Penitential Rite – Lenten Season
(Adaptation of the Examination of Consciousness
proposed by St Ignatius of Loyola)
Hymn
I’ve wandered far away from God,
Now I’m coming home;
The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
Lord, I’m coming home.
Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam;
Open wide Thine arms of love;
Lord, I’m coming home.
I’ve wasted many precious years,
Now I’m coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears,
Lord, I’m coming home.
I’m tired of sin and straying, Lord,
Now I’m coming home;
I’ll trust Thy love, believe Thy word;
Lord, I’m coming home.
Priest:
O Sacrament Most Holy
O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving,
Be every moment thine.
Call to thanksgiving
I. Thanksgiving:
Lord Jesus,
We thank you for your presence in this most holy Sacrament of the Altar.
We thank you for your unconditional love that you pour on us at every moment of our life.
Thank you for the gift of our life.
Thank you for the Cross that gives us meaning in our life.
Thank you for protecting us and guiding us in our life that is dedicated to you.
We thank you for all that we are.
(Pause)
II. Invoking the Holy Spirit
We invoke the Spirit of God to envelope us with his presence, that we may be receptive to the graces God wants to shower on us.
Hymn
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me/us
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me/us
Melt me mold me
Fill me use me/us
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me/us
(Silence)
Scripture Reading:
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do you say?”
They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
(Silence)
III. Examination of Consciousness
(The Examination of Conscience is adapted from Appendix III of the Rite of Penance.)
A. The Lord says, "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart."
1. Is my heart set on God, so that I really love him above all things and am faithful to his commandments? Or am I more concerned about the things of this world?
2. God spoke to us in his Son. Is my faith in God firm and secure? Have I been careful to grow in my understanding of the faith, to hear God's word?
3. Do I pray regularly? Do I offer God my difficulties, my joys and my sorrows?
4. Have I love and reverence for God's name? Have I shown disrespect for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints?
5. Do I keep Sundays and feast days holy by taking a full part, with attention and devotion, in the liturgy, and especially in the Mass?
6. Are there false gods that I worship by giving them greater attention and deeper trust than I give to God: money, superstition, astrology?
B. The Lord says, "Love one another as I have loved you."
1. Have I a genuine love for my neighbours? Or do I use them for my own ends, or do to them what I would not want done to myself?
2. In my family life, have I shown proper respect toward my parents? Have I been careful to give a Christian upbringing people? Have I been faithful to my religious calling?
3. Do I share my possessions with the less fortunate? Do I do my best to help the victims of oppression, misfortune and poverty?
4. Does my life reflect the mission I received at confirmation? Do I share in the apostolic and charitable works of the church and in the life of my parish?
5. Am I concerned for the good and prosperity of the human community in which I live, or do I spend my life caring only for myself? Do I share to the best of my ability in the work of promoting justice, morality, harmony and love in human relations?
C. Christ our Lord says, "Be perfect as your Father is perfect."
1. Where is my life really leading me? Is the hope of eternal life my inspiration?
Have I tried to grow in the life of the Spirit through prayer, reading the word of God, receiving the sacraments? Have I imposed my own will on others, without respecting their freedom and rights?
2. What use have I made of time, of health and strength, of the gifts God has given me? Do I use them to become more perfect each day?
3. Have I been patient in accepting the sorrows and disappointments of life?
4. Have I kept my whole body pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit? Have I dishonoured my body physically or through unworthy conversation or thoughts? Have I indulged in activities which offend Christian or human decency?
5. Have I gone against my conscience out of fear or hypocrisy?
A period of silence should always be included so that each person may personally examine his or her conscience. (Rite of Penance, Appendix II, #59)
IV. Confessions
Individual Confession and Absolution
V. After the Confessions
(Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament)
Priest:
O merciful Jesus,
how wonderfully you created us
and still more wonderfully remade us.
You do not abandon the sinners but seek them out with a father's love.
You came into the world
to destroy sin and death by your passion, and to restore life and joy
by your resurrection.
You sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts
to make us your children
and heirs of your kingdom.
You constantly renew our spirit
in the sacrament of your redeeming love, freeing us from slavery to sin
and transforming us ever more closely.
We thank you Jesus.
Having experienced the love and mercy of God, and now as we receive the blessings let us offer to Jesus one or two resolutions that we now wish to take for our coming days.
(Blessing)
Concluding hymn
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good (3)
Yes eternal is His love
I will sing to my God never ceasing,
All my Life, I will tell of His wonders,
He’s the maker of all, earth and heaven,
Of the ocean, the seas and all they hold!
The Almighty is faithful forever
He is just to the poor and the outraged
It is He who gives bread to the hungry
Who delivers the captives from their chains.
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