Examination of
Conscience
Prior to going to
Confession, one should prepare themselves for the Sacrament through an
examination of conscience. The following is offered as a preparation guide.
- What Is my my
attitude to the sacrament of penance? Do I sincerely want to be set free from
sin, to turn again to God, to begin a new life, and to enter into a deeper
friendship with God? Or do I look on it as a burden, to be undertaken as
seldom as possible?
- Did I forget to
mention, or deliberately conceal, any grave sins in past confessions?
- Did I perform the
penance I was given? Did I make reparation for any injury to others? Have I
tried to put into practice my resolution to lead a better life in keeping with
the Gospel?
The Lord says: “You shall love the Lord your God
with your whole heart.”
- Is my heart seat on
God, so that I really love him above all things and am faithful to his
commandments, as a son loves his father? Or am I more concerned about the
things of this world? Have I a right intention in what I do?
- God spoke to us in
his Son. Is my faith in God firm and secure? Am I wholehearted in accepting
the Church’s teaching? Have I been careful to grow in my understanding of the
faith, to hear God’s word, to listen to instructions on the faith, to avoid
dangers to faith? Have I been always strong and fearless in professing my
faith in God and the Church? Have I been willing to be known as a Christian in
private and public life?
- Have I prayed
morning and evening? When I pray, do I really raise my mind and heart to God
or is it a matter of words only? Do I offer God my difficulties, my joys, and
my sorrows? Do I turn to God in time of temptation?
- Have I love and
reverence for God’s name? Have I offended him in blasphemy, swearing falsely,
or taking His name in vain? Have I shown disrespect for the Blessed Virgin
Mary and the saints?
- Do I keep Sundays
and feast days holy by taking a full part, with attention and devotion, in the
liturgy, and especially in the Mass? Have I fulfilled the precept of annual
confession and of communion during the Easter season?
- Are there false
gods that I worship by giving them greater attention and deeper trust than I
give God: money, superstition, spiritism, or other occult practices?
The Lord says: “Love one another as I have loved
you.”
- Have I a genuine
love for my neighbors? Or do I use them for my own ends, or do to them what I
would not want done to myself? Have I given grave scandal by my words or
actions?
- In my family life,
have I contributed to the well-being and happiness of the rest of the family
by patience and genuine love? Have I been obedient to parents, showing them
proper respect and giving them help in their spiritual and material needs?
Have I been careful to give a Christian upbringing to my children, and to help
them by good example and exercising authority as a parent. Have I been
faithful to my husband (wife) in my heart and in my relations with others?
- Do I share my
possessions with the less fortunate? Do I do my best to help the victims of
oppression, misfortune, and poverty? Or do I look down on my neighbor,
especially the poor, the sick, the elderly, strangers and people of other
races?
- Does my life
reflect the mission I received in confirmation? Do I share in the apostolic
and charitable works of the Church and in the life of my parish? Have I helped
to meet the needs of the Church and of the world and prayed for them: for
unity in the Church, for the spread of the Gospel among the nations, for peace
and justice, etc.?
- Am I concerned with
the good and prosperity of the human community in which I live, or do I spend
my life caring only for myself? Do I share to the best of my ability in the
work of promoting justice, morality, harmony and love in human relations? Have
I done my duty as a citizen by obeying just laws and paying my taxes?
- In my work or
profession am I just, hard-working, honest, serving society out of love for
others? Have I paid a fair wage to my employees? Have I been faithful to my
promises and contracts?
- Have I obeyed
legitimate authority and given it due respect?
- Have I been
truthful and fair, or have I injured others by deceit, calumny, detraction,
rash judgment, or violation of a secret?
- Have I done
violence to others by damaging life or limb, reputation, honor, or material
possessions? Have I involved them in loss? Have I been responsible for
advising an abortion or procuring one? Have I kept up hatred for others? Am I
estranged from others through quarrels, enmity, insults, anger? Have I been
guilty of refusing to testify to the innocence of another because of
selfishness?
- Have I stolen
property of others? Have I desired it unjustly and inordinately? Have I
damaged it? Have I made restitution of other people’s property and made good
their loss?
- If I have been
injured, have I been ready to make peace for the love of Christ and to
forgive, or do I harbor hatred and the desire for revenge?
Christ our Lord says: “Be perfect as your Father
is perfect.”
- Where is my life
really leading me? Is the hope of eternal life my inspiration? Have I tried to
grow in the life of the Spirit through prayer, reading the word of God and
meditating on it, receiving the sacraments, self-denial? Have I been anxious
to control my vices, my bad inclinations and passions (e.g., envy, love of
good and drink)? Have I been proud and boastful, thinking myself better in the
sight of God and despising others as less important than myself? Have I
imposed my own will on others, without respecting their freedom and rights?
- What use have I
made of time, of heath and strength, of the gifts God has given me to be used
like the talents in the Gospel? Do I use them to become more perfect every
day? Or have I been lazy and too much given to leisure?
- Have I been patient
in accepting the sorrows and disappointments of life? How have I performed
mortification so as to “fill up what is wanting to the sufferings of Christ”?
Have I kept the precept of fasting and abstinence?
- Have I kept my
senses and my whole body pure and chaste as a temple of the Holy Spirit
consecrated for resurrection and glory, and as a sign of God’s faithful love
for men and women, a sign that is seen most perfectly in the Sacrament of
Matrimony? Have I dishonored my body by fornication, impurity, unworthy
conversation or thoughts, pornography, evil desires, or actions? Have I given
in to sensuality? Have I indulged in reading, conversation, shows, or
entertainments that offend against Christian and human decency? Have I
encouraged others to sin by my own failure to maintain these standards? Have I
been faithful to the moral law in my married life?
- Have I gone against
my conscience out of fear or hypocrisy?
- Have I always tried
to act in the true freedom of the sons and daughters of God according to the
law of the Spirit or am I the slave of forces within me?