MIRACULOUS MIRACLES™

Prayer — The Essential Prayers

Actus Contritionis

Act of Contrition

Multiple traditional forms; current English text c. 1840

The penitent's prayer of sorrow — said before sleep, before confession, and at the moment of death.

The Prayer · Multiple Versions
English (traditional) · Original
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.
English (current Rite of Penance)
My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance,
to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Saviour Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.
Amen.
Spanish
Dios mío,
me arrepiento de todo corazón
de todos mis pecados
y los aborrezco,
porque al pecar, no sólo merezco
las penas establecidas por ti
justamente,
sino principalmente porque te ofendí,
a ti sumo Bien y digno de amor
por encima de todas las cosas.
Por eso propongo firmemente,
con ayuda de tu gracia,
no pecar más en adelante
y huir de toda ocasión de pecado.
Amén.
Acto de Contrición
(tradición española)
Señor mío Jesucristo, Dios y hombre verdadero, Creador, Padre y Redentor mío.
Por ser tú quien eres, Bondad infinita,
y porque te amo sobre todas las cosas,
me pesa de todo corazón haberte ofendido. También me pesa que puedas castigarme
con las penas del infierno.
Ayudado de tu divina gracia propongo firmemente nunca más pecar, confesarme y cumplir la penitencia que me fuera impuesta. Amén
Italian
Mio Dio, mi pento e mi dolgo con tutto il cuore dei miei peccati, perché peccando ho meritato i tuoi castighi, e molto più perché ho offeso te, infinitamente buono e degno di essere amato sopra ogni cosa.
Propongo con il tuo santo aiuto di non offenderti mai più e di fuggire le occasioni prossime di peccato. Signore, misericordia, perdonami.
Portuguese
Meu Deus, porque sois infinitamente bom e Vos amo de todo o meu coração, pesa-me de Vos ter ofendido e, com o auxílio da Vossa divina graça, proponho firmemente emendar-me e nunca mais Vos tornar a ofender. Peço e espero o perdão das minhas culpas pela Vossa infinita misericórdia. Ámen.
French
Mon Dieu, j’ai un très grand regret de vous
avoir offensé parce que vous êtes infiniment
bon et que le péché vous déplaît. Je prends la
ferme résolution, avec le secours de votre
sainte grâce, de ne plus vous offenser et de
faire pénitence.
German
Mein Gott, aus ganzem Herzen bereue ich alle meine Sünden, nicht nur wegen der gerechten Strafen, die ich dafür verdient habe, sondern vor allem, weil ich dich beleidigt habe, das höchste Gut, das würdig ist, über alles geliebt zu werden. Darum nehme ich mir fest vor, mit Hilfe deiner Gnade nicht mehr zu sündigen und die Gelegenheiten zur Sünde zu meiden. Amen.
When the Prayer is Said

In the Sacrament of Penance; before sleep; in danger of death.

History & Background

The Council of Trent (1551) taught that contrition — sorrow of soul for sin committed, with the firm purpose of not sinning again — is required for the valid reception of the Sacrament of Penance. Out of this teaching grew the various 'Acts of Contrition' which appear in the manuals of devotion from the 16th century onward.

The most widespread English version is the one printed in the Baltimore Catechism and the various Irish-American devotional books of the 19th century. A shorter form ('My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart...') was introduced in the 1970s for use in the Rite of Penance.

All Prayers