The basic requirement for receiving the Mystery of Reconciliation is to have the intention of returning to God, through Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before the priest within the mystery of reconciliation.

To those who have been far away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving love, I make this appeal: Come back to this source of grace, do not be afraid! Christ Himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with God!

Psalm 23 - The Good Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd:
I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
He gives me new strength, He guides me in the right paths, as He has promised.
Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for You are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.
You prepare a banquet for me where all my enemies can see me;
You welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim.
I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;
And your house will be my home as long as I live.

In his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 Phillip Keller, once a shepherd himself, explains that it is with good reason that David refers to the Lord as "the Good Shepherd". For it is the "shepherd, the owner, the manager" of the sheep whose care and devotion determines whether the sheep "flourishes and thrives" or "struggles, starves or suffers endless hardship". It is a "good shepherd" who will leave his flock to find the one sheep that is lost, it is the "good shepherd: who will lay down his life for his sheep. "As we look at the human aspect of this theme we will be astonished at some of the parallels."

"Just as sheep will blindly, habitually . . . follow one another along the same little trails until they become ruts that erode into gigantic gullies, unless the shepherd leads them into green pastures, we humans cling to the same habits that we have seen ruin other lives." But Christ the Good Shepherd comes gently and says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). The name "Good Shepherd" implies a profound yet working relationship between a human being and his Maker."

Before the Mystery

Be truly sorry for your sins: The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sins committed, and a resolution not to sin again, out of your love for God which is renewed with repentance. The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid sin suffices for true repentance. God's grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.

The penitent should now examine his conscience and try to recall whatever sins he committed since his last confession. First, he should examine his relationship with God and secondly, to his fellowmen, and try to find not only the positive wrong-doings, but also those things which he neglected to do and which are called for by his state in life.

During the Mystery

You begin by making the sign of the cross saying:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then the priest prays for you by saying:
May Our Lord God Jesus Christ be in your heart and on your lips that you may worthily confess all your sins (then blessing you, he says) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You continue by saying:
I confess to Almighty God, One in the Holy Trinity, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, all my sins. You continue by saying how long it has been since you last received the Mystery of Penance (how many weeks, months, or years, approximately). Confess your sins; the areas in your life that are keeping you from a closer union with Jesus. Conclude by saying:
For these and all my other sins, which I cannot remember or call to mind, I am sorry that I have offended God and have angered Him against me. I am sincerely repentant and promise, with the help of God, to better my life. For this I humbly ask of you, Father, salutary penance and absolution.

The priest will then give you a penance and forgive your sins through the power he has received by virtue of his ordination. He will say the Prayer of Absolution over you and then dismiss you by saying:
Go in peace and sin no more.

After the Mystery

Give thanks to God for forgiving you again, offer the penance the priest has given you and reflect on the joy of forgiveness.

Psalm 32 - The Joy of forgiveness
O God, You bless everyone whose sins You forgive and wipe away. You bless them by saying: "You told me your sins, without trying to hide them, and now I forgive you."
Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long. Night and day your hand weighed heavily on me, and my strength was gone as in the summer heat.
So I confessed my sins and told them all to You. I said, "I'll tell the Lord each one of my sins." Then You forgave me and took away my guilt. . .
You are my hiding place! You protect me from trouble, and You put songs in my heart because You have saved me.

Byzantine Usage
Adapted from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark

 

Remember, if you need help - simply ask the priest and he will help you by walking you through the necessary steps. The prayers here are from the Byzantine Ritual - It is sufficient to say the prayers you know as best you can.