Prayers before Confession, and when to pray them

Before Confession, Catholics usually pray for three things: light to see their sins clearly, real sorrow for them, and the courage to say them out loud. The Come Holy Spirit asks for light, Psalm 51 gives words to sorrow, and a Hail Mary asks Our Lady to stay close while you wait. You don't need all of them. Here they are, with when each one fits best.

What prayer do you say before Confession?

There's no required prayer. The Church asks three things of the person confessing: sorrow for sin, confessing it to the priest, and the intention to make amends (CCC 1491). Prayer beforehand helps with all three, but no particular text is needed, and the priest won't ask what you prayed.

That freedom is good news. Pick one prayer that fits where you are and pray it slowly. One prayer said with attention does more than five rushed through in the pew.

A prayer to the Holy Spirit for light

Pray this before you examine your conscience. You're asking God to show you your life the way he sees it: honestly, and with love. This is the traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Praying alone, you can say both lines of the verse and response yourself. Then go slowly through your examination of conscience, stopping wherever something catches.

Psalm 51: a prayer for sorrow

Psalm 51 is the great psalm of repentance. Tradition links it to King David after his sin with Bathsheba, and the Church prays it every Friday morning in the Liturgy of the Hours. A few lines are enough before Confession (Psalm 51:1-2, 10, RSV):

This is a good one for the pew, once your list is ready. It moves your attention from the sins themselves to the God who forgives them.

A Hail Mary while you wait

Many Catholics pray a Hail Mary in line. It's short, you already know it, and it asks Mary to pray for you right now, at the moment you need it:

Short prayers for when you're nervous

Nerves are normal, especially if it's been a while. When a long prayer won't come, say one short line and repeat it as often as you need:

• "Come, Holy Spirit."
• "Jesus, I trust in you." (the words on the Divine Mercy image)
• "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." (the Jesus Prayer)
• "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13)
• "Create in me a clean heart, O God." (Psalm 51:10)

Breathe slowly while you pray them. The point isn't to stop being nervous. It's to be nervous with God beside you.

Can I pray in my own words?

Yes, and it's often the best prayer of all. God doesn't need formal language. Something like this is plenty:

That's not a traditional text, just an example. Change it, shorten it, or say whatever is actually on your heart. If you're coming back after a long time, you might simply tell God that you're afraid and that you came anyway.

When should I pray before Confession?

1. At home, before you examine your conscience. Pray to the Holy Spirit for light, then make your examination. The night before, or that morning, works well.
2. In the pew. Once your list is ready, pray Psalm 51 or a few words of your own asking for real sorrow.
3. In line. A Hail Mary or one of the short prayers above. This isn't the time to start your examination from scratch.
4. Just before you go in. One line is enough: "Jesus, I trust in you."

What about the Act of Contrition?

The Act of Contrition belongs inside Confession: you pray it after you've confessed and the priest has given your penance, just before absolution. You can pray it beforehand too, as part of your preparation, but you'll still be asked to say it in the confessional. We've put the full texts, including short versions, in the Act of Contrition, and the whole conversation with the priest in what to say in Confession.

If you can't pray at all

Some days the words won't come, and your mind is too busy or too anxious to pray anything properly. Go anyway. Walking into the confessional is itself an act of trust. Tell God, "This is all I've got today," and let the sacrament do the rest.