Pop-Up Catechesis: A Walk Through the Mass—The Penitential Act

We continue our Pop-Up Catechesis series: A Walk Through the Mass. In this episode, we explore the Penitential Act.

Have you ever been caught with your guard down? I’m referring to those times when people see the “real you,” such as when you run to the supermarket in your sweats and slippers, hair undone, and no makeup, hoping that no one will see you. As embarrassing as that can be, there is also something liberating about it. We no longer have to put on a front for the person who caught us, because now that person has seen us as we really are and (hopefully!) still accepts us.

At Mass, the first thing we do after the Entrance Procession and the Greeting from the priest is let our guard down. We remove any facades that prevent God and others from seeing us as we really are: not perfect people but sinners in need of salvation. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we explore the Penitential Act and how it opens us up to the grace that comes to us in the Eucharist.

For more information about the Penitential Act, check out the following links:

• Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life
• Focusing on Brokenness
• The Confiteor (“I confess to Almighty God…”)
• With So Much Self-Esteem, Who Needs Salvation?
• The Roman Missal: The Penitential Act
• “My Most Grievous Fault”

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