Forgiveness

Prayers for Forgiveness

Prayer for forgiveness requires admission of sin, saying sorry, asking God's help to change and seeking to heal one's loving relationships with God, with others and with all creation. (CLPS6)

Children can be invited to create their own prayers for forgiveness in a variety of ways:

Use the You, Who, Do, Through prayer pattern

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am sorry that I have sinned against you,

because you are so good,

and with your help, I will not sin again.

Amen

Penitential Act - from the Order of Mass

During the Mass, one of three forms of the Penitential Acts is used:

Priest: Sisters and brothers, let us acknowledge our sins,

and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

Penitential Act a)

All: 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,

(striking the breast they go on)

All: 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.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Priest: Lord have mercy. All: Lord have mercy.

Priest: Christ have mercy. All: Christ have mercy.

Priest: Lord have mercy. All: Lord have mercy.

Penitential Act b)

Priest: Have mercy on us O Lord.

All: For we have sinned against you.

Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy.

All: And grant us your salvation.

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Priest: Lord have mercy. All: Lord have mercy.

Priest: Christ have mercy. All: Christ have mercy.

Priest: Lord have mercy. All: Lord have mercy.

Penitential Act c)

(The Priest or another minister says invocations naming the gracious works of the Lord to which the people are invited to respond, as in the example below.)

Priest: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: You came to call sinners. Christ have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

Priest: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Lord have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Sung version of the Penitential Act

God of Mercy, Bernadette Farrell