(2) “Have sorrow for our sins.”  After examining your conscience and finding out the sins you have committed, the next thing is to be sorry for them.  The sorrow is the most essential part in the whole Sacrament of Penance.  In this Sacrament there are, as you know, three parts:  contrition, confession, and satisfaction—­and contrition is the most important part.  When, therefore, we are preparing for confession, we should spend just as much time, and even more, in exciting ourselves to sorrow for our sins as in the examination of our conscience.  Some persons forget this and spend all their time examining their conscience.  We should pray for sorrow if we think we have none.  Remember the act of contrition made at confession is not the sorrow, but only an outward sign by which we make known to the priest that we have the sorrow in our hearts, and therefore we must have the sorrow before making the confession—­or at least, before receiving the absolution.  Now what kind of sorrow must we have?  Someone might say, I am not truly sorry because I cannot cry.  If some of my friends died, I would be more sorry for that than for my sins.  Do not make any such mistakes.  The true and necessary kind of sorrow for sin is to know that by sin you have offended God, and now feel that it was very wrong, and that you have from this moment the firm determination never to offend Him more.  If God adds to this a feeling that brings tears to your eyes, it is good, but not necessary.

(3) Remember real sorrow for sin supposes and contains “a firm resolution” never to sin again.  How can you say to God, “O my God, I am heartily sorry,” etc., if you are waiting only for the next opportunity to sin?  How can we be sorry for the past if we are going to do the same in the future?  Do you think the thief would be sorry for his past thefts if he had his mind made up to steal again as soon as he had the chance?  Ah, but you will say, nearly all persons sin again after confession.  I know that; but when they were making their confession they thought they never would, and really meant never to sin again; but when temptation came, they forgot the good resolution, did not use God’s help, and fell into sin again.  I mean, therefore, that at the time you make the act of contrition you must really mean what you say and promise never to sin, and take every means you can to keep that promise.  If you do fall afterwards, renew your promise as quickly as possible and make a greater effort than before.  Be on your guard against those things that make you break your promise, and then your act of contrition will be a good one.  A person may be afraid that he will fall again, but being afraid does not make his contrition worthless as long as he wishes, hopes, and intends never to sin again.  We should always be afraid of falling into sin, and we will fall into it if we depend upon ourselves alone, and not on the help which God gives us in His grace.