Examination of Conscience

Here is a helpful examination of conscience, based on the Ten Commandments. Perform a brief examination every night, but go through a more thorough examination before confessing your sins to the priest.

The Commandments of God

Have I doubted in matters of faith? murmured against God because of adversity? despaired of His mercy? Have I believed in or consulted fortune tellers? Have I taken part in non-Catholic worship?
Have I recommended myself regularly to God? Neglected my morning or evening prayers? Omitted my religious obligations because of human respect? Presumed upon God's mercy in committing sin?
Have I read books or papers opposed to the Church and her teachings? Did I make use of superstitious practices; such as believing in dreams, and charms, and the like? Have I spoken irreverently of persons (priests or religious), places (e.g, the Church), or things (the sacred vessels) which especially represent God?
Have I used the name of God or the saints with irreverence? Have I sworn (which means calling upon God to witness the truth of what I say) without a good reason, or falsely? Have I cursed (the calling down of some evil on a person, place, or thing)? Blasphemed (used insulting language to express contempt for God), the saints, or holy things?
Did I miss Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation? Have I done unnecessary servile work or been responsible for others doing it on these days?
Have I been obedient to my parents and lawful superiors? Have I shown disrespect toward their God-given authority? Have I deceived them? Have I been a good citizen by voting? Have I shown respect toward aged parents?
Have I used my authority over inferiors properly? As a parent, by good example in the home and by sending the children to a Catholic school? As a person in public office, by promoting the common welfare? As an employer, by being considerate of the employees?
Have I been the occasion of another's sin through my bad example in word or deed? Have I been guilty of fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, or drunkenness? Did I refuse to speak to others? to forgive them? Did I use provoking language?
and 9. Did I take pleasure in impure thoughts or desires? Say impure things? Listen to impure conversations? Did I touch others or let others touch me in an impure manner? Commit an impure act alone or with others? Want to look at impure things or pictures? Go to bad places? movies that were bad? Read bad books? Go with impure companions? Teach others to commit sins of impurity?
and 10. Have I stolen anything? If so, of what value, and did I return the stolen goods? Have I been unjust in buying or selling? Have I damaged the property of others? accepted or kept stolen goods? paid my just debts as soon as possible? Has my daily work merited its pay check? Have I desired to steal anything or to damage my neighbor's property?
Did I tell lies? Have I been guilty of rash judgment (believing something harmful to another's character without sufficient reason)? detraction (without a good reason, making known the hidden faults of another)? calumny (by lying, injuring the good name of another)?

The Precepts of the Church

Have I confessed my sins once a year? If not, how long is it since my last worthy confession? Have I received Holy Communion during Easter time?
Have I fasted according to my ability when obliged to do so by the Church?
Have I abstained from flesh-meat on the appointed days?
Have I contributed as well as I can to the support of the Church?
Have I attempted to contract marriage without the presence of a priest?
If there anything else of which my conscience feels guilty?

Sins Against the Holy Spirit

Presuming to gain salvation without meriting it.
Despair of salvation.
Resisting truths which have been made known to us.
Envy of another's spiritual good.
Stubbornness in sin.
Final obstinacy in one's sins.

Seven Deadly Sins

Pride: An unrestrained appreciation of our own worth.
Avarice or Greed: An immoderate desire for earthly goods.
Lust: A hankering after impure pleasures.
Anger: An inordinate desire for revenge.
Gluttony: An unrestrained use of food and drink.
Envy: Sorrow over the good fortune of our neighbor.
Sloth: Laziness to do right, or carelessness to do right and to practice virtue because of the trouble attached to it.

Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance

Wilful murder
Sodomy
Oppression of the poor
Cheating laborers of their just wages

Nine Ways of Aiding Another in Sin

Counseling or advising another to sin.
Commanding another to sin.
Provoking another to sin.
Consenting to another's sin.
Showing another how to sin.
Praising another's sin.
Concealing, remaining silent about, doing nothing to prevent another's sin.
Taking part in, or enjoying the results of another's sin.
Defending another's sin.

Activity Source: Our Christian Home by Rev. Joseph A. Fischer, Seraphic Press, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1954

That's the great thing about confession, it always requires humility for us to actually admit our sins out loud. But that humility is precisely what we need in order to be truly repentent. It's so tempting for me to want to gloss over things that I'm too embarrassed (or proud) to admit that I 've done, but then I remind myself that's there's nothing I can say that the priest hasn't heard a million times.

Congratulations!

You must've felt like a new person afterwards.

21 posted on 03/06/2005 7:27:35 PM PST by guinnessman

22 posted on 03/06/2005 7:28:00 PM PST by guinnessman

Here's a shorter version:

What have I done well today?
(Thank God for that)

What have I done wrong today?
(Say an act of contrition)

What can I do better tomorrow?

23 posted on 03/06/2005 7:33:02 PM PST by guinnessman

Reconciliation is such a gift of the Lord. Who knows why we have this feeling of not wanting to receive the graces available from this beautiful sacrament.

My new resolution is that I will go to Confession at least two times a month from now until ..................??

It should lead to a much more productive and meaningful (let alone holier) life!

24 posted on 03/06/2005 7:43:15 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

That would work well for someone making a daily Confession! Wonderful habit!

25 posted on 03/06/2005 7:45:05 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Thanks, it's also something you can do every night before bed to reflect on your day and make resolutions for tomorrow.

26 posted on 03/06/2005 7:58:43 PM PST by guinnessman

Thanks, it's also something you can do every night before bed to reflect on your day and make resolutions for tomorrow.

27 posted on 03/06/2005 7:59:36 PM PST by guinnessman

For instance, I could make a resolution for tomorrow to stop double-posting :)

28 posted on 03/06/2005 8:01:26 PM PST by guinnessman

Resources for all those parishes having Reconciliation services and Confessions this week!!!!!

29 posted on 03/08/2005 7:05:07 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

by Mark P. Shea Bible Study and Truth Tracts Author

Other Articles by Mark P. Shea
Contact this Author

An Examination of Conscience for Parents

3/9/2005

		Many Catholics are intimidated by an "examination of conscience."

In This Article... Confession is for Liberation! Putting God First A High Standard


Confession is for Liberation! But nothing we confess will shock Jesus since He's already perfectly aware of what makes us tick. Rather, Jesus wants us to know what is there in our souls so He can bring us to life, freedom, and healing. The sacrament of reconciliation is to liberate you, not to burden you. So with that in mind, let's consider the possibility of making a confession specifically with our life as parents in mind. To do so, one useful standard is the Ten Commandments. Putting God First First Commandment (You shall have no other gods before Me.) Have I just flat not cared about God in my everyday life — worshipping TV, or work or power or sex by spending all my real time and energy on them? Do I worship my spouse or my kids more than God, putting them before my obedience to Him? Have I rejected the teachings of Jesus and His Church because they were inconvenient to what I wanted to do or because my spouse or kids will complain? Have I practiced any superstitions (horoscopes, fortune tellers, etc.) or gone along with letting my kids do such "harmless" things because their friends do it? Second Commandment (You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.) Have I used God's name in vain by way of profanity — which is to say, "Have I talked as though He didn't even exist?" This, of course, includes swearing and taking God's name lightly, but even more profoundly, it involves using the Name of God or Jesus as guarantor for lies, false promises, or sins. Have I taught my children to say things like "Swear to God! I'd love to come to your party but I've got homework tonight!" when really they have other plans? Third Commandment (Honor the Sabbath.) Have I neglected my home and family duties by deliberately being a wage-slave and choosing to work on Sunday when I didn't have to? Have I neglected to make myself free to love my family and take time to rest? Have I been lazy, neglectful, or willfully distracted during my prayers or at Mass? Have I capitulated to children who can't be bothered to go to Mass and let them stay home? Have I skipped Mass to please my spouse? Have I ordered my children to go to Mass while not bothering to go myself? A High Standard Fourth Commandment (Honor your father and mother.) Have I indulged my children's willful disobedience and disrespect to their parents, teachers, employers, or other superiors? Have I been unjust and unkind to those over whom I have authority? Have I taught my children thereby to abuse their power over others? For divorced parents, have you taught your children to treat your former spouse with respect or contempt? Fifth & Eighth Commandments (You shall not kill./You shall not bear false witness.) Have I ever had an abortion or played a part in procuring an abortion? Have I quarreled with or willfully hurt my spouse or children? Have I cursed anyone or otherwise wished evil on somebody? Have I taken pleasure in anyone's misfortune? Have I refused to forgive anyone? Have I been guilty of cruelty, mental or physical, toward anyone? Have I lied about, rashly judged, gossiped or listened to gossip about anyone? Have I taught my children to lie to protect "the family honor"? Have I "told the truth" about somebody's negative qualities but neglected to mention their positive ones? Have I taught my children, by example, to nourish a grudge? Sixth & Ninth (You shall not commit adultery./You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.) Have I taught my children to uncritically accept the promiscuous morals beamed at them through TV, music and film? Have I allowed the media to form their view of sexuality instead of letting the Holy Spirit do it through the teaching of the Church? Have I encouraged the notion that lust (that is, the reduction of persons to objects and the exaltation of physical desire over love) is no big deal? Have I encouraged my children to foster lust in their peers by immodest clothing? Seventh & Tenth Commandments (You shall not steal./ You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.) Have I stolen or destroyed anything belonging to somebody else (including accepting stolen goods)? Do I download music I haven't paid for from the Internet or wink when my kids do it? Do I teach my kids that cheating or defrauding others is "savvy business"? Have I refused or neglected to pay any debts or snitched money from family members without telling them? Have I neglected my duties or been slothful in my work? Have I encouraged my kids to define themselves by their possessions and to foster a sense of envy of others' possessions? Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange. You may visit his website at www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.

30 posted on 03/09/2005 5:06:19 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Was just going to add this to the thread, glad I looked first.

31 posted on 03/09/2005 9:31:31 PM PST by Coleus (God gave us the right to life and self preservation and a right to defend ourselves and families)

CONFESSION GUIDE FOR ADULTS

CONFESSION GUIDE FOR CHILDREN

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
-Do I give God time every day in prayer?
-Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
-Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
-Do I seek to surrender myself to God's word as taught by the Church?
-Have I ever received communion in the state of mortal sin?
-Have I ever deliberately told a lie in Confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in Confession?
-Are there other "gods" in my life? Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
-Have I used God's name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
-Have I been angry with God?
-Have I wished evil upon any other person?
-Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?

Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
-Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
-Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
-Do I do needless work on Sunday?

Honor your father and your mother.
-Do I honor and obey my parents?
-Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
-Have I given my family good religious example?
-Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
-Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?

You shall not kill.
-Have I had an abortion or encouraged or helped anyone to have an abortion?
-Have I physically harmed anyone?
-Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
-Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
-Have I been angry or resentful?
-Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
-Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
-Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?
-Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against human life such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
-Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?

You shall not commit adultery.
-Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
-Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
-Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
-Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
-Have I been guilty of masturbation?
-Do I seek to control my thoughts and imaginations?
-Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
-Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
-Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words, actions?
-Am I careful to dress modestly?

You shall not steal.
-Have I stolen what is not mine?
-Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
-Do I waste time at work, school, and home?
-Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
-Do I pay my debts promptly?
-Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
-Have I cheated anyone out of what is justly theirs, for example creditors, insurance companies, big corporations?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
-Have I lied? Have I gossiped?
-Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
-Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
-Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
-Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
-Have I injured the reputation of others by slanders?

You shall not desire your neighbor's wife.
-Have I consented to impure thoughts?
-Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity?
-Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?
-Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex: flirting, being superficial, etc.?

You shall not desire your neighbor's goods.
-Am I jealous of what other people have?
-Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
-Am I greedy or selfish?
-Are material possessions the purpose of my life?

A GUIDE TO CONFESSION

How to go to Confession

You always have the option to go to confession anonymously, that is, behind a screen or face to face, if you so desire.

After the priest greets you in the name of Christ, make the sign of the cross. He may choose to recite a reading from Scripture, after which you say: "Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been (state how long) since my last confession. These are my sins."

Tell your sins simply and honestly to the priest. You might even want to discuss the circumstances and the root causes of your sins and asks the priest for advice or direction.

Listen to the advice the priest gives you and accept the penance from him. Then make an Act of Contrition for your sins.

The priest will then dismiss you with the words of praise: "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. You respond: "For His mercy endures forever." The priest will then conclude with: "The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace." And you respond by saying: "Thanks be to God."

Spend some time with Our Lord thanking and praising Him for the gift of His mercy. Try to perform your penance as soon as possible.

PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION

O most merciful God! Prostrate at your feet, I implore your forgiveness. I sincerely desire to leave all my evil ways and to confess my sins with all sincerity to you and to your priest. I am a sinner, have mercy on me, O Lord. Give me a lively faith and a firm hope in the Passion of my Redeemer. Give me, for your mercy's sake a sorrow for having offended so good a God.
Mary, my mother, refuge of sinners, prays for me that I may make a good confession. Amen.

AN ACT OF CONTRITION

Oh my God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
And failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance,
to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

32 posted on 03/15/2005 7:53:03 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Bumping for all who are going to Confession this week. Warning -- there probably will NOT be Confessions on Holy Saturday!! (At least in the evening.)

33 posted on 03/22/2005 7:30:48 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

The Sacrament of Penance and the Easter Duty
One of the duties of a Catholic is to fulfill the six Precepts of the Church, the positive laws which are "meant to guarantee to the faithful the indispensable minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2041). Two of these precepts directly relate to the upcoming Easter season. The third precept is "You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season." This is tied in with the second precept to "confess your sins at least once a year." If we want to receive Jesus worthily in Holy Communion during the Easter, we need to cleanse our souls, especially of any mortal sin through the Sacrament of Penance. Most parishes offer extra confession times for Holy Week, but usually any priest is available on request to hear confession on appointment.

34 posted on 03/23/2005 8:49:07 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

35 posted on 12/03/2005 4:51:52 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

BTTT for those people attending Reconciliation Services before Christmas.

36 posted on 12/20/2005 5:50:05 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

37 posted on 12/20/2005 5:51:21 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Hope you are doing well.

38 posted on 12/20/2005 5:55:44 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Thanks for the bump.

39 posted on 12/21/2005 7:30:49 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

ll thosoe attending a Reconciliation Service tonight.

40 posted on 12/22/2005 4:52:53 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

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But while Jesus is the only way to the Father and the only Mediator, Scripture makes it very clear that God calls other human beings to participate in this mediation. From the very beginning of God's revelation to Israel 3,700 years ago, God has chosen individual human beings — people like Abraham, Moses and the prophets — to communicate, or mediate, His will to the world. And in today's Gospel text, St. Mark reminds us that God sent St. John the Baptist to act as a mediator between Jesus and the Jews. Why does God send mediators, both before and after Jesus? Advent is a season of preparation for celebrating Jesus’ coming into the world at Christmas. At the heart of this mystery is the fact that God became man to communicate clearly and completely through His human body and with human words. But Jesus took His body with Him when He ascended into heaven, while our bodies — the bodies of Christians — are still here. And Jesus continues to send us to mediate through the body, through speaking and hearing His word, and through the holy symbols we see and touch, especially the sacraments. The Gospel tells us that 2,000 years ago, St. John the Baptist proclaimed "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." And in response Scripture says: "People...were going out to [John]...as they acknowledged their sins." Today, we do exactly the same thing as we go to the sacrament of penance and acknowledge, or confess, our sins before God’s chosen mediators — the priests of the Church. And when we hear those mediators say "I absolve you from your sins" we can hear in their human voices, not the voice of St. John, but the voice Jesus Himself, who St. John tells us "takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29). The mediation of priests is a great gift to the whole Church. But by their baptism "in water and the Holy Spirit," lay Christians are also called to be mediators of Christ in some way. For most serious Christians, Advent is a time when the words of St. John can elicit a very strong response from us: We hear, "prepare the way of the Lord," and part of us shouts, "Yes, Lord." But most of us don’t go much further than that initial "yes." Sometimes this is because we're afraid of failure, and sometimes it’s because we really don't know how to prepare the way. If you’re afraid of failure, remember you are only a mediating instrument — you prepare the way only by allowing Jesus to act through you; let Him worry about the final results. Remember that the great mediator of the Messiah, St. John the Baptist, recognized that even his work was incomplete and only an opening for the Lord: "One Who is more powerful is to come after me." If you just don't know how to prepare Jesus’ way, remember you start by preparing yourself, by accepting the word of God proclaimed by the Baptizer and by the Church: Confess and repent your sins. Few of us are called to be public mediators like St. John the Baptist or priests. But this Advent the Lord Jesus Christ calls every single Christian to be His mediator to a sinful world by proclaiming, in everything we say and do: "Prepare the way of the Lord...make straight His paths." Fr. De Celles is Parochial Vicar of St. Michael Parish in Annandale, Virginia. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)