Awkward Moment in Confession

[Siegfried]

Hey all,
My wife and I had just relocated to Jacksonville, FL and I just attended my first sacrament of Reconciliation down here. The priest I confessed to was very brief, but was he a little too brief? For the first time I can remember, I was given a penance and sent out without saying my Act of Contrition. I just would like to know if this was a valid Reconciliation because that part of it was left out.

 

[FatHead]

Hey all,
My wife and I had just relocated to Jacksonville, FL and I just attended my first sacrament of Reconciliation down here. The priest I confessed to was very brief, but was he a little too brief? For the first time I can remember, I was given a penance and sent out without saying my Act of Contrition. I just would like to know if this was a valid Reconciliation because that part of it was left out.

youre fine its not nessicary to be valid

 

[Siegfried]

Thank you so much for letting me know…I was a little nervous when I left and I just wanted to be sure.

 

[Philthy]

Hey all,
My wife and I had just relocated to Jacksonville, FL and I just attended my first sacrament of Reconciliation down here. The priest I confessed to was very brief, but was he a little too brief? For the first time I can remember, I was given a penance and sent out without saying my Act of Contrition. I just would like to know if this was a valid Reconciliation because that part of it was left out.

I’ve had the same thing happen…I always prefer to say an act of contrition prior to receiving absolution. If I’m not mistaken you are to pray it prior to your penance.
One thing you should have heard for sure is the prayer of absolution:

God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins;through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and…
I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, +
and of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings!

 

[nickybr38]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

 

[runningdude]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

I’ve only encountered this with priest from abroad. I think they do it because out the US, the lines are so long, they need to save the few seconds to get everyone through. Its perfectly valid to do it this way!

As a note, one need only make an act of contrition. This is any expression of sorry. The prayer titled “An Act of Contrition” is a great prayer to recite as one’s act of sorrow, but this prayer itself is not strictly necessary.

(In Ireland, the priests recite the words of absolution during the act of contrition, because the Irish adlib’ed acts of contrition are so “blood curdling”, they’d rather not hear all the details!)

 

[puzzleannie]

Hey all,
I was given a penance and sent out without saying my Act of Contrition. I just would like to know if this was a valid Reconciliation because that part of it was left out.

yes it is, I cannot remember a time in a least 20 years when the priests where I am have expected those not new to the sacrament to say their act of contrition outside the confessional, in the interests of saving time, I suppose.

 

[Siegfried]

Thank you all so much for your responses! Yes, I can safely say that Father did say the Prayer of Absolution before I went out to pray the Penance, Philthy, and yeah, I guess by the standards down here, the line ( yes, line…only one padre was present, shocking enough) might have been really long, running dude and puzzleannie. My old parish in Northern Virginia’s pretty big too and there were always at least two lines and never has that happened up there…I just assumed that the Act of Contrition was an integral part of Reconciliation that had to be said. Thank you for putting my mind at ease…

 

[TrueLight]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

That’s what happened to me yesterday. I was wondering, “What is he saying”? But to be honest it was actually very beautiful - me saying the Act while in the background, the priest was praying.

I have to say though that I was shocked at the light penance. Oh well.

 

[msugeotech]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

I’ve had that experience as well, once. Caught me off gaurd so bad, I don’t remember if I even finished my Act of Contrition. I might have launched into the ABC’s for all I know. But, I DO like the idea that I’m being forgiven the MOMENT I’m saying “I’m sorry”. I don’t know if that’s the intent behind doing that, but that’s what I draw from it.

 

[FatHead]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

i believe that is the “extraordinary form” of confession. did he say it in latin? if so, im almost sure it was

 

[DarrenOglesby]

A couple of wed. ago I went to this Catholic prayer service for College Students in the chapel of the rectory, where we had the blessed sacrament exposed. I felt like God was telling me to go to confession for something that was on my mind, so I asked Father after everything that we did if he could hear my confession, and he heard my confession out in the hall. He didn’t ask me to say an act of contrition and my penance was to look at the crucifix and see and reflect on how much he loves me.

I guess the act of contrition is normally used when it is scheduled.

When I went to this one 5 day liturgical conference we had a reconciliation communal service, it was outlined like a mass, except the people who was going to the confession processed led by incense and the crucifix, and we sat in the monk’s choir stalls inside the Arch abbey. There was also the litany of saints sung, a couple of hymns, readings, responsorial psalms, and a homily. It was presided over by a normal monk who was the director of the liturgical conference, and he sat in the abbot’s chair, while the abbot was there. ( I thought that was interesting). There were about 10 different monks + a Diocesan priest and the Archabbot who heard the confessions. I also think it is neat when higher people on the Hierarchy system hear confessions.
Anywho, we did not say the act of contrition there either, it was a very beautiful and moving service.

 

[nickybr38]

I’ve had that experience as well, once. Caught me off gaurd so bad, I don’t remember if I even finished my Act of Contrition. I might have launched into the ABC’s for all I know. But, I DO like the idea that I’m being forgiven the MOMENT I’m saying “I’m sorry”. I don’t know if that’s the intent behind doing that, but that’s what I draw from it.

I didn’t finish my Prayer of Contrition. I thought I did something wrong so I lapsed into silence. ):

They certainly didn’t teach us about that in RCIA… Haha.

 

[puzzleannie]

now you know why it is so hard to “teach” first confession preparation to children or adults using a generic textbook or aide, because what the “book” says may not be how “Father does it.”

 

[nickybr38]

now you know why it is so hard to “teach” first confession preparation to children or adults using a generic textbook or aide, because what the “book” says may not be how “Father does it.”

Our first confession training consisted of: Go to the Father, tell him you’re new and listen to what he says.

ROFL. I do think a little bit more prep then that would be good.

 

[CatholicFireman]

You know what’s really confusing? Our priest says the Prayer of Absolution AS I say the Act of Contrition.

I’ve had that happen too. If our pastor was in a hurry on Saturday mornings (weddings, funerals, etc.). He would apologise then lead all of us in his line in the Act of Contrition first, before entering the confessional. He has since changed the confession times to fix this.