No act of contrition after confession

[de_profundis]

Hi all,
After standing in a line of only 3 people for 30 minutes at the confessional before mass, I got in with about 5 minutes to spare before mass started, made my confession but instead of prompting me to make an act of contrition the priest said I should make an act of contrition during the mass. This made sense to me at the time, but got me thinking. This forum is too good a resource to refuse! Is this a normal procedure if time is running short, or does the act of contrition need to be made before absolution?
Peace.
PS. Just reflecting on this, I realised that I was not given an act of penance to carry out either! Is it true that a full participation in the mass is sufficient?

 

[JimG]

If he didn’t give you a specific penance, I think it would be permissible to do a penance similar to one you have received before.

As for having the penitent say the act of contrition later, that is perfectly normal, and is often used in our parish when time is running short.

I can’t believe it took 30 minutes for 3 people! We have confessions 30 minutes before Mass and often there are 10 or 15 people in line and they usually are all able to finish their confessions. Sounds like someone was taking too long!

 

[passus]

Is this a normal procedure if time is running short, or does the act of contrition need to be made before absolution?

Yes, it is. It’s fine to make an act of contrition after being absolved of your sins as long as there was indeed contrition at the time of absolution.

Just reflecting on this, I realised that I was not given an act of penance to carry out either! Is it true that a full participation in the mass is sufficient?

Sufficient for what?

If you did not receive a penance from the priest, then you have no penance to complete. You may make a voluntary penance, but in this case you are not obliged to do anything more.

If this happens again and you can remember to ask him (it’s understandable that you may have been rushed or distracted because Mass was beginning), you should ask your confessor if he has a penance for you.

 

[susan1218]

Hi,
I’m new to the Catholic religion. I am in the RCIA class & “officially” become Catholic at this year’ Easter Vigil.

What type of penance does the priest usually give? I have to make my 1st confession prior to Easter.

Thanks,
Sue

 

[maryjk]

Hi,
I’m new to the Catholic religion. I am in the RCIA class & “officially” become Catholic at this year’ Easter Vigil.

What type of penance does the priest usually give? I have to make my 1st confession prior to Easter.

Thanks,
Sue

It can be different every time.

I have had, say 3 Hail Marys and 2 Our Fathers.

And I have had, spend 15 minutes praying for understanding.

And the worst one I got was when I was a kid, and had to be nice to my sister.

 

[de_profundis]

Thanks everyone for their kind answers.

Yep - 30 mins with no exaggeration. Not sure if the priest was on a roll with some pearls of wisdom, or whether there were some serious outpourings going on - in any case he gave me some great direction on some big issues in about 60 seconds flat

 

[promethius]

It can be different every time.

I have had, say 3 Hail Marys and 2 Our Fathers.

And I have had, spend 15 minutes praying for understanding.

And the worst one I got was when I was a kid, and had to be nice to my sister.

The best penance i ever had was a time when all of a sudden life caught me down and I realized i needed God to pull me out of it. I don’t know how to explain it, but i felt this incredible pull to the confessional. I went, and for one of the few times I found myself in tears as I confessed.

The priest was counselor and friend to me, lifted me up in the ways i needed to be and rebuked me gently with what i needed to hear. My penance, then, was to kneel in the church and look to the crucifix and meditate on Christ’s passion for those who have been driven from the church… and to reflect on the perfect forgiving nature of Christ and what we owe Him in return (our faith and will to obey). I don’t know how long I knelt… but there was no upcoming mass so i had as long as i needed.

There is nothing more comforting than the sacrament of reconciliation. The words “Go in peace, your sins have been forgiven” are like air to a drowning man.

 

[kympen]

Hi,
I’m new to the Catholic religion. I am in the RCIA class & “officially” become Catholic at this year’ Easter Vigil.

What type of penance does the priest usually give? I have to make my 1st confession prior to Easter.

Thanks,
Sue

I also in an RCIA class & “officially” become Catholic at this year’ Easter Vigil after having attended Catholic Church on a regular basis for over 6 years. I recently went for my first confession ( face-to-face) which encompassed over 25 years of sinning and I was a bit surprised when Father said that as penance I should go and think up and write down up ten things that I should be thankful for .

 

[invadersomeone]

I also in an RCIA class & “officially” become Catholic at this year’ Easter Vigil after having attended Catholic Church on a regular basis for over 6 years. I recently went for my first confession ( face-to-face) which encompassed over 25 years of sinning and I was a bit surprised when Father said that as penance I should go and think up and write down up ten things that I should be thankful for .

Yeah it seems like some do not assign as hard of penance, like I know when I go to confession at school I usually get something like the decade of the rosary and to pray for help avoiding occassions of sin, or like this last one I received was to go to mass at my parish during the week and ask God for help making sure I attend on Sundays - something I do not normally do, where as my parish I think I get like a couple our fathers and hail mary’s.