|Catechism of the Catholic Church| IntraText - Text XI. The
Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance 1480 Like all the
sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. the elements of the
celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blessing from
the priest, reading the word of God to illuminate the conscience
and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to repentance; the
confession, which acknowledges sins and makes them known to the
priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's
absolution; a prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal
with the blessing of the priest. 1481 The Byzantine Liturgy
recognizes several formulas of absolution, in the form of
invocation, which admirably express the mystery of forgiveness:
"May the same God, who through the Prophet Nathan forgave David
when he confessed his sins, who forgave Peter when he wept
bitterly, the prostitute when she washed his feet with her
tears, the Pharisee, and the prodigal son, through me, a sinner,
forgive you both in this life and