February 25, 2009

‘O my God, I am heartily sorry’

The Act of Contrition: An expression of love

By Father Jorge Rodriguez

It is quite an experience when kids come for their first confession. They are excited and nervous, eager to start saying the Act of Contrition which they have been learning by heart for a long time: “O my God, I am heartily sorry.”

It is amazing how they memorize this prayer although they probably they don’t comprehend the meaning of the words they are reciting. Only God knows the miracle resulting from grace in their little heart: for sure a miracle of love.

We can think of the Act of Contrition in two ways: as the formula prayer we recite before absolution; and as the dynamic of love taking place in the heart of the penitent. Contrition is brought about by love. The Act of Contrition expresses what the heart is experiencing.

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” defines “contrition” as “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again” (No. 1451). It distinguishes between the perfect contrition that arises from the love to God  above all else (contrition of charity), and “imperfect” contrition (or attrition) that is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation (Cf. Nos. 1452-1453).

Why do we feel sorry and detest the sin committed? Why are we promising not to sin again? We feel sorry when we hurt or offend the person we love. If we don’t love the person, we just don’t care. We regret deeply the senselessness of hurting the person we love and we really don’t want to do it again. This is what happens in confession.

I always thought that in the sacrament of reconciliation we make two confessions: one with our mouth, built with words; and another one in the silence of our heart, built with feelings and promises of love. In the first one we confess our sins, the dark side of our life; in the second one, we confess our love. So that at every sin confessed: “Jesus, I am heartily sorry for...,” our heart echoes, “because I love you.”

This is the dynamism of conversion and love we find in the dialogue between Jesus and Peter, at the conclusion of the Gospel of St. John:

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ (Jesus) said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He then said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ (Peter) said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ (Jesus) said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’” (21: 16-17).

The three times Peter was asked about his love for his Master reflect the three times Peter denied him: “I do not know what you are talking about, “ “I do not know the man” and “He began to curse and to swear, ‘I do not know the man’” (Mt 26: 70, 72,74).

Peter hurt the person he loved the most and betrayed a dear friendship. “Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ He went out and began to weep bitterly” (Lk 22: 60-62). There was a heavy weight on Peter’s heart. What did he read in Jesus’ eyes that caused Peter to weep bitterly?

Peter’s confession is probably one of the most sincere and loving ones: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” It was a hard confession for Peter because of the bitterness, regret and guilt, and Jesus had to help him understand that his confession should be about love. Three times Jesus brought love to Peter’s attention: “Peter, do you love me?”

The Act of Contrition we pray after the confession of our sins is the expression of our love; in fact we say: “I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee … who are all good and deserving of all my love.” This is the main reason for our sorrow; because God is extremely good to us and we love him with all our heart.
When love is at work, the Act of Contrition prayer and the act of contrition lived in the heart become one unique confession of our love to God, the merciful Father, and to Jesus who died for our sins, in the love the Holy Spirit has deposited in our heart.

The words, “O my God, I am heartily sorry,” when sincerely pronounced, open the heart of the penitent to love, healing and conversion ... and fill the Heavens with joy” (cf. Lk 15: 7).

Father Jorge Rodriguez is vice rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.