Lesson 25
Is Your Contrition Perfect or Imperfect?
Welcome back to our Lenten Lessons on the Sacraments! Today I want to talk to you about the Act of Contrition, which is an essential part of the Sacrament of Confession, and clearly the most important act of the penitent. To be forgiven our sins, the penitent must be sorry and resolved to avoid sin in the future. The best example of contrition is the Prodigal Son. When he returned he exclaimed to his father, “I am very, very sorry. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Just treat me as one of your hired servants.” His sorrow and shame and humility is truly moving.
There are two types of contrition: perfect and imperfect. The late and great Venerable Fulton Sheen explained the difference this way:
Imagine twins who had disobeyed a mother in exactly the same way. One of the twins runs to the mother and says: “Oh, Mommy, I am sorry I disobeyed. Now I can’t go to the picnic, can I?” The other one throws her arms around the mother’s neck and weeps: “I’ll never hurt you again.” The first has imperfect contrition, the second perfect contrition.
For the validity of confession and absolution, the penitent must have a firm purpose of amendment, and that is expressed in his heartfelt act of contrition. After the penitent confesses his sins and the Confessor gives advice and imposes a penance – such as a Hail Mary, or a Spiritual Communion, or a Rosary, or a tithe to the poor, or something that will really help the person – the priest invites the penitent to say his act of contrition. I like the one I learned in Second Grade from Sr. James Denise, OP – may she rest in peace – and it goes like this: “Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. And I detest all my sins because of thy just punishment ( — that part is sufficient for imperfect contrition, but then this is what comes next)—but MOST OF ALL because they offend THEE my God, who art ALL GOOD and deserving of ALL MY LOVE (that phrase expresses perfect contrition). (And here comes the expression of purpose of amendment: …) I firmly resolve with the help of Thy Grace to sin nor more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.” What a beautiful and powerful prayer, and even a seven year old can learn it.
There are other forms of the Act of Contrition, such as “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a Sinner.” That one comes right from the Gospel and were the words of the repentant tax collector (Lk 18:13) It is known as the Jesus prayer, and you can say it many times a day.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
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