The Act of Contrition is a prayer of sorrow for sin. Catholics pray it in the Sacrament of Confession, after confessing their sins, and many also pray it every night before sleep.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
Another Traditional Version
Many Catholics learned this version as children:
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 they 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.
Both versions are correct and accepted in Confession. You may also hear other wordings in your parish, which are fine too. What matters is true sorrow and a firm intention to change.
When to Pray It
- In Confession, after you confess your sins and the priest gives you your penance, he will ask you to pray an Act of Contrition.
- Every night, as part of a Night Prayer before sleep
- Anytime you become aware that you have sinned
What It Means
The Act of Contrition has three parts:
- Sorrow: "I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee."
- The reason for our sorrow: we are sorry because sin deserves punishment, but most of all because it offends God, who is all good.
- A firm resolution: with God's grace, we resolve to sin no more and to avoid what leads us into sin.
Perfect and Imperfect Contrition
The Church teaches that there are two kinds of sorrow for sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1451–1453):
- Perfect contrition comes from love of God above all else. We are sorry mainly because sin offends the God we love.
- Imperfect contrition comes from other motives, such as fear of punishment or the ugliness of sin. It is still a gift from God and good, and it is enough for forgiveness in Confession.
That is why the prayer says we are sorry because of God's just punishments, "but most of all because they offend Thee." It moves us from fear toward love.
What Is the "Near Occasion of Sin"?
A near occasion of sin is any person, place, or situation that easily leads us into sin. Part of true sorrow is choosing to avoid them.