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
drinking too much,
spending too much,
saving too much,
and wasting 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!
I
confess not being faithful
to daily prayer and weekly worship…
Lord,
have mercy!
I
confess putting so many things in my life
- ahead of you...
Lord, have mercy!
I
confess the time I’ve wasted:
hours, days, seasons and years…
Lord,
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!
I
confess taking what isn’t mine,
using what isn’t mine,
and taking credit for what I haven’t
done…
Lord,
have mercy!
I
confess my failure
to be an active, generous, supportive
member of my parish...
Lord,
have mercy!
I confess being brusque, rude, ungracious,
and
dismissive of others...
Lord, have mercy!
I confess not using the
gifts and talents
I’ve
been given to share …
Lord, have mercy!
I
confess to being careless
and failing to be responsible...
Lord, have mercy!
I confess the ways and the times I
haven’t trusted
in
your love for me,
in
your forgiveness of my sins
and
in your Holy Spirit’s guidance of my life…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess not forgiving others
as I'd want them to forgive me...
Lord, have mercy!
I confess enjoying comfort, ease and plenty
- as if I'm entitled to them...
Lord, have mercy!
I confess to being unfaithful
to
my word as I gave it and to promises I’ve made…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my lustful glances,
unclean thoughts and impure deeds...
Lord, have mercy!
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!
I confess my impatience and
insensitivity,
especially
with those who are most in need of my care…
Lord, have mercy!
I confess all the ways I’ve not been
a
responsible, contributing citizen
in
my community, my nation and in the world…
Lord, have mercy…
I confess my dishonesty, my
unfairness,
my
cheating, my duplicity, my half-truths
and
my failures to act justly...
Lord, have mercy!
I confess my bias, prejudice
and
unjustified snap judgments...
Lord, have mercy!
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!
And I confess whatever I’ve done or
failed to do
that
I didn’t find on this list
but I know is in my heart....
Lord, have mercy!
I confess that I'm a sinner, Lord,
in need of your mercy,
in
need of the grace of your suffering on the Cross...
I confess my need for you and your mercy,
Lord,
-always - and especially
in
these last holy days before Easter.
Lord,
have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
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