What Does “I confess” Mean in the Bible?
A prayer at the beginning of Mass in which we admit before God and our brothers and sisters that we have sinned.
It can mean
- At Mass: after a moment of silence, the whole community prays it together, at the beginning of Mass.
- Careful: the absolution the priest says afterward is not the sacrament of confession.
- In the Bible: the tax collector beat his breast and asked God for mercy because he was a sinner.
Where it appears in the Bible
Luke 18:13
What the Bible says
Luke 18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O god, be merciful to me a sinner.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: GIRM 51