The Reconciliation of Penitents
Part One:  Gathering

Chapter 3 Opening Prayer

Historical Survey

Reconciliation during the time of canonical penance was a process which advanced by various stages: entering the order of penitents, hearing the word of God, doing penance, and finally the day of grace and reconciliation. The prayers of the rite reflect these various stages of the penitents and ask for the grace of conversion appropriate to that stage of the penitential process. For example in a collection of prayers compiled at Rome during the seventh century, the Gelasian Sacramentary, we find prayers to be said on Ash Wednesday in the morning when the sinners were to enter the Order of Penitents: "O Lord, hear our prayers and have pity on this sinner who confidently comes before you. By your generous mercy relieve the conscience weighted down with faults. May your mercy, we beg you, Lord, come before your servant. Let these sins be quickly wiped away by your pardon. Heal the wounds, take away the sins. Hear our prayers, Lord. You have triumphed over sin and are appeased by expiation. Your servant acknowledges having sinned seriously before you. Yours is the power to remit crimes and pardon sinners. You prefer that the sinner repent and not die. Help your servant to watch and to fast in order to once again rejoice with you, and once purified of all faults, come to eternal happiness. You take the sheep that was lost and, placing it on your shoulders, return it to the sheepfold. You were pleased by the prayers of the publican, be equally merciful to your servant here. Help this penitent to be faithful to the order of penance; to soon obtain your pardon; to once again have the right to hope for eternal life and to be readmitted to partake of your holy and venerable altar." Other prayers are given for the other stages of the rite, for example the reconciliation on Holy Thursday. This collection of prayers contains a unique feature: it orders the penitent to be incarcerated from the time of entering the order of penitents until the day of reconciliation!

As the ritual of penance evolved into confession, the opening prayer became a request for the grace to confess well: "May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips that you may correctly confess all your sins. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

The opening prayers of our current Rite of Penance are similar to the opening prayers at Sunday eucharist. Their function is to close the gathering rites and to allow the presiding minister to express in one prayer the petitions of the assembled community at the beginning of this celebration of God’s mercy.

As at Mass, the invitation to pray is followed by a period of silence to allow for the personal prayers of the assembly which are then collected into the presidential prayer.

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Documentation

Rite of Penance

23. When the faithful have gathered, a suitable hymn may be sung. Then the priest greets them and, if necessary, he or another minister gives a brief introduction to the celebration and explains the order of service. Next he invites all to pray and after a period of silence completes the opening prayer.

50. The priest invites all to pray, using these or similar words: "Brothers and sisters, God calls us to conversion; let us therefore ask him for the grace of sincere repentance." All pray in silence for a brief period. Then the priest sings or says the prayer:

Lord,
hear the prayers of those who call on you,
forgive the sins of those who confess to you,
and in your merciful love
give us your pardon and your peace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Or:

Lord,
send your Spirit among us
to cleanse us in the waters of repentance.
May he make of us a living sacrifice
so that in every place,
by his life-giving power,
we may praise your glory
and proclaim your loving compassion.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Other forms of the opening prayer may be chosen from nos. 97-100.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal

23. Silence should be observed at the designated times as part of the celebration. Its function depends on the time it occurs in each part of the celebration. Thus at the penitential rite and again after the invitation to pray, all recollect themselves; at the conclusion of a reading or the homily, all meditate briefly on what has been said.

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Pastoral Reflection

Pastoral Reflection

The opening prayers have a consistent form: invocation, petition, and conclusion. They begin by naming God: Lord, Lord our God, Almighty and merciful God, Father of mercies. They then ask for something. The first prayer given in the ritual asks for forgiveness of sins, pardon and peace. The second prayer asks that the Spirit come among us to cleanse us in the waters of repentance and make of us a living sacrifice: a reminder of the intimate relation between the sacraments of reconciliation: baptism, eucharist and penance. Other prayers ask for more immediate needs: the help to celebrate this sacrament, the grace to be attentive to the scriptures. The prayers conclude with a reference to Christ for it is through Christ that the world has been reconciled to God.

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Suggested Questions for Discussion

When you pray, what is your preferred way of invoking God; how do you name God in your prayers?

What are your personal petitions as you begin the celebration of reconciliation?

Do you feel that the opening prayer adequately expresses your personal petitions?

Should the opening prayer be recited or sung?

In your parish do you think that the priest gives sufficient time for silent prayer?

In what way do the sacraments of baptism and eucharist help us to understand this sacrament?

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© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved.  This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.  Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own.  Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it.  This site was updated on 10/07/08 .  Your comments on this site are welcome at tomrichs@psci.net.