“Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion.” (CCC 1422)

The sacrament of Confession is a whole consisting in three actions of the penitent and the priest's absolution. the penitent's acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation. CCC 1491 
It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man. CCC 1424

STEPS TO A GOOD CONFESSION

1. Examine Our Conscience
2. Be Sorry For Our Sins
3. Make A Firm Purpose Of Amendment
4. Confess Our Sins To A Priest
5. Perform Our Penance


 

Upon entering the confessional:

I kneel down and begin this way:

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned."

It has been ___________ (days, weeks, months, years) since my last confession. 

Then you tell your sins.  

When you have finished, add: 

For these and all the sins that I can't remember, and all the sins of my past life (you can specify one or another), I ask pardon of God and penance and absolution of you, Father. 

The priest then may give you some words of advise and he gives you a penance.

"As penance..." or "In reparation..." and indicates a prayer or a good deed you should do. If what he asks you is too difficult or impossible for me (a prayer you do not know), you must tell him right away!

Then you say your act of contrition:

An act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art so good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.  Amen.

The priest gives you absolution, making a sign of the cross with his hand; you make a sign of the cross on yourself, to mark that I accept God's forgiveness. The priest sends you away saying: "Go in peace! »

Before leaving, say: Thank you, Father.

Then perform the penance that the priest gave you.

Good Prayers after Confession:

Prayer of Thanksgiving

I RETURN unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, and give Thee thanks that Thou hast been pleased to cleanse me from the foul leprosy of my sins. Blessed be Thy Name, O Lord, forever and ever. Truly Thou art a Saviour Who rejectest none that come unto Thee seriously desiring to repent, but receivest them into Thy favour, and numberest them with Thy children.

I acknowledge and adore Thy mercy, and dedicate myself wholly to Thy service hereafter. Assist my weakness, and suffer me not again to fall into my past sins and to be separated from Thee; but so bind my heart and soul to Thee with the cords of Thy love, that I may say with the Apostle: “Who shall separate me from the love of Christ?”

Prayer of Petition

MAY this, my confession, O Lord, by the merits of the Blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, Thy Mother, and all the saints, be pleasing and acceptable in Thy sight. Let Thy goodness and mercy supply for whatever hath been wanting in my contrition, and in the purity and integrity of my confession. Deign Thou mercifully to regard me perfectly and entirely absolved in heaven: Who livest and reignest God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer for Perseverance

OALMIGHTY and merciful God, Who, according the multitude of Thy tender mercies, hast vouchsafed once more to receive Thy prodigal child, after so many times going astray from Thee, and to admit me to this Sacrament of reconciliation; I give Thee thanks with all the powers of my soul for this and all other mercies, graces and blessings, bestowed on me; and prostrating myself at Thy tender feet, I offer myself to be henceforth forever Thine. Oh! let nothing in life or death ever separate me from Thee. I renounce with my whole soul all my treasons against Thee, and all the abominations and sins of my past life. I renew my promises made in Baptism, and from this moment I dedicate myself eternally to Thy love and service.

Oh! grant that for the time to come I may abhor sin more than death itself, and avoid all such occasions and companies as have unhappily brought me to it. This I resolve to do, by the aid of Thy divine grace, without which I can do nothing. I beg Thy blessing upon these my resolutions, that they may not be ineffectual, like so many others I have formerly made; for, O Lord, without Thee I am nothing but misery and sin. Give me grace to be now and always a true penitent, through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.