The four short acts every Catholic is meant to know by heart.
Four short prayers naming the three theological virtues and sorrow for sin.
When: Before confession, at night, and whenever faith, hope, or love needs to be chosen rather than felt.
Why: Faith, hope, and charity are acts of the will before they are feelings. Saying them when you do not feel them is not pretending, it is choosing.
Act of Faith. O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because you have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. Amen.
Act of Hope. O my God, relying on your almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of your grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.
Act of Love. O my God, I love you above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because you are all good and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. Amen.
Act of Contrition. O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.