Q. Is saying “Lord Jesus have mercy on me a sinner” sufficient when making an Act of Contrition during Confession?
A. In short, yes, yes it is. While within the Church we refer to The Act of Contrition meaning the formal prayer (“Oh my God I am heartily sorry…”), an act of contrition (all lowercase) is all that the Rite of Penance requires.
The Ritual book simply says that after receiving a penance “the penitent manifests his contrition and resolution to begin a new life by means of a prayer for God’s pardon. It is desirable that this prayer should be based on the words of Scripture.”
Many different formulas for an act of contrition exist and are used. Some penitents choose to offer a spontaneous prayer expressing their contrition. “Lord Jesus have mercy on me a sinner” certainly fulfills the requirements given by the ritual, though a clearer resolution to amend one’s life could be desired (it is presumed that, by acknowledging Jesus as Lord one is also acknowledging the desire to follow His teachings).
The important thing when making an act of contrition is meaning what we say. It is easy to simply repeat a formula without taking to heart the words we are saying simply because we become so used to saying it. It is good to take a moment before making an act of contrition, whether in confession or as part of daily prayer, to ask our Lord for the grace to mean what we say.
Our Lord wants us to be free from sin and gives us the grace to live out our act of contrition; we simply need to truly desire and to cooperate with that grace. Admittedly that is easier said than done, but that is why we keep praying and staying close to Him in the Sacraments. He never gives up on us, so we should never give up on ourselves.
This question was answered by Father Caleb La Rue, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
