The Council of Trent defined contrition as “a deep sorrow and detestation for sin committed, with the resolution of sinning no more.”
When I reflect on my own sins and those of others, I am grieved at the injury done to the Divine Majesty and wish to make amends for the offenses committed against God.
The sorrow we feel over sin urges us to the practice of penance and mortification to expiate these crimes and offer satisfaction to the Divine Majesty.
Contrition is sorrow of soul over one’s sins, the detesting of sins committed, and the resolution not to sin in the future. This is the first duty of a penitent.
Perfect contrition is sorrow for sin mainly motivated by the love of God, which removes the guilt of venial sins. If joined with the intention to receive the Sacrament of Penance, mortal sins are also remitted.
Imperfect contrition is sorrow for sin motivated by fear of eternal punishment or of other sufferings due to sin. By itself, imperfect contrition does not obtain pardon for mortal sins, although it disposes a person to obtain this pardon in the Sacrament of Penance.
Interior penance is a radical reorientation of one’s whole life. It is a return to God in the depths of one’s heart; firm resolve to amend one’s life, with trust in His mercy and sorrow for having offended Him.
In order to make an act of the perfect love of God, I must love Him above all things, i.e., I must be ready to lose everything, even life itself, rather than offend Him by mortal sin.
An excerpt from
I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
*As often as we use the word contrition, it is most important to know that it does mean sorrow for sin. However, this sorrow need not be in our feelings, or our emotions, or in our mood. The essence of sorrow is in the will. When we have sorrow for sins, then our will is pained, our will regrets, and our will is sorry for having offended an all-good God.
Of course our contrition can also be painful regret because of the consequences that will follow our sins. Indeed, not only will follow, but may already have followed. We have done something wrong. We have offended some person whom we should dearly love. In a fit of anger, we may have said something very cruel. We are sorry. And we should be. No doubt, contrition does include sadness, for say, having hurt a person or for that matter, having hurt ourselves. But let us be clear. The heart of contrition is sorrow for sin, though it may include other regrets and other kinds of pain, not just in the emotions, but even in the will. All are legitimate regrets, but they are not at the heart of contrition or sorrow for sin. The heart of sorrow for sin is regret in my will for having offended a loving God.
Then, as we know, there are two kinds of regret or sorrow for having offended God. I can be sorry for having offended God, who is so loving to me and then I am deeply pained over my ingratitude, over my lovelessness toward an all-loving God. We call that perfect contrition. Or I am sorry for having offended a God who I know is all just, and therefore has a right to punish me. But notice, God is still in the picture. I regret, therefore, having offended a God who is not only all-loving, but all-just. One final word. Even when our contrition is imperfect, even then, there is some love for God in my sorrow. My mind realizes, however dimly, that God has a right to punish me. I further realize that His right to punish me is because He loves me, and I should love Him so that the deserved penalty is for failing in my love of an all-loving God.*
Lord Jesus, we thank You for founding the Catholic Church to which we belong. Through the Church, You tell us today what You told the sinners of Your day, “Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.”
How can we best show our gratitude for this mercy? We can do this by serving You with heroic generosity. The more deeply we have sinned, the more deeply we will spend ourselves in loving You, who died on Calvary to restore us sinners to your love. Amen. Alleluia.
Perhaps you will find this
Monthly Examination of Conscience for High School Students useful.
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Anyway, thanks so much for your response. It really helps and means a lot to me!
Is that bad? I mean, I understand that if we commit a mortal sin, we need to go to confession ASAP. But if someone comes to mass with a contrite heart however long after committing that sin, why can’t we be forgiven through the Eucharist? Can’t He forgive all our sins, no matter how big or small?