In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), the "reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God." (CCC, 1454)
The most appropriate guide would be under the "moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic letters." (Ibid) The CCC, which in fact encompasses the faith and the doctrine of the Church, is a highly regarded guide in your examination. Click on the link to lead you to the list of links for the Examination of Conscience.
In receiving the Sacrament, your contrition is paramount in going thru it. Your own perfect contrition comes from "a love by which God is loved above all else." (CCC, 1452)
You can pray to the Holy Spirit for grace for you to acknowledge sin, figure out the root causes, express humility by confessing it, and build up the effort to amend yourself in relation to Christ. It is a cooperation between yourself and God to grow in holiness.
- Sign of the cross
- Bless me, Father, for I have sinned, my last confession was (number of days, months, years)
- Confession of Sins (mortal sin and the number of times done)
- Reception of Penance
- Praying the Act of Contrition
- Absolution
Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen
Click to see other versions in the Prayers and Devotions page.
The penance the confessor imposes helps us to recover our "full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin." (CCC, 1459) The CCC uses a term relatable to us. Penance helps "configure us to Christ." (CCC, 1460)
A good confession will make you available to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion. Also, a benefit from the Sacrament of Reconciliation is that your soul is stronger in avoiding future sin.
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