of the Church seem not to be included in the catechisms except for the Our father prayer used during the Catholic Mass.

The soul I first learned was a white orb spotless and floating inside me that had no black mark or stain from sin. Unlike the Islamic Hajj or journey to Mecca where the Muslim devotees can circle Mecca the prescribed number of times and experience absolution and know confidently that they are absolved of their sins, I am always aware that God is the only Judge.The Bible actually uses the word confession in the context of Jesus Christ "The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:8b, 9  "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God." John 1:1 Jesus is the idea of what are faith in God should be. Through Jesus salvation is trustworthy for us.

Confess helps to prevent falling away from faith and steering away from agnostic attitudes as the way the world treats you or disasters or war or accidents or illness begins to turn you away from faith. I hear people ask "how can there be God if there is so much suffering?" Such an attitude blames God for everyone's actions. In an ever negative world one has to keep sight that God Is Light and God holds power over all dark things including sin.

Catholics speak the Act Of Contrition in front of a Priest to obtain

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