The Forms of the Penitential Rite

Rev. Charles Strebler • September 23, 2025

There are four options for the Penitential Act (meaning by that a penitential action, not just acting penitent it should be something that is more than an act, but touches the depth of our persons). The options are called, creatively, as Forms A., B., and C., and also the Rite for Blessing and Sprinkling of Water.


Form A is known as the Confiteor, from the Latin for the first words, “I confess.” The text for this is:

 I confess to almighty God 
and to you, my brothers and sisters, 
that I have greatly sinned, 
in my thoughts and in my words, 
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, 
through my fault, through my fault, 
through my most grievous fault; 
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, 
all the Angels and Saints, 
and you, my brothers and sisters, 
to pray for me to the Lord our God.


This prayer expresses well the dual nature of sin. Sin is an offence against God and His Church, our brothers and sisters. Because we have sinned against our brothers and sisters, we tell them and not just God. We also ask for their prayers to God for us! It might be worth asking how often we pray for our brothers and sisters who have sinned. Asking Mary, the angels and saints reminds us that the Church is not just us gathered here, or even those on Earth, but the Church continues into eternity.


It is to be noted that we are instructed,

And, striking their breast, they say:
through my fault, through my fault, 
through my most grievous fault;


There is debate about how many times one strikes one’s chest. The answer seems it can be done once or three times. A response from the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship states, “It does not seem, therefore, that anyone has to strike his breast three times in pronouncing those words […]. It suffices that there be a striking of the breast.” Some have read this to say that three is not necessary, but it is permitted. I will not be policing this. One time or three times is ok, as long as you do it.

 

[So, ok, one of my friends told me that his older brother was just old enough to have experienced the Tridintine Mass, aka “The Latin Mass.” When the Confiteor was in Latin, the phrase for striking the breast was “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” My friend’s brother admitted to thinking everyone was saying, “Me a cowboy, me a cowboy, me a Mexican cowboy.”]


When the Confiteor is used, there follows the absolution (again, not the same as the absolution in the sacrament of Reconciliation):

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.


The Kyrie (pronounced keer-ee-ey, and not like the basketball player ki-ree!) follows.  Sometime I hear people say how they like the Latin in the Mass, “like the Kyrie”—except it isn’t Latin, it is Greek. It harkens back to the earliest days of the Church when the liturgy, like the New Testament, and the common language—even in Rome—was in Greek. The text is (in Greek and English):

Kyrie eleison/Lord, have mercy 

Christe eleison/Christ, have mercy

Kyrie eleison/ Lord, have mercy

This can be done by the priest or another minister than the priest, such as the cantor or choir.


Form B of the Penitential Act goes thusly:

The Priest:   Have mercy on us, O Lord.

The people: For we have sinned against you.

The Priest:   Show us, O Lord, your mercy.

The people: And grant us your salvation.


Then the absolution and the Kyrie follow.


Form C of the Penitential Act is where there are various invocations followed by Kyrie eleison/Lord, Have mercy or Christe eleison/Christ, Have mercy. This can be done by the priest, or the deacon, or another minister, such as the cantor.


I like Fr. J-Glenn Murray’s take on what is happening with the invocations. 

The only people I think that understand the term [“Lord, Have mercy”] properly are some group of very old black women in a small town in South Carolina, Go to one woman and say “Miz Jones, you have just won 13.5 million dollars in the lottery.” Her response said in exultation and with hands raised would be to shout, “Lord, have mercy!”


These invocations are not about our sin, but are about the great things that God has done. So we say, for example, “You were sent to heal the contrite of heart” or “You are Son of God and son of Mary” and not, “Lord, we are sinners.”


Eight model versions are given in the English Roman Missal.  As I read them, there are ones appropriate for each season of the year (but this may just be me reading into it):

(Advent)
Lord Jesus, you came to gather the nations into the peace of God’s kingdom: Lord, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you come in word and sacrament to strengthen us in holiness: Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you will come in glory with salvation for your people: Lord, have mercy.

(Christmas)
Lord Jesus, you are mighty God and Prince of peace: Lord, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you are the Son of God and Son of Mary: Christ, have mercy: The people: Christ, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you are Word made flesh and splendor of the Father: Lord, have mercy

(Lent)
Lord Jesus, you came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father: Lord, have mercy. Lord Jesus, you heal the wounds of sin and division: Christ, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you intercede for us with your Father: Lord, have mercy.

(Easter)
Lord Jesus, you raise the dead to life in the Spirit: Lord, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you bring pardon and peace to the sinner: Christ, have mercy: 
Lord Jesus, you bring light to those in darkness: Lord, have mercy.

(Easter)
Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy
Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy.

(Ordinary Time)
Lord Jesus, you have shown us the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy. 
Lord Jesus, you have given us the consolation of the truth: Christ, have mercy 
Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd, leading us into everlasting life: Lord, have mercy.

(Ordinary Time)
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick: Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you forgave sinners: Christ, have mercy: 
Lord Jesus, you gave yourself to heal us and bring us strength: Lord, have mercy


The Rite for Blessing and Sprinkling of Water may be used in place of the Penitential Act. This is not a renewal of the baptismal promises, which happens at Easter and Confirmation, but is a reminder of our baptism into Christ.



So, how do I choose which Penitential Act is used at Mass? I don’t do it randomly. For the most part, if a deacon is present on Sunday and —except during Lent and Advent—and most weekday Masses that are not Feasts or Solemnities, I use Form C, the invocation/Kyrie. I do so because this is one of the parts given to the deacon in the liturgy, and I like to give the deacon his due—even if he is doing the invocations and the cantor adds the Kyrie/Lord, have mercy. If I am without a deacon on a Sunday, or at weekday Feasts and Solemnities and at all Masses throughout Lent, I use Form A, the Confiteor. In Advent, I use Form B. I will use the Rite for Blessing and Sprinkling of Water on the Sunday in the Octave of Easter (to pair up with the renewal of baptismal promises and sprinkling on Easter), at Pentecost (so as to start the Easter Season, also so to finish), at Baptism of the Lord (do I have to explain?), and other days that may seem appropriate, such as at 1st Communion Mass to connect Baptism and Eucharist as Sacraments of Initiation.

On a Mission from God

By Rev. Charles Strebler • March 1, 2026
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Spiritual Maintenance

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 21, 2026
“Confession is an act of honesty and courage—an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.”—Pope St. John Paul II Dear Parishioners: I often liken confession to taking care of your car. If your car breaks down, you take it in to get it fixed right away. So, if you become aware of a serious/mortal sin in your life, you should get to confession right away—if at all possible before the next Sunday so you can receive the Lord worthily in the Eucharist (and not add on the sin of sacrilege). If your car doesn’t break down, you still have to take it in periodically for the tire rotation, oil change, and other maintenance. If you aren’t aware of serious sin, it is good to get to confession every so often for spiritual “maintenance.” I tell people that the minimum should be every three to four months. Some people go in Advent and Lent, but I point out there is much more time between Lent and Advent than between Advent and Lent; I usually suggest a time in July or August as well. The Diocese of Cleveland Night of Confessions will be on Wednesday, March 4 . Almost every parish in the Diocese of Cleveland will have an opportunity for confessions from 5—8 pm . I will be hearing at Holy Spirit and have another priest hearing confessions with me. What I like about this time is that there is no rush to get though the confessions before Mass. There is ample time for hearing the confessions of those who come, especially for those who have been away for a while. As we have done in the past, we will have the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the church. I invite our parishioners to come and spend some time in prayer with our Eucharistic Lord, especially praying for those going to confession—and each year I get some who have been away for decades! Pray also for the priests hearing confessions that night. I ask that we have at least two people in the church from 5—8pm. Please sign up for a time on our website at hspal.org. Confessions will also be a part of our Parish Mission, March 8—11 , lead By Father Jewel Aytona, of the Fathers of Mercy. This is a wonderful opportunity to enrich your faith in the season of Lent. Mark your calendar . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

What Will You Do This Lent?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 16, 2026
"There are a lot of things you can give to Jesus—I don’t like to say, ‘Give it up.’ Well, you’re going to take it back. But give it to Jesus for Lent.” — Mother Angelica Dear Parishioners: Lent is just before us, starting this coming (Ash) Wednesday. The question you can ask yourself now is: What will I do this Lent? Notice I did not put it, What will I give up this Lent? While the tried-and-true practice of giving up something for Lent is part of Lenten fasting, which is one of the pillars of Lenten disciple, we shouldn’t limit it to the idea of doing without some particular food. We can give up social media, or the talking heads of television, or music/talk/podcast in the car. The things about these is that in giving them up, we actually open up a space in our lives, maybe to experience more time available or that very rare—and sometimes unsettling—thing, silence. We can also re-hear Isaiah from last Sunday’s reading, remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech . Maybe we strive to let go of grudges, animosities, prejudices, or at least to chip away at them. Maybe we let go of letting politics and political parties guide our lives and thinking. What will I do? opens us up to the other two Lenten pillars, prayer and almsgiving. Making the time to pray. Making the time to come to Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7 pm in the Chapel . Making time to come to confession. Making time to come to the Parish Mission, March 8-11 . Making time to come to Adoration on Thursdays. Making time to pray the rosary—I suggest the Sorrowful Mysteries or at least a decade each day, maybe cycling through the Sorrowful Mysteries or all the mysteries. For almsgiving, yes, it is good to give financial support, but how about giving of your precious time to help out someone or a group. It can be a neighbor or family member who needs a ride to the doctor or to shopping—or to have shopping done for him or her, or just needs a visit. This, too, is almsgiving. It is sometimes easier not to do something (fasting) than to do something (prayer and almsgiving). But remember: Lent is not a call to prayer or fasting or almsgiving; it is a call to prayer and fasting and almsgiving! What will you do this Lent? Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Home Once More

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 8, 2026
“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” — Thomas Merton Dear Parishioners: Next Saturday, much of the world will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. Oddly, now on that day the Church celebrates Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Apostles to the Slavs. At Holy Spirit we will be celebrating our volunteers! I admit February 14ᵗʰ is not the best day for this, but we try to have this dinner the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. (Then again, if you are a volunteer, this can be an inexpensive date for you and your spouse!) Rethinking my earlier comment, February 14ᵗʰ is a perfect day for our volunteer appreciation — because we love our volunteers! As I have said many times before, Holy Spirit Parish could not be what it is without our volunteers. The parish staff can only do so much. It is you, the parishioner volunteers, who make most of it happen. Some of the volunteers help at our liturgies; imagine what a Mass without volunteers would look like. It would not be the expression of the Church and the work of the people that it is supposed to be. Some volunteers help outside of the liturgies and serve in other ways. You are all appreciated! A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Many Hands, One Mission

By Rev. Charles Strebler • February 1, 2026
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Halfway Around the World, Still at the Altar

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 25, 2026
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Gratitude for a Season Well Celebrated

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 17, 2026
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—Gilbert K. Chesterton Dear Parishioners: The Christmas season is now over (though there are those who continue the tradition of keeping the season through February 2 nd , The Presentation of the Lord, AKA Candlemas, often by leaving at least one Christmas decoration {often the nativity scene} out!) As the season has come to an end, I want to thank all of those who contributed so significantly to our celebrations of Christmas and the Christmas Season. I’d like to thank the parish staff for their work, but particular commendation goes to Nathan Hetrick, Holy Spirit’s Director of Worship and Music. Nathan worked hard with the musical planning, with the choir and instrumentalists to getting them ready for the Christmas Masses, and leading them during the Masses. Nathan also prepared all the worship aids for Christmas. (I probably should also thank our copy machine for not collapsing from exhaustion!) Directly related to that, thank you to our choir, cantors, and instrumentalists, both parish and visitors. The music of the season greatly enhanced our celebrations. I received many compliments on the music. Also to be complimented are the members of our Art and Environment group, who decorated the church and chapel for both Advent and Christmas. For Christmas, they had to work according the “schedule” (“Some time today.”) of the flower delivery and not their own schedule. You can appreciate the sacrifice this is in the last couple of days before Christmas. They did a beautiful job. Though often less visible, but as needed and appreciated are the sacristans who work behind the scenes. The lectors, servers, Extra-Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers are seen, but sometimes still not appreciated enough, as they seem a regular part of the Liturgy. If I have left anyone out, I apologize, but know all who have a part in enhancing our liturgies are appreciated. Thank you to all our parishioners for your participation in our Christmas celebrations. Thank you also for and welcome to our visitors and “occasional” parishioners. We had 890 people at the 4pm Christmas Mass alone! As I have said before, I do not believe in shaming people for not being present the other weeks, but invite them to return again. I think they may be more likely to do so if they experience uplifting, beautiful liturgies. That is what we had. Thank you to all who put in their efforts to make it so. P.S. I am in Michigan this weekend for my Godson’s son’s baptism and will be heading out on vacation on Monday. I’ll be back for Masses the weekend of January 31/February 1 and will be back in the office on Monday, February 2. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Come Aboard! Welcoming New Faces to the Holy Spirit Staff

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 11, 2026
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Small Steps, Real Change

By Rev. Charles Strebler • January 3, 2026
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot Dear Parishioners: Most of the world is just entering into 2026, but the Church has been these since the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the liturgical year 2026. This is a rather apt situation as the Church is ahead of the world. If someone says to me that the Church is not with the times, I will fully agree, saying, “Yes, the Church is not with the times, she is waiting for the times to catch up with her.” The thing about new years is that they are filled with hope and promise. Yes, January is usually filled—at least for me—with, “I hope to lose weight,” and “I promise to exercise.” This new year also makes us look forward to new possibilities. One possibility is that Christ will come. I don’t take it as a probability, but I am ready none-the-less. What will this year be in your faith life? Will this be the year that you pray more? Will this be the year that you serve those in need in a greater way? Will this be the year that you become more active at Holy Spirit Parish? Will this be the year that you learn more about your Catholic faith? Like my weight and exercise, hope and promise, none of these things will happen without us doing something about it. Our growth in faith, like many (most?) of the good things in life do not come to us while idle. We aren’t about resolutions; we are about actions. We need to put in some effort, pray the rosary every day, come to Eucharistic Adoration, attend one of Dr. Hoag’s adult education programs—the new one, Symbolon : The Catholic Faith Explained , starts on Thursday, January 29. I do warn you of what I consider a major pitfall in trying to live the Christian life: thinking that we should immediately achieve the goals we set. It usually doesn’t work that way. We set a goal. We work toward it. We might have more misses than hits at first, but we don’t give up. We keep trying until we start to reach our goal. The important thing is not to give up. We may not be perfect when we greet 2027, but we will be better. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

The Mass as the Model All Prayer

By Rev. Charles Strebler • December 27, 2025
“The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer.”—Pope St. Paul VI Dear Parishioners: I have been talking the last few weeks about the types of prayer, easily remembered as ACTS . After a brief Christmas break, I conclude this series of Pastor’s Columns with a look at the place where all these forms of prayer converge—The Mass. The Mass, the central prayer of the Church, includes all the from of prayer in different places: Adoration : The Collect, the Holy, Holy Holy Contrition : The penitential Rite, especially The Confiteor , the Lamb of God Thanksgiving : The Preface and the Eucharistic Prayer Supplication : The Universal Prayers (AKA, the Petition or General intercessions Though this is not an exhaustive list, it shows the presence of the different types of prayer in the one Mass. Mass stands as the model of our prayer, encouraging us to be mindful to include all the forms of ACTS in out prayer life. Speaking of the Mass, from late 2019 to early 2021, I used the Pastor’s Column to explain the various parts of the Mass. I addressed what we do and why we do it. I covered what Church tells us to do and why I chose from some of the options the Church allows. Now that our parish website, www.hspal.org , has been updated by Crew Spence (I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t for a while!), those articles are available online. You can go to the parish website, find where it says Ministries & Groups and then under that dropdown menu find Liturgy & Worship and then under that title you will find Understanding the Liturgy . For those more savvy to computer parlance, it is: Ministries & Groups > Liturgy & Worship > Understanding the Liturgy . You also can go directly to: https://www.hspal.org/understanding-the-liturgy . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor