Question: When we say the Penitential Act at Mass, why do we strike our chest three times?

Answer: Our rituals and liturgical celebrations are filled with a variety of symbols, some of which also relate to our gestures and physical postures (e.g. kneeling, sitting, processing, making the Sign of the Cross). The custom of striking our breast three times during the “I Confess” of the Penitential Act of the Mass is one of those gestures that is loaded with symbolism.

The tradition of Christian’s striking the breast (above the heart) is rooted in the image of Sacred Scripture, especially texts like Psalm 51 which speak of a “humbled contrite heart” or how God heals broken hearts, binding up our wounds (see Psalm 147:3). Early Christian writers like Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Jerome also refer to this custom in their writings.

Ultimately, this practice is an expression of our sorrow for those times when we have been guilty of faults and a sign that we are willing to take responsibility for our sins and failings. That we all perform this gesture together is also an act of solidarity, recognizing that none of us, regardless of where we are on our journey of faith, is without fault and the need for grace and forgiveness.