Saying the Act of Contrition each night before I go to bed!

August 23, 2026

Saying the Act of Contrition each night before I go to bed!

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all of 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.

~Act of Contrition Catholic Prayer

This is the prayer I grew up on when I made my First Communion in 2nd Grade. You learn it to memory and we are told as Catholics to say it before receiving communion at mass each week. There are a few variations of this prayer, but this is the one I grew up on and know and say. When you go to confession, the priest also has you say this prayer when he resolves you of your sins. Last week we went to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Palm Bay, Florida and the new priest, Father Tom, said in the bulletin to also get in the habit of saying this prayer at night before you go to bed. I thought that was a nice gesture and have been doing that now too. I think it is a great prayer. It helps you feel better too if you have sinned or done something that has brought guilt or bad feelings and experiences with someone else. It is an easy prayer to say and commit to memory and I really like it. I wanted to share it. Are you confessing your sins to God, reconciling with Him? It helps to do so and to pray and say this nice prayer! It can bring a lot of peace! I hope you will learn it and say it each day or at night before you go to bed. I say it often and it brings me so much peace to be at peace with God!