The whole season of Lent is a time to seek the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness for the ways we’ve failed to love God and one another. Lent is a prime season to go to confession. In my parish last night we had a Penance Service. Not many folks came but I know that a great many more were at home, at work, at school and in a thousand other places, struggling with their own failings and the desire to live more faithful lives.
Whether you’ve been to confession this Lent or plan to do so before Easter – or not – here’s a litany from my homily at the Penance Service, designed to help us acknowledge our sins and to ask for God’s mercy and pardon…
Oh,
God…
I confess my pride in thinking that others are sinners
– but that I am not…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my imperfections,
my faults, my failings,
my bad habits and my
wrongdoing…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess being a jerk while driving
– and lots of other times, too…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess to eating too much
spending too much,
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my giving too little, too late,
when I have so much more than I
need…
Lord, have mercy!
confess not being faithful
have mercy!
I
confess putting so many things in my life
– ahead of you…
Lord, have mercy!
confess the time I’ve wasted:
have mercy!
I
confess losing my temper with children,
with other adults – with myself – and
with you, my God…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my selfish need
to be noticed, accepted, admired and
thanked…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess being smug and self-righteous…
Lord, have mercy!
confess taking what isn’t not mine,
done…
have mercy!
confess my failure
member of my parish…
have mercy!
dismissive of others…
gifts and talents
been given I’ve been given to share …
I
confess to being careless
and failing to be responsible…
Lord, have mercy!
haven’t trusted
your love for me,
your forgiveness of my sins
in your Holy Spirit’s guidance of my life…
I confess not forgiving others
as I’d want to them to forgive me…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess enjoying comfort, ease and plenty
– as if I’m entitled to them…
Lord, have mercy!
my word as I gave it and to promises I’ve made…
I confess the grudges and resentments
I hold and carry against my
neighbor…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my envy, my pride and my jealousy…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess to language and humor
that are rude and vulgar…
Lord, have mercy!
insensitivity,
with those who are most in need of my care…
responsible, contributing citizen
my community, my nation and in the world…
unfairness,
cheating, my duplicity, my half-truths
my failures to act justly…
unjustified snap judgments…
I confess my insincerity and hypocrisy…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my sins, both large and small,
for each transgresses your great love
for me…
Lord, have mercy!
failed to do
I didn’t find on this list
I confess that I’m a sinner, Lord,
in need of your mercy,
in
need of the grace of your suffering on the Cross…
Lord,
these last holy days before Easter.
Lord,
have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
