Oratio Praeparatoria ad Confessionem Sacramentalem

Oratio Praeparatoria ad Confessionem Sacramentalem
Preparatory Prayer before Sacramental Confession

CONDITOR caeli et terrae, Rex regum et Dominus dominantium, qui me de nihilo fecisti ad imaginem, et similitudinem tuam et me proprio tuo sanguine redemisti, quem ego peccator non sum dignus nominare, nec invocare, nec corde cogitare.	O ALMIGHTY God, Maker of heaven and earth, King of kings, and Lord of lords, who hast made me out of nothing in Thine image and likeness, and hast redeemed me with Thine own Blood; whom I, a sinner, am not worthy to name, to call upon, or to contemplate.
Te suppliciter deprecor, et humiliter exoro, ut clementer respicias me servum tuum nequam. Et miserere mei, qui misertus fuisti mulieri Cananeae, et Mariae Magdalenae: qui pepercisti publicano, et latroni in cruce pendenti.	I humbly beg Thee, I earnestly beseech Thee, to look mercifully on me, Thy wicked servant. Thou who hadst mercy on the woman of Canaan and Mary Magdalene; Thou who didst spare the publican and the thief upon the cross, have mercy upon me.
Tibi confiteor, Pater piissime, peccata mea, quae si volo abscondere, non possum tibi, Domine. Parce mihi, Christe, quem ego nuper multum offendi cogitando, loquendo, operando, et in omnibus modis, in quibus ego fragilis homo et peccator peccare potui, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.	To Thee, most compassionate Father, I confess my sins, which even if I wished to hide, I could not. O Lord. Spare me, O Christ, whom I not long ago greatly offended by thought, by word, by deed, and in every way in which I, a weak human being and sinner, have been able to do so through my most grievous fault.
Ideo, Domine, precor tuam clementiam, qui de caelo pro mea salute descendisti, qui David a peccati lapsu erexisti, parce mihi, Domine, parce mihi Christe, qui Petro te neganti pepercisti. Tu es Creator meus et Redemptor meus, Dominus meus et Salvator meus, Rex meus et Deus meus.	Therefore, O Lord, I ask Thy clemency, Thou who descended from heaven for my salvation, who raised up David from his fall to sin. Spare me, O Lord. Spare me, O Christ, Thou who spared Peter who denied Thee. Thou art my Creator and my Redeemer, my Lord and my Savior, my King and my God.
Tu es spes mea et fiducia mea, gubernatio mea et auxiliatio mea, consolatio mea et fortitudo mea, defensio mea et liberatio mea, vita mea, salus mea et resurrectio mea, lumen meum et desiderium meum, adiutorium meum et patrocinium meum.	Thou art my hope and my trust; my guide and my succor; my comfort and my strength ; my defense and my deliverance; my life, my health, and my resurrection; my light and my longing; my help and my protection.
Te deprecor et rogo adiuva me, et salvus ero: guberna me et defende me: conforta me et consolare me: confirma me et laetifica me: illumina me et visita me. Suscita me mortuum, quia factura et opus tuum sum.	I pray and entreat Thee, help me and I shall be safe; direct me and defend me; strengthen me and comfort me; confirm me and gladden me ; enlighten me and come unto me. Raise me from the dead; for I am Thy creature, and the work of Thy hands.
Domine, ne despicias me, quia famulus et servus tuus sum, quamvis malus, quamvis indignus et peccator: sed qualiscumque sim, sive bonus, sive malus, semper tuus sum. Ad quem ego fugiam, nisi ad te vadam? Si tu me eiicis, quis me recipiet? Si tu me despicis, quis me aspiciet?	O Lord, despise me not, for I am Thy servant, ever so bad, ever so unworthy and a sinner: but without exception, whether good or bad, I am always Thine. To whom shall I flee, unless I come to Thee? If Thou rejecteth me, who will receive me? If Thou despiseth me, who will look at me?
Recognosce me ergo indignum ad te refugientem, quamvis sim vilis et immundus: quia si vilis et immundus sum, potes me mundare: si caecus sum, potes me illuminare: si infirmus sum, potes me sanare: si mortuus et sepultus sum, potes me resuscitare ; quia maior est misericordia tua, quam iniquitas mea: maior est pietas tua, quam impietas mea: plus potes dimittere, quam ego committere: et plus parcere quam ego peccator peccare.	Recognize me therefore as unworthy, flying to Thee ever so worthless and unclean. For if I am worthless and unclean, Thou canst cleanse me. If I am blind, Thou canst enlighten me. If I am infirm, Thou canst heal me. If I am dead, Thou canst revive me. For greater is Thy mercy than my iniquity. Greater is Thy piety than my impiety. Thou art able to dismiss more than I can commit, and spare more than I, a sinner, can sin.
Non ergo despicias, Domine, neque attendas multitudinem iniquitatum mearum: sed secundum multitudinem miserationum miserere mei, et propitius esto mihi maximo peccatori.	Therefore, despise me not, O Lord, neither regard my iniquities; but according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies have mercy upon me, the chief of sinners, and be gracious unto me.
Dic animae meae, <<Salus tua ego sum.>> Qui dixisti, <<Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed magis ut convertatur et vivat>>: converte me, Domine, ad te, et noli irasci contra me.	Tell me soul, "I am Thy salvation." For Thou hast said, "I do not wish the sinner to die, but to repent and live." Turn Thou unto me, O Lord, and be not angry with me.
Deprecor te, clementissime Pater, propter misericordiam tuam, supplico et exoro, ut perducas me ad bonum finem, et ad veram paenitentiam, puram confessionem, et dignam satisfactionem omnium peccatorum meorum. Amen.	I implore Thee, most compassionate Father, on account of Thy mercy, I beg Thee and pray Thee, that Thou wouldst lead me to a good end, to true penance, to a perfect confession, and to worthy satisfaction for all my sins. Amen.

From the Paradisus Animae, 1670 &; the Roman Sacramentary. Tr. MWM.

©copyrighted by Michael Martin