Contrition is repentance because of having sinned.
The notion of contrition comes from the Latin word contritio and refers to the regret that a person experiences when they feel that they acted inappropriately . For Catholicism, contrition is the pain felt for offending God .
Born of guilt
On a general level, contrition is born of guilt . An individual who believes that he behaved incorrectly shows contrition based on the remorse and regret that his own actions generate.
In the field of religion , contrition is considered the deep pain that arises when committing a sin. This contrition is linked to the intention not to sin again in the future.
Contrition arises from internal suffering for having offended God . This means that it goes beyond the reward that is lost and the punishment that sin deserves. Contrition is thought to be supernatural as long as it is based on faith in God 's precepts and what He is.
General characteristics
The act of contrition can be developed in different ways. What is essential is genuine, voluntary and conscious repentance for the sin committed : in this sense, it is not necessary to follow any formula .
During the mass , however, the act of contrition respects certain forms. Whoever celebrates the Eucharist invites the faithful to recognize their sins along with the prayer that cries out for divine forgiveness.
Theology divides between perfect contrition (born from the love of God ) and imperfect contrition (motivated by fear of hell or another similar reason). Imperfect contrition is also known as attrition , associated with fear and shame.
at mass
As we anticipated above, the act of contrition can take place in the Catholic mass, where we can also associate it with the concept of Penitential Act and takes place after the priest has greeted the Assembly. So that the faithful can think carefully about their own sins and feel genuine repentance, a moment of silence is generated in the church.
God is the main recipient of the act of contrition, since the dialogue that believers have with him is interrupted every time they commit a sin ; but so are other people, because all Catholics are responsible for the holiness of the Church, which is affected by sin.
The liturgical book in which we can find the rubrics, prayers and ceremonies necessary during a mass is called the Roman Missal . It indicates three ways to practice contrition:
* I confess : the most common, which allows expressing repentance and the deep desire to be reconciled with God and the Church;
* dialogue : to ask God to save the sinner and be merciful to him;
* litanies and petitions : there are several possibilities that the celebrant can choose. The song Lord, have mercy can also be included.
Contrition is directed to God and the Church.
Perfect Extrasacramental Contrition
There is only one case in which the so-called extra-sacramental perfect contrition is allowed: that the sinner is close to death. If you really want to be reconciled with God at such a crucial moment, then the Church grants you the opportunity to confess.
According to the Council of Trent , this act of contrition should not be celebrated if the sinner does not feel a genuine desire to receive the sacrament. In other words, the only motive cannot be to "receive God's forgiveness", but rather to recognize one's own mistakes and the consequences they have had on others, on the bond with others. It should arise almost naturally, as a healthy impulse to repair what we have destroyed.