Faith Fact: Confession’s Occasional Omission

 


On a typical Sunday during the service for Holy Eucharist, we commonly say together the Confession of Sin. One exception would be using a Penitential Order at the start of the service or the Litany. Both these options perform the same function as the Confession: to confess our sins, i.e. those things that have divided us from the love of God, and to ask for forgiveness in order to bring us back in relationship with our Lord.

The Book of Common Prayer, though, does allow that “On occasion, the Confession may be omitted” (BCP 330 and BCP 359). There is, however, a not a great deal of direction on when, or when not to, omit the Confession.

A typical practice is to omit the Confession during Easter. This day (in addition to the Season) is about the Grace we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ through His Resurrection from the Cross and Grave. We should also note that Marion Hatchett in his Commentary on the American Prayer Book on page 342 says that it is appropriate to use this rubric "On the great festal days of the church year, when it may be more appropriate not to make use of explicit acts of confession". Easter, most certainly, is one of these days.

Some in the church need more of a reminder of their sins. Some need less. Either way, it can be helpful to emphasis the Gift of Grace from our Lord Jesus Christ on certain days. On such times, we can simply remember that our sins have, in fact, been forgiven with no other words than that.