TODAY'S CATECHISM
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WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
AMEN
TOPIC: THE PENITENTIAL RITE (CONFITEOR)
=> INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS
=> BRIEF HISTORY
=> THE CONFITEOR (“I CONFESS”)
=> ABSOLUTION
=> THE PENITENTIAL ACT (CONFITEOR) BIBLE REFERENCES
=> CONCLUSION
=> REFERENCE
INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS
Following the order of the Eucharistic celebration and the entrance procession, the veneration of the altar and the greeting, we now reach the Penitential Rite.
According to Wikipedia, The Penitential Rite or Act is a form of general confession of sinfulness that normally takes place at the beginning of the celebration of Mass.
The Church, which is holy and at the same time a community of sinners, is conscious that her members need a continuous conversion to ask God’s forgiveness and to worthily participate in the sacred mysteries. This explains how from the very beginning public repentance of one’s sin was necessary before the Eucharistic celebration so that the sacrifice be pleasing to God. The Penitential Rite is a concrete expression of this reality by the minister and the faithful, who humbly recognize their sins. They repent and implore God’s mercy so that they may participate fruitfully in the sacred mysteries.
The only two confirmed cases of people who never sinned are Our Lord himself and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Extenuating circumstances, a bad day, raging hormones don’t let us off the hook: with humility we confess that we’re still struggling and need Our Lord’s help to get the most out of receiving him in the Eucharist. We don’t go into details out loud, as we would in the Sacrament of Penance, but we do acknowledge our faults and failings, and usually, after the priest’s invitation, there is a moment of silence to reflect on what we’ve done or omitted before we perform a penitential act together.
BRIEF HISTORY
As we can see, the beginnings of the penitential act at the opening of Mass are found in the ancient liturgical books. It was soon to be expressed with the prostration of the priest in front of the altar, as takes place now in the celebration of the Lord’s passion on Good Friday. Around the 10th century, this rite is included in the missals and consists in the priest’s recitation of a few prayers that manifest his feelings of unworthiness as the minister of the Holy Sacrifice.
Only in Paul VI’s Missal is this rite extended to the entire community. Up until then only the priest did so.
On Sundays, especially during Easter time, the penitential act can take the form of sprinkling holy water. This is to remind us of our baptism and to invite us to a continual purification, as the living of this sacrament demands.
THE CONFITEOR (“I CONFESS”)
I CONFESS TO ALMIGHTY GOD
AND TO YOU, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
THAT I HAVE GREATLY SINNED,
IN MY THOUGHTS AND IN MY WORD,
IN WHAT I HAVE DONE,
AND IN WHAT I HAVE FAILED TO DO;
THROUGH MY FAULT, THROUGH MY FAULT,
THROUGH MY MOST GRIEVOUS FAULT;
THEREFORE I ASK BLESSED MARY EVER-VIRGIN ,
ALL THE ANGELS AND SAINTS,
AND YOU, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
TO PRAY FOR ME TO THE LORD OUR GOD.
The Confiteor (“I confess”)
The most common prayer formula to make an act of Penance is known from its first word in Latin, the Confiteor (Roman Missal, “Order of Mass”):
I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, …
By reciting this prayer together, we acknowledge before God and before our family and friends that we have sinned. We have all sinned, and in saying this prayer together we encourage each other to come clean, knowing we’re not alone. Sin isolates us from God and from others, and penitence helps us to start reuniting with our fellow believers again in a holy way.
Sometimes we convince ourselves that as long as we’re not killing anybody, we’re okay.
The Confiteor makes a point of helping us say we’ve done something wrong, and it helps us examine ourselves when we think everything is okay: have I never offended God or others in my thoughts? In my words? Have I not done something that I should have done? Everyone in that broad span of areas of spiritual growth can find some room for improvement, and the need to ask for forgiveness.
This is also a moment to remind ourselves how sorry we are for past, forgiven sins as well.
And, striking their breast, they say:
… through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; …
It’s not enough to just admit we’ve sinned; we have to acknowledge that it was bad that we have sinned, that we are responsible for our sins. We can’t place the blame on anyone else. Others can influence us and condition us, but the final decision is made freely in my heart, just as I have to decide freely in my heart to denounce what I’ve done and turn back to God.
“May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.”
This beautiful liturgical prayer, which the priest says, does not absolve all sins with the ex opere operato efficacy characteristic of the sacrament of penance. It is rather a petition, such that, through the beseeching mediation of the Church and through the personal acts of those assisting at the Eucharist, the small sins of every day are forgiven. In this way the faithful are kept from falling into graver sins.
ABSOLUTION
The priest actually gives us absolution at the conclusion of the Penitential Act. However, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal reminds us (n.51) that this absolution is not the same as the one performed in the Sacrament of Penance. Some sins, due to their seriousness, rupture the communion we have with God and with our fellow believers (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] , nn.1440 and 1457), which is why the Sacrament of Penance is also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and has the effect of reconciling us with God and with the Church.
THE PENITENTIAL ACT (CONFITEOR) BIBLE REFERENCES
I confess to almighty God (Dan 9:4), and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned (1 Chr 21:8), in my thoughts and in my words (Psalm 19:14), in what I have done and in what I have failed to do (2 Sam 24 : 10 ), through my own fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault (Dan 9 : 5-7 ); therefore I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God (1 Thess 5:25).
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and bring us to everlasting life (1 Jn 1:9). Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy (Tob 8:4; 1 Tim 1:2).
CONCLUSION
The Church, which is holy and at the same time a community of sinners, is conscious that her members need a continuous conversion to ask God’s forgiveness and to worthily participate in the sacred mysteries.
The priest invites everyone present to acknowledge their sins in order to prepare themselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries of the Mass. When we become believers, we don’t stop being sinners; the battle against temptation and sin will be waged until the last day of our earthly life. Even the greatest saints, as they grew in holiness, saw the gravity of even the slightest sins. Therefore at the start of the Mass, we come clean together that we haven’t always lived as we should.
REFERENCE
=> The Holy Bible
=> Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
We have come to a conclusion on the topic THE PENITENTIAL RITE (CONFITEOR).
Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.
WE ARE CATHOLIC
