WE have all seen movies where a character sits in an ornate confessional and quips with the priest on the other side of the grille, and while it is a great trope for films, the real sacrament does not really work like that.
First things first, there are a lot of names to clear up.
In Australia, the sacrament is officially called the Sacrament of Penance but it goes by other names like confession and reconciliation.
So if you see them listed on parish website timetables, just know, they all mean the same thing.
There are three different rites of the sacrament, but by far the most common is the first rite, where you go to see a priest in a confessional to receive sacramental absolution.
This explainer covers the first rite.
Preparing for confession is a big part of the sacrament.
Before you go, you should do an examination of conscience in which you reflect upon how you have conducted yourself since your last confession.
There are many ways to do this but a popular method is to compare how you have been living your Christian life in light of the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes.
You are called to reflect on where you have stumbled, what caused you to stumble and about the path God has laid out for you.
Preparing yourself for confession requires a feeling that you are sorry for your sins.
The language the Church uses is being “contrition”, which means to be crushed by the weight of your sins.
The point of the examination of conscience is to ready yourself to be relieved of the burden by the mercy of Jesus and that means acknowledging all the weight you carry.
Once you are prepared, you should go to confession.
Often a parish has a set time, check their website or newsletter, or organise a time by calling the parish.
When you get to confession, look to see if there is a line-up for it.
Confessionals often do not look like they do in the movies, and they can take on many shapes and sizes.
Once it is your turn, enter the confessional and kneel or sit in the appropriate location.
Make the Sign of the Cross.
The priest may greet you or offer some words of encouragement.
Say, “Bless me father, for I have sinned, it has been (number) day/week/month/years since my last confession”.
Then, speak the sins you are confessing. When you are finished, you may say something like, “these are my sins”.
The priest will often give you some advice, or may talk through one or more of the sins you have confessed to offer guidance.
Then, the priest will give you a penance to complete and they will ask you to make an Act of Contrition.
The Act of Contrition is a prayer saying that you are sorry and you intend to not sin again.
Often this is written somewhere in the confessional to aid the penitent.
Once the Act of Contrition is made, the priest will absolve you of your sins and farewell you.
It is recommended to complete your penance immediately or at the earliest possibility.
Penance is a good work that builds the bonds between you and God.
The final step is to do your best not to sin again.
