WHAT IS AN ACT OF CONTRITION? MAIN FEATURES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

An act of contrition is an action of religious origin, specifically of the Catholic religion. It occurs when a person commits a sin and is repentant.

The act of contrition is considered a sacrament: the sacrament of penance. Wanting to perform this act should not be due to feelings of anguish, pain or shame.

The motivation for this act must comply with sincere feelings of regret and not only to make amends for having lost something or having suffered punishment.

When the act of contrition is performed, the person renounces to commit similar acts that offend God.

This person must be aware of the serious mistake made in his actions and firmly promise not to sin again.

Whoever performs an act of contrition should in no way be coerced into doing so. The doctrine says that if repentance does not come on its own initiative, it will not really have any value or meaning in God's eyes.

The main types of acts of contrition

In the church

During the celebration of the Eucharist there are three opportunities for the faithful who attend to express repentance for their sins through reflection before the word of God. These are the following:

1- At the beginning of the celebration, the priest who officiates the service makes the invitation to make the act of contrition. The assistants carry out a brief examination of conscience and then all pray the following prayer together:

“Jesus, my Lord and Redeemer, I repent of all the sins that I have committed until today, and it weighs on me with all my heart because with them I offended such a good God.

I firmly propose not to sin again and I trust that by your infinite mercy you will grant me the forgiveness of my faults and you will lead me to eternal life. Amen"

2- Later a dialogue is given during which it is said that God redeems sins and grants forgiveness.

3- When requests are made to God, responding to each of these with the phrase "Lord, have mercy."

Confession and extreme anointing

This act is performed when it is considered that someone is in danger of death or if the sacrament of penance is performed through confession. In both cases the act is of the utmost importance and requires that one say: "My God, forgive me."

It is said that when a person is on the verge of death, hearing is the last sense to be lost.

For this reason, it is important that one of those present repeat these three words so that they are heard and felt by this person, making the request their own.

Act of Contrition at Mass

At Mass, the priest invites the parishioners to introspect and acknowledge the sins committed. Next, a prayer is said to show repentance.

This act is carried out in three ways detailed in the Roman missal. The first is a special prayer called "I confess."

The second way is a dialogue with God, in which He shows His forgiveness. Third and last, litanies are used that alternate with songs of "Lord, have mercy," or similar.

Imperfect contrition or attrition

Attrition is not a perfect regret. It is achieved through the fear of being punished for sins.

It is the closest thing to the act of contrition that some non-spiritually formed parishioners can achieve, but who want to be forgiven and believe in the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

It is fear of divine punishment for their sins, but on many occasions, they do not have a firm intention not to sin again.

They are afraid of going to hell and they confess and perform the act of contrition but they don't really have the feeling of regret.

Elements of repentance

Repentance is the most important thing in the act of contrition. Sin is rejected and life is redirected to God.

The person must be truly sorry to pray the act of contrition. Repentance has three elements. The first is the pain caused by knowing oneself a sinner, having offended God.

Second, there is the renunciation of sin, the sincere feeling of not leaving sin behind. The third element is the purpose of change, the firm determination not to sin again.

If you are not sincerely sorry, you should ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of repentance. This is done through the prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

References

1. (SI), JM (1755). Light of Catholic truths, and explanation of the Christian doctrine, which following the custom of the professed house of the Society of Jesus of Mexico… Barcelona: Lucas de Bezáres printing press.
2. Christian Institution or Explanation of the four parts of the Christian doctrine. (1799). Madrid: in the printing house of the widow of Ibarra.
3. Emminghaus, JH (1997). The Eucharist: Essence, Form, Celebration. Minnesota: Liturgical Press.
4. Giles, JH (2015). Act of Contrition. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky.
5. Klengler, J. (2012). Acts of Contrition. Joan Leslie Klengler.