The Act of Contrition Prayer and Meaning The Act of Contrition is a prayer to express our sorrow for committing sin and desire for God's mercy, forgiveness, and help in our fight against sin. In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation we make an Act of Contrition with a prayer expressing 1) sorry for sin, 2) hatred for sin, and 3) the resolution not to sin again. Then the priest absolves of our sin in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This prayer can also be said at any point aft