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.

A/C Relief is Coming

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 18, 2026
“Having played many roles of scientific intellect I do have an empathy for that world. It's been hard on me because flying the Enterprise for seven years in Star Trek and sitting in Cerebro in X-men has led people to believe that I know what I'm talking about. But I'm still trying to work out how to operate the air conditioning unit on my car.”—Patrick Stewart Dear Parishioners: I don’t think I have to tell you that we have had some issues with the church air-conditioning recently—unless you only attend the Saturday, 5 pm Mass, for some reason the system works on Saturday, but not on Sunday. I expect that this is a concern for you, the parishioners. It is very much a concern for me. I have said that a couple of weeks ago when we had the heavy rains and the A/C was not working well, “The parishioners were getting soaked from the outside, I was getting soaked from the inside, sweating under my vestments.” I am very frustrated with the situation. While the A/C unit is just a couple years old, the control system is much older. However, the real problem with the control system is that we cannot fully access it. Jim Allen took the access codes for the system to his grave. We cannot at this time adjust the times of the system and other issues. This may be one of the issues with the current system. We found out last Sunday that in addition to the A/C, the boiler was running. We have had several experts look at the system and try to figure out how to access it to take control of it. There has been no success. I have instructed Tony Smith, our Multi-Campus Facility Director, that getting these controls sorted out is a priority. This is one of those “what it costs—it costs” situations. We need to get a system that we can set, reset, and control. I ask for your patience—which is ironic since mine is almost gone—as we try to get this situation sorted out. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

What Is Excommunication?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 11, 2026
“There is nothing more serious than the sacrilege of schism because there is no just cause for severing the unity of the Church.”— Saint Augustine Dear Parishioners: You may have been hearing about the fuss in the Catholic Church in the last couple of weeks and are wondering what it is all about. There is group in the Church called The Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X ( SSPX ). They follow the teachings of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who rejected parts of the Second Vatican Council, including the current formulation of the Mass. The group ordained four men as bishops on July 1 st without a papal mandate—the authorization of the pope. This was after several warnings from the Vatican and Pope Leo not to do so. This is an act of schism, which is defined by the Church as “the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Because of the seriousness of the act, any bishop ordained without a papal mandate and the bishops ordaining him are automatically excommunicated for doing so. The Vatican declared the excommunication, which makes the situation even more serious because it sets even stricter penalties on the one excommunicated. This is being portrayed as being merely about the old Mass in Latin, the Tridentine Liturgy, but is about much more. If you have seen any social media about the situation, many of the Lefebvrists followers do not acknowledge Pope Leo as a legitimate pope and reject the Second Vatican Council. Somehow, they know better than the popes, the bishops, and the Church. They are right and everyone else—the vast majority of Catholics—are wrong. Lefebvrists made the choice to follow their course. Now they face the consequences. A note about excommunication since the word is bandied about these days with little precision. Excommunication is seen as the Church’s hammer for punishment. This is incorrect. Excommunication is called by the Church a medicinal penalty. It is meant to make it clear to the offender that a line has been crossed that should not be crossed. Excommunication is a call to repentance and return and reconciliation. It is not meant as a punishment but as a corrective. People get it wrong when they ask, “Why were not the priests who abused children excommunicated?” That situation did not call for a medicinal penalty, it called for an expiatory penalty, which is not about reform but are punitive. Such penalties can include being removed from the clerical state, which was done to many of the abusers, or a life of prayer and penance which others received. Another common misconception is that excommunication puts a person “outside” the Church. This is not the case. Though the relationship with the Church is strained, it is never broken. It is like sending a child who disrupted Thanksgiving Dinner to his or her room. That child is not permitted to be with the family but is not considered not to be a part of the family anymore. When the child considers the bad choices and actions made and apologizes, the child is welcomed back to the table. This situation with the Lefebvrists is a wound in the Body of Christ. We pray for the unity of the Church, in all those separated from her that the “High Priestly” of Christ on the night of the last supper, “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

We Need a Few Good Helpers

By Rev. Charles Strebler • July 5, 2026
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Could God Be Calling You?

By Rev. Charles Strebler • June 28, 2026
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

Chosen Despite Their Flaws

By Rev. Charles Strebler • June 20, 2026
“Jesus was loyal to his apostles, with full knowledge of their cowardice.”— Mother Angelica Dear Parishioners: I was asked to share the “letter” I used to start my homily last weekend. From : Jordan Management Consultants Dear Sir: Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant. The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee. It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability. Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale. One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory. We wish you every success in your new venture. Sincerely, Jordan Management Consultants Eating Problems for Breakfast by Tim Hansel, Word Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-195 Remember the point of the homily: If God can choose these people, He can choose us! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Introducing the New Parish Pastoral Council

By Rev. Charles Strebler • June 13, 2026
“The council now beginning rises in the Church like the daybreak, a forerunner of most splendid light.”—Pope John XXIII Dear Parishioners: After several sessions of prayerful discernment, there is a new Parish Pastoral Council at Holy Spirit! The members are: Larry Maloney, Chairman Todd Sabath, Vice-Chairman Andrew Renacci, Secretary Mike Breton Dave Fritzman Ray Frank Susie Graehling Jen Luca Mark Seidel And from the Parish Staff: Chris Hoag Nathan Hetrick As I said before, the members of the HSPPC are more akin to a president’s cabinet than they are to elected representatives in a legislature. While they do express the tenor of the parishioners, their role is not to be the speaking voice of a single parishioner or a small group of parishioners. If a parishioner brings a concern to a member of the HSPPC, the member will pass along the concern but will share with me the name of the person asking. As Christians and mature adults, we take responsibility for our words and do not hide behind anonymity. I have said several times before: If you have a concern about something in the parish, talking to your friends and neighbors will not accomplish anything because they have no ability to effect change; it then is just gossip and is not productive. If you have a question, concern, or complaint about the parish or an aspect of it, please bring it to me . I would be happy to sit down with you for some conversation. You can reach me via the parish office 440-933-3777 or email at cstrebler@hspal.org . Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Under Christ's Providence and Care

By Rev. Charles Strebler • June 6, 2026
“And since there is in the Sacred Heart a symbol and a sensible image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love one another, therefore is it fit and proper that we should consecrate ourselves to His most Sacred Heart – an act which is nothing else than an offering and a binding of oneself to Jesus Christ, seeing that whatever honor, veneration and love is given to this divine Heart is really and truly given to Christ Himself.”—Pope Leo XIII, from the encyclical Annum Sacrum (1899) Dear Parishioners: To mark the 250 th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, celebrated as the birthday of this nation, the bishops of the United States are consecrating The United States to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the image and symbol of God’s love for us incarnate in Jesus Christ. Devotion to Jesus’ Heart has deep roots in the faith of the Church. It was to Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) that Christ appeared showing her His heart and asking for devotion be given and reparation be paid to His Heart. In these appearances, Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary, "Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify its love.” Archbishop Alexander Sample says that the reason for the consecration of the United States, “would be to place our nation under the kingship of Christ.” He also said, “Yes, we are a democratic republic; we are a civil society — but no civil society can long endure without being under the kingship of Christ himself; to place ourselves under God’s providence and care.” He adds, “So at this time, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it’s to remind all of us that — whatever civil government we might have — we are all under, ultimately, the kingship of Christ.” This consecration will take place on Thursday, June 11 while the bishops have their summer meeting in Orlando, FL. That day is the eve of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You are welcome to come and join in prayer at Mass on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, June 12, at 8:30 am in the chapel. As the bishops consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart, let each of us as individuals and families do so as well. I share the USCCB’s prayer: O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you. From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst. Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you. We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation. May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed. May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love. O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor

Twenty-Five Years of Faithful Priesthood

By Rev. Charles Strebler • May 31, 2026
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

One Parish, One Spirit

By Rev. Charles Strebler • May 23, 2026
“The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector…to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console.”—St. Cyril of Jerusalem Dear Parishioners: Sometimes I feel like I am missing out on something when we pray Eucharistic Prayer III at Mass on Sundays. When we come to the lines, May he make of us an eternal offering to you, so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect, especially with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs ( with Saint N.: the Saint of the day or Patron Saint ) and with all the Saints, on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help, we don’t have a patron saint to include. For many years, I was used to mentioning St. John the Evangelist during the time I lived at the Cathedral. If you hear me mentioning a saint at this point in the prayer, it is acknowledging the saint or saints celebrated on that date, though it is the Mass of Sunday. A parish’s patron saint’s day is celebrated as a Solemnity, regardless of its liturgical rank. It can also be moved in Ordinary Time from a weekday to a Sunday for a special celebration. For Holy Spirit Parish, today, Pentecost, is our patronal feast. It is always on Sunday and is already a solemnity. I would argue that our patronal feast day is the second most important day of the Church year, after Easter Sunday. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The sending of the Holy Spirit changed the many disciples into the one Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit was sent to enliven and invigorate the Church. It keeps the Church in Truth. What a great patron! The many people: men and women; young and old; working and retired; single and married and families; Democrat and Republican; are all part of this one parish. The Holy Spirit enlivens our parish and invigorates us for the spreading of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God in our part of Avon Lake and into the world. In this parish we encounter Jesus Christ, The Truth, and from here proclaim Him to the world. The Holy Spirit is not a saint but the sanctifier. Not a human person, but the Third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit might not be mentioned in the Eucharistic Prayer with saints, but is active in the same prayer, doing the work of the prayer, making the bread and wine in the Body and Blood of Jesus. As far as patrons go, The Holy Spirit is a pretty good one. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor 

Building for the Future

By Rev. Charles Strebler • May 16, 2026
“On the other hand, I believe there's hope, because the breakdown and the repair are happening simultaneously.”—Kathryn Bigelow Dear Parishioners: Three things are certain: death, taxes, and something needing to be repaired on the parish grounds. The infrastructure at Holy Spirit is aging out. Some of these things will be addressed in the upcoming church and office renovation. Some of them need to be addressed sooner. In the very near future, we will be replacing the front church steps, which particularly took a beating last winter (estimated cost: $17,700). There is some roof work in the hall that needs to be done to fix a leak in the Drexel Room. There are other needed repairs that pop up on a far-too-often basis. Thank you to you, the parishioners, for your on-going support of the Repairs and Improvements (R&I) account at Holy Spirit Parish. This enables us to keep up with the upkeep of the parish. Sometimes we get a check dedicated to R&I, or parishioners check the box on their multi-purpose parish envelope indicating that amount goes to R&I. When given to R&I, that money must be used for that purpose and cannot be used for anything else. Some parishioners like to donate to R&I because they know that their donations stay at the parish; we do not pay diocesan assessments on those donations. While that is a plus, we also need funds to pay salaries and other non-R&I expenses. We need both the regular collection and R&I to keep the parish running. The Finance Council and I have spoken for a while about being more transparent on the R&I funds—how much we have, what is given, what is spent and how it is spent. With Nicole Davis getting settled into her position as Business Manager, we are in the place to be able to do this accurately. In the next week or two we will be presenting this information in the bulletin each week. Again, thank you for your support of Holy Spirit Parish in the past and on-going into the future. Sincerely, Rev. Charles F. Strebler Pastor