Examination of Conscience for Every Night

First place yourself in the presence of God; humbly adore him, and give him thanks for all his blessings, especially those bestowed on you this day.

O ALMIGHTY and eternal God, whose majesty filleth heaven and earth, I firmly believe thou art here; that thy adorable eye is on me; that thou seest and knowest all things; and art most intimately present in the very centre of my soul. I desire to bow down all the powers of my soul to adore thee; I desire to join my voice with all the angels and saints to praise thee; and glorify thee now and for ever. I give thee thanks from the bottom of my heart, for all thy mercies and blessings bestowed upon me, and upon thy whole church: and particularly for those I have received from thee this day, in thy watching over me, and preserving me from so many evils, and favouring me with so many graces and inspirations, &c. O let me never more be ungrateful to so constant and liberal a benefactor! And now, dear Lord, add this one blessing to the rest: that I may clearly discover the sins that I have committed this day, by thought, word, and deed; or by any omission of any branch of my duty to thee, to my neighbour, or to myself; that no part of my guilt may be hidden from my own eyes; but that I may see my sins in their true colours, and may detest them as they ought to be detested.

Then examine yourself, how you have passed the day; how you have performed your prayers, and other spiritual exercises; in what manner you have acquitted yourself of the duties of your calling; what care you have taken to perform well your ordinary actions of the day; what company you have been in, and what your conversation has been; and in particular, how you have behaved yourself with regard to your customary failings, and your predominant passions.

After having diligently examined your conscience, and discovered the faults you have been guilty of; endeavour to be heartily sorry, humbly beg pardon of the divine Majesty for them, saying for this purpose the Psalm Miserere, Have mercy on me, O God, &c. as above p. 149.

Then make a firm purpose of amendment for the future, and especially resolve to be more watchful over yourself the following day; to be more diligent in flying the occasions of your sins; and to take such and such precautions with regard to the faults you are most subject to.

Conclude this exercise by endeavouring to put yourself, as much as possible, in the condition you would be glad to be found in at the hour of your death; in order to this make the best acts you are able, of a lively Faith, of an humble Confidence in God, and of a perfect Resignation to his holy will, embrace with all the affections of your soul Christ crucified, and aspire to an eternal union with him. For which end you may pray as follows:

O BLESSED Trinity, one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I believe in thee, O sweet Jesus, Son of God, true God, and true Man, the Redeemer of my soul, I believe in thee; I believe all thou hast taught me by thy holy catholic church; in this faith I desire to live and die.

I am of myself a poor wretched nothing, and have been always hitherto a most miserable sinner: I humbly confess, and heartily detest my sins; I crave thy mercy, and hope to obtain thy mercy, through the death and passion of my Saviour, in which is all my confidence.

I beg that thy holy will may ever be done in me, whether it be for pain or ease, sickness or health, life or death: I desire to have no exceptions against thy holy will: I accept of the sentence of death, as justly due to my sins: I submit to all the uneasinesses and pains that are to be the forerunners of it, and I offer them all up to thee for my sins.

But oh! dear Lord, whenever I am to die let me be so happy as to expire in the arms of my dying Jesus, and in the embraces of his cross! Oh! hide me, dear Jesus, in thy wounds; bathe my soul in thy precious blood; ah! let nothing separate me from thee: Oh! when shall I be so happy as to see thee, love thee, and enjoy thee, in the land of the living! When shall I be eternally united to thee! Oh! who will give me the wings of the dove, that I may fly away from this land of sin and misery, and be for ever at rest in thee!

“N.B. This, or the like exercise of examination of conscience, ought never to be omitted by such as desire to serve God in good earnest, and to secure their soul's eternal welfare.”