Act of Contrition

The Act of Contrition is a prayer recited by the penitent during the Roman Catholic sacrament of Confession.

Full text

O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended Thee,
and I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of Heaven
and the pains of Hell,
but most of all because I
offend Thee, my God,
Who art all-good and deserving
of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help
of Thy grace to confess my sins,
to do penance
and to amend my life. Amen.

Alternative version

O My Lord, I am heartily sorry for all my sins,
help me to live like Jesus and not sin again.
Amen.

Irish version in use in 1960s

O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended Thee
and I detest my sins
above every other evil
because they displease Thee, my God,
Who, in Thy infinite wisdom,
art so deserving of all my love
and I firmly resolve
with the help of Thy grace
never more to offend Thee
and to amend my life. Amen.

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