Kevin, (continued) 
Lastly, let us remember that an "act of (perfect) contrition" is only an act. God sees through our acts and our hearts. If our motivation does not coincide with this act, God knows this. We cannot fool Him. (I say this because you wrote that many people go to Confession knowing they are going to commit the same sin again. This would be like saying to Jesus in Confession, "Jesus please forgive me but I cannot turn away from this habitual sin of mine." That is because we are relying on our own strength to change, rather than letting God take our wills - allowing as St. John the Baptist said, allowing Him to increase while we decrease. Let us go to Jesus with repentant, humble and contrite hearts when we seek His forgiveness. We will go away righteous, justified and with each day becoming more and more obedient to His Commandments, knowing He loves us and wanting so much to love/please Him! And, hey, Kevin, let us trust in Jesus to be our Way, Truth and Life. Continued