Examination of Conscience and Devotions for Confession

In order to prepare well for Confession, we must strictly fulfil these five following conditions:

I. An examination of conscience, that we may know all our sins.

II. A heartfelt sorrow for having committed them.

III. A firm resolution never to commit them again.

IV. A candid and humble confession of them to a priest empowered to absolve them.

V. A desire or intention of satisfying God, and our neighbor also, if injured.

Prayer before the examination of Conscience.

O Spirit of light and of truth, Who dost sound the depths of our consciences and search our hearts, let Thy divine light show me the number and the deformity of my sins; make me see the evil I have done and the good which I have neglected to do; let me see it as clearly as I shall see it when I appear before the tribunal of Thy sovereign justice.

O Jesus! Who didst feel so keen a sorrow for all my ingratitude, and who didst beg pardon for me with tears and groanings, let me accompany Thee in spirit to the garden of Olives; pierce my heart with the grief which made Thee sorrowful even unto death.

Holy Virgin, sure refuge of sinners, my Good Angel, my holy patron, intercede for me with the Holy Spirit, that I may recognize whatever in me has saddened the heart of my God.

X. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.

First Commandment.

1. Did you say your prayers, morning and night, or say them ill?

2. Did you go to prayers or sermons in Protestant churches and give scandal by it, or read Protestant books?

3. Did you wilfully doubt, or disbelieve, or deny the Catholic Faith, or speak against it?

4. Did you despair of God's help, or expect God to help you without doing what you should to get His help—murmur against God or His providence?

5. Were you good to the poor?

6. Did you lead others into sin?

7. Did you ask fortune-tellers to tell your fortune, or those who use charms, signs, toss-cups, cut-cards, etc., or read about those things?

8. Did you behave ill in chapel, or to any holy thing or person?

9. Did you receive holy Communion, after breaking your fast—neglect to say your penance after confession—receive any sacrament with bad dispositions? Did you knowingly conceal a mortal sin at confession through fear or shame?

How many times each sin?

Second Commandment.

1. Did you speak ill of God or of His saints, or of what is holy?

2. Did you curse any one—was it from your heart, or with God's name?

3. Did you take a false oath, or an oath to do what is sinful?—or had you a habit of taking oaths—did you break a lawful oath?

How many times each sin?

Third Commandment.

1. Did you work on Sundays or holidays without necessity?

2. Did you stop away from Mass on Sundays or holidays by your own fault—or play, or talk, or behave ill during Mass—or stop away from catechism or Sunday-school, etc.?

How many times each sin?

Fourth Commandment.

1. Did you love your father and your mother as you ought, and help them when you could?

2. Did you show a want of respect for your father and mother—was it very great disrespect, for example, striking them, or in their hearing cursing them, or calling them very bad names, or mocking them in their sight?

3. Did you disobey them, for example, by stopping away from school or refusing to do something for them, or did you disobey them in some great thing, such as going into bad company against their orders?

How many times each sin?

Fifth Commandment.

1. Did you desire some great harm to yourself or another—was it from your heart?

2. Did you quarrel, fight, keep hatred and spite—take revenge—do harm to the life of yourself or another—were you guilty of drunkenness?

How many times each sin?

Sixth and Ninth Commandments.

1. Immodest thoughts or desires.
   (Did you try to put them away?)

2. Immodest looks or words.

3. Immodest actions, alone by yourself or with others, with married persons, with relations, or with anything.

4. Going into bad company or to bad dances, etc. Reading or keeping bad books.

How many times each sin?

Seventh and Tenth Commandments.

Did you steal? what did you steal? how often?—did you help others to steal—receive stolen things—cheat in buying or selling—or in any way injure another—did you restore to another what belongs to him—pay your debts—break any bargain or agreement?

How many times each sin?

Eighth Commandment.

Did you tell lies—did the lies do great harm—were you guilty of unjust suspicions—rash judgments—backbiting, or speaking ill of others—taking away any one's character—did you restore his good name as much as you could—use bad language to others, read their letters—cause quarrels, by tale-bearing?

How many times each sin?

Commandments of the Church.

1. Not keeping the abstinence or fast.

2. Neglecting the sacraments or your Easter duties.

3. Being in secret and forbidden Societies.

Capital Sins.

Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth?

How many times each sin?

XI. ACT OF SORROW BEFORE CONFESSION.

Let Thy heart be touched, O my God! by the grief of my penitent heart! Oh! that the keenness of my regret could equal the greatness of my sins! Supply what is lacking in my sorrow, O my Saviour agonizing in the garden of Olives.

Pardon, O my God! for all the evil which I have done, and which I have caused to be done. Pardon for all the good which I have failed to do, or done imperfectly.

Pardon for all the sins which I know, and for those which I do not know. Would that I could mingle my tears with the blood of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, shed for me upon the cross! Grant me the grace to love Thee much, and Thou wilt forgive my many sins. This is the grace which I seek at Thy feet, and which I claim in the name of Thy Son, by the intercession of Mary, of my Good Angel, and all my holy protectors.

XII. METHOD OF CONFESSION.

The penitent kneeling down near the Confessor, asks his blessing, saying:

Pray, Father, give me your blessing, for I have sinned.

Whilst the priest gives the blessing, the penitent makes the sign of the cross, saying:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

He then says the "Confiteor," as follows:

I confess to Almighty God, to the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault—through my most grievous fault. [At these words he should bow his head and penitently strike his breast three times.]

The penitent then says how long it is since his last confession; secondly, whether he were absolved, and have communicated; and thirdly, whether he performed his penance. Then he begins his confession by accusing himself of any sin which might have been forgotten in his last confession, or any faults committed in approaching that sacrament. After which he proceeds to the accusation of his other sins, beginning by those which he feels most repugnance to mention, as this act of humility and generosity is likely to draw down a blessing from God on the rest of his confessions. He needs only preface the first sin with the words, I accuse myself.

When he has accused himself of all his sins, and submitted any doubts on his mind to the opinion of his director, let him conclude his confession, not by saying, "I have no more," as is the ignorant custom of many persons, but in the following form—

For these and all other sins which I cannot at present call to my remembrance, I am heartily sorry, and most humbly ask pardon of God, and penance and absolution of you, my ghostly Father.

(He finishes the Confiteor.)

Therefore I beseech the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Saints, and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

Let him then give attentive ear to the instructions and advice of his confessor, and humbly accept the penance enjoined by him.

Whilst the priest gives him absolution, let him bow down his head, begging of God to ratify the absolution in heaven, whilst His minister absolves him upon earth, and repeat with great sorrow the act of contrition as it is given above (See No. II.), or in the following abridged form—

O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against Thee, because Thou art so good; and I will not sin again. My sweet Jesus, have mercy on me, and forgive me all my sins.

XIII. PRAYER AFTER CONFESSION.

Bless the Lord, O my soul! and acknowledge the wonders of His grace. O my God! increase in me the desire to change my life. Strengthen by Thy grace, my resolution never more to offend Thee. Make effectual my determination to avoid all occasions of sin, especially of that sin, which has so long displeased Thee, in me. Sustain me, O Lord; support my steps; may Thy powerful hand, which has drawn me out of the abyss, prevent me from falling again, and complete the work which Thou hast commenced. May my holy desires and good will render me worthy to be numbered among the well-beloved children of Thy divine Heart. Amen.