Examination of Conscience for a General Confession

PREVIOUS QUESTIONS.

I. How long ago did you make your last confession? Did you then receive absolution? Did you perform your penance?

II. Was that confession a good one or a bad one? ¹ Did you wilfully conceal any mortal sins? or, did you confess without true sorrow for them, having no sincere intention to amend your life? or, to perform your penance?

Did you go after this bad confession to communion? How many such sacrilegious confessions and communions have you made?

III. Have you been guilty of sacrilege, by violating any other sacraments? By receiving Baptism unworthily, or by receiving Confirmation, Marriage, or Extreme Unction in mortal sin?

ON THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

“I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me,” &c.

To fulfil this commandment, it is necessary to serve God by faith, by hope, by love, and by the proper acts of outward religious worship. Examine yourself, therefore, as follows:

I. Have you ever denied the Catholic Faith? Have you openly rejected any doctrine of the Catholic Church? Have you spoken against any such doctrine? Have you disbelieved, or indulged doubts against any article of faith? Have you suggested or encouraged such doubts in others? How often?

Have you sometimes betrayed the Catholic faith by saying that all religions are good, or that a man may be saved in one as well as another? How many times?

Have you read Protestant bibles, tracts, or other books on matters of religion circulated by heretics? Have you kept them in your house, or sold them, or given them to others to read? How many times? Have you joined in the worship of heretics, either public or private? Have you gone to their churches? Have you listened to their preaching? How often?

Have you exposed your faith to danger by evil associations? Have you united yourself to the Free-Masons, or Odd-Fellows, or any similar society forbidden by the Church?

Have you by your own fault remained in ignorance of the doctrines and duties of your religion?

II. Have you lived in total neglect of prayer? Have you remained a long while, even a whole month, without prayer, or any act of love or gratitude to God?

III. Have you been guilty of great irreverence in the Church, by immodest actions or conversation,—by an indecent way of dressing, or by some gross misconduct in gazing about and laughing? How often?

Have you consulted fortune-tellers? Have you made use of card-cutting, tossing cups, or any such superstitious practices, to find out things, or recover things lost? How many times? Have you been guilty of witchcraft, or made use of any spells, or charms, or other like inventions of the devil? How often?

Have you consulted dream-books, books of astrology, &c.? Have you kept them in your house, or given them to others to read? How often?

ON THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

This commandment is broken by blasphemy, by wicked oaths, by cursing, and by the violation of vows. Examine your conscience thus:

I. Have you been guilty of blasphemy, by angry, injurious, or insulting words spoken against God himself, against his power, his justice, his goodness, or other perfections?

Have you pronounced any sacred name of God, or of the Saints, in a blasphemous or irreverent manner?

Have you spoken in a blasphemous manner of sacred things; for example, of the Holy Sacraments, the Crucifix, the cross, or sacred relics? How many times?

Have you abused the words of Holy Scripture, by any indecent, or grossly irreverent application? How often?

II. Have you ever sworn falsely, by any holy name or sacred thing? How many times? Have you done this to the prejudice of your neighbor?

Have you taken rash oaths? How often? Have you used foolish and thoughtless oaths? How many times? If it was a habit, how often in the day, the week, or the month, and for how long?

Have you violated any oath lawfully made, by not fulfilling your engagement? How many times? Have you persuaded others to swear falsely, or urged them to an unnecessary oath?

III. Have you cursed yourself or your neighbor? Was it from your heart? Had you the habit of cursing, and how long? How often in the day, the week, or the month?

IV. Have you made any rash vows? Have you broken any lawful vow? Have you changed it without lawful permission? Have you put off the fulfilling of it?

Have you broken a marriage promise without good cause?

ON THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.

“Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.”

The manner of keeping Sundays and other feasts of obligation is regulated by the Church. These Holy Days are profaned by servile labor. They are sanctified by hearing Mass, and by other exercises of piety. Under this commandment, also, it is customary to class all the Laws of the Church. Examine yourself, then, on these Laws, as follows:

I. Have you done servile work on Sundays, or Holy Days of obligation, without necessity, or lawful permission? How often? Have you caused others to do the same?

Have you spent Sunday, or Holy Days, in taverns, or elsewhere among ungodly companions? in dances, gambling, in drinking to excess, in criminal walks or visits, or scandalous parties of pleasure?

Have you omitted to hear Mass on those days by your own fault? How often?

Have you come too late to Mass, or gone away before it was over? Have you occupied yourself during Mass with other matters, such as talking, gazing about, or reading? How often?

Have you been habitually absent from the sermons and instructions given in the church?

II. Have you disregarded the fast days, by eating meat, or taking more than one meal, and the collation allowed in the evening? How often? Have you caused others to commit the same sin? How many times?

III. Have you broken the abstinence on Fridays and other days when meat is not allowed? How many times? Have you been the cause of others doing the same? Have you given scandal so?

IV. Have you sometimes allowed more than a year to pass without confession? or, at least, without a good one?

Have you sometimes neglected to receive your Easter Communion? Or to receive it worthily? How often? ²

V. Have you been married clandestinely, without the presence of a Priest and witnesses? Was it even before a heretic preacher?

Have you married within the forbidden degrees, and without dispensation? or with an unbaptized person? or with some other impediment which would make the marriage invalid?

Have you married in Advent time, or Lent, with pomp, show, or festivity? Have you indulged in balls, parties, and such-like amusements in Lent or Advent? How many times?

ON THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

“Honor thy father and thy mother.”

In this commandment are included all our duties to our parents and superiors. Examine yourself upon these duties, thus:

I. Have you been a very ungrateful child? Did you despise your parents? or even hate them? Did you wish for their death? or that some other misfortune might befall them? How often?

Have you given them injurious and insulting language? or mocked and ridiculed them? How often? Have you cursed them? How many times? Have you threatened them, or even lifted up your hand to strike them? How often?

Have you made them unhappy by your misconduct? Have you disobeyed them in any grievous matter? and how often? Have you promised, or even contracted marriage without their knowledge?

Have you neglected them? Have you refused to aid them in their necessities? Have you been ashamed of them on account of their poverty?

Have you faithfully accomplished their last will? Have you been careful to pray for them?

II. Have you been disrespectful and disobedient to your spiritual superiors, the Bishops and Priests of the Church? Have you treated them in a haughty and insulting manner? Have you taken part with the disaffected and seditious?

Have you neglected to contribute, according to your means, to the support of your Pastors and the maintenance of your religion?

III. Have you put yourself in opposition to the lawful authorities of the country? Have you taken part in any mob, or other combination to commit violence? Have you joined with any seditious party or faction to resist the laws, or to disturb the public peace?

ON THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

“Thou shalt not kill.”

By this commandment are forbidden, not only murder and other acts of violence, but all hatred in the heart, and all violent and injurious language; also scandal, whether in words or actions, and all unfeeling conduct to the poor and afflicted.

I. Have you been guilty of the death of any one? by your own act, by participation, by instigation, by counsel, by consent? Have you attempted or intended to take the life of another? Have you engaged in serious fights, or injured others by wounds, blows, or other ill-treatment? How often?

Have you endeavored to take your own life? Have you injured your health by excess in eating or drinking? Have you been drunk? How many times? If it was a habit, how often in the week, the month, or the year? Have you been the cause of drunkenness in others? How, and how often?

Have you done any thing to hinder the generation of children; or to destroy the fruit of the womb? By your own act? By your advice? By your consent? How many times?

II. Have you desired the death of others; or wished them some great misfortune? How many times? Have you had the intention to injure or ill-treat persons, if you could?

Have you been at enmity with your neighbors? or refused to speak to or salute them? How often? Are you now reconciled with all?

Have you engaged, through passion or revenge, in vexatious lawsuits; or maliciously defended yourself against the just claims of others?

Have you excited others to anger or revenge?

III. Have you done harm to the soul of any one by giving scandal? Do you remember any whose innocence has suffered by your wicked words or bad example?

Have you drawn the young and the innocent into sin? Have you taught them some vicious habit? Have you spoken to them of wicked or dangerous things, which they should not know? Have you thrown temptation in the way of the weak? Have you dissuaded, or discouraged those who were willing to repent and to reform? How often?

IV. Have you neglected to give alms in proportion to your ability? Have you remained insensible to the wants of the poor, even in time of general sickness, famine, and distress? Have you refused your contribution to works of true Christian Charity? Have you refused your aid to the sick, the suffering, and the dying?

ON THE SIXTH AND NINTH COMMANDMENTS.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

By these two commandments are forbidden all kinds of impurity. It must be borne in mind that every sin of this nature, whether in action, word, or even only in thought, when quite wilful and deliberate, is a mortal sin, and necessary to be confessed. On these commandments examine your thoughts, words, and actions, as follows:

I. Have you dwelt wilfully, and with complaisance, upon impure thoughts or imaginations? Have you, in fact, consented to them in your mind? How often?

II. Have you made use of impure language or allusions; or listened to it willingly and with complaisance? Was it sometimes before persons of another sex? Have you sung immodest songs, or listened to them? How often? Have you boasted of your former sins?

III. Have you been guilty of improper and dangerous freedoms with any of the other sex? How far have you carried this sinful conduct? Was the companion of your guilt a single person? How often? A married person? How often? A relation? How often? Was there any thing else in the quality of the person, which made your sin more grievous? (Whenever a second person is concerned, the same distinctions must be made, whether the impurity be one of thought, word, or action.)

Have you entertained a criminal or dangerous intimacy? Have you written improper letters, or received them? How often? Have you gazed immodestly upon yourself or others; upon pictures or statues, or any object which could excite evil desires? How often? Have you indulged in habits of secret sin? How long? How often?

Have you by the freedom of your manners, or your immodest dress, been the cause of temptation to others? Was this also your intention?

Have you read impure books, or newspapers? How often? Have you lent them to others? Have you exposed yourself voluntarily to the occasions of sin, by means of dances, shows, theatres, &c.; by intemperance, by reading romances and plays, by walking out at night, by frequenting society, or by remaining alone with persons of a different sex?

Have you been guilty of seduction; or even of violence? How often? Did you accomplish your evil design by means of a false promise of marriage? Have you refused to repair the injury you have done?

Have you taken part in the sins of others by favoring their bad designs? How, and how often?

Have your sins against these two commandments been sometimes of an unnatural kind? How often?

ON THE SEVENTH AND TENTH COMMANDMENTS.

“Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

By these two commandments are forbidden injustice and covetousness of every kind. Examine yourself thus:

I. Have you stolen money or other property? What was it? Have you it still in your possession? What was its value? How much at a time? How often? (It is necessary throughout this whole examination, not only to number your sins, but also to estimate, as near as possible, the value of what you took, or the amount of damage caused by your injustice, that it may appear whether your sins were mortal, and what restitution you have to make.)

Have you stolen any thing consecrated to God, or from a holy place? (This is sacrilege.)

Have you charged exorbitant prices? Have you made out false bills? Have you cheated in the weight, measure, quantity, or quality of your goods, under the excuse that others do the same? Have you otherwise cheated in buying or selling?

Have you cheated at cards or other games? Or on a still grander scale, by means of deceitful speculations, associations, or other enterprises, entered into in bad faith, and to the injury of the simple and unwary? Have you defrauded your creditors? Have you received exorbitant interest for your money? Have you been guilty of forgery? Have you passed counterfeit money or broken bills?

II. Having found things of some value, have you kept them, without taking the necessary pains to find the owner? Being trusted with money, have you kept back a part for yourself? Have you failed to return things borrowed?

Have you bought or received things which you knew or believed to be stolen? Have you taken charge of them, or allowed them to be kept in your house?

Have you neglected to pay your debts? Have you contracted debt without any reasonable hope of paying?

III. Have you been the cause of ruin or damage to the property of another? Have you been grossly careless or neglectful of what was intrusted to your care? Have you received pay for work or service which you had not done, or which was ill done?

Have you carried on an unjust lawsuit, or advised others to do so? Have you sought to gain your cause by bribery, threats, or other corrupt means?

Have you, in your dealings, taken advantage of the simple, the young and inexperienced? Have you made hard bargains with the poor, or those in embarrassment and distress? Have you delayed to pay them? Have you kept back their wages from your domestics and laborers, or paid them less than their just due?

Have you been guilty of fraud or embezzlement in any public office or private trust?

Have you injured any one in your profession, or employment, by negligence or a culpable ignorance?

IV. Have you taken part in the theft, fraud, or injustice of others? Have you concealed, when it was your duty to inform?

V. Have you attempted, intended, or desired to rob, or steal, or defraud, or commit any kind of injustice? How often?

REMARKS.—Do not forget to examine whether you have repaired all the injustice you have done, for your sins will not be pardoned while you refuse or neglect to make restitution. If the thing unjustly acquired is gone, return the value in some other way. If you cannot restore the whole, restore what you can, and do not delay. In fine, if it is impossible to make any restitution for the time being, it is necessary, at least, to have the sincere and firm resolution to do it as soon as you shall be able.

ON THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

By this commandment are forbidden all false witness, lying, and detraction. Examine your conscience thus:

I. Have you given false testimony before any tribunal or magistrate? Have you, by persuasion or advice, in any way procured false testimony, and how?

Have you signed any false papers or documents? Have you falsified letters or other writings? What injury have you done by these sins? How often?

II. Have you been guilty of lying, through malice, or for some bad purpose? Have you put in circulation, or repeated again, any scandalous report which you knew to be false, or did not believe to be true? How, and how often?

III. Have you been guilty of detraction in any serious matter, by making known the secret faults or defects of your neighbor? How often? Have you done any thing else to blacken his character, or injure his interests?

Have you caused mischief or ill-feeling between others by tale-bearing? How often?

Have you been careful to repair the mischief you have done, by contradicting your false reports, and doing what else you could to restore the wounded credit, honor, and reputation of your neighbor?

ON THE DUTIES OF YOUR STATE.

Now examine yourself on your obligations in particular, as a parent, a husband or wife, a master or servant, a magistrate, and on your conduct in the pursuit of your profession:

I. If a Parent. Have you always taken proper care of the life and health of your children? Have you not exposed them to great danger even before birth? or afterwards taken them to your own bed with danger of their being suffocated?

Have you taken care to provide for their wants, food, clothing, &c.? Have you done your best to procure them a good education, according to their condition?

Have you not manifested an unjust preference for one to the prejudice of another? Have you been neglectful, unkind, or even cruel to your step-children, or others under your protection?

Have you unreasonably forced your children into some profession, or state of life, for which they felt no vocation? Have you hindered them from pursuing their vocation, when called to a religious life? Have you, without sufficient cause, opposed their inclinations with regard to marriage?

Have you neglected the care of their salvation? Have you endeavored, in their tender years, to inspire them with the love of God, and the fear of sin? Have you neglected to teach them to pray?

Have you exposed their salvation to danger, by delaying their baptism? Have you neglected to have them prepared, and brought forward at the proper age to confession, confirmation, and first communion?

Have you neglected to get them well instructed in their own religion? Have you sent them to heretics or godless schools, to the danger of their faith? Did you always take them to church on Sundays and Holy Days? Have you put them out to some service or situation where they could not practise their religion, or where their faith or their virtue was in danger?

Have you exposed their innocence to danger, by letting them sleep together without distinction, or by taking them to your own bed, or keeping them in the same room, when already old enough to be scandalized? How often?

Have you watched them carefully to see where they spent their time, in what company, &c.; or have you let them wander where they would? Have you left them to the care of loose or irreligious servants, or whose morals were doubtful?

Have you allowed them free intercourse with the other sex; to receive visits alone, and at improper hours; or to be out late at night? Have you permitted them to read romances, or other pernicious books?

Have you neglected to punish them for their own good? Have you allowed them to curse and swear, &c., in your presence without chastisement? Have you, in fine, by your indifference or foolish fondness, left them without restraint?

Have you, on the contrary, treated them with violence and brutality in your anger? In what way? Have you cursed them? How often? Have you exasperated or scandalized them by your violent language, abusive names, &c.?

Have you otherwise given them scandal and bad example, by your neglect of your religion, and your sinful life?

II. If you are married. Did you enter into marriage through base and unchristian motives? Have you not by your light conduct given cause of jealousy and distress to your companion?

Have you been careful to observe, even in marriage, the laws of modesty? Have you profaned the holy state of matrimony by misuse? Have you done any thing to hinder its lawful end? How often?

Have you lived with your wife (or husband) in peace and union? Have you not sinned and given scandal by your disagreement and angry disputes? How long have you lived in this way?

Have you abandoned your wife (or husband) without just cause and lawful permission? Have you lived separate, or remained a long while absent?

As a Husband. Have you treated your wife in a gross, tyrannical, and cruel manner? Have you beat her in your anger or drunkenness, or injured her by any other outrage? How many times? Have you made her unhappy by your neglect, coldness, and unfeeling conduct, or by spending your leisure time away from home?

Have you treated her with attention and forbearance in the time of her pregnancy? Have you corrupted her mind by your immodesty and wicked conversation? Have you not tempted her or forced her to offend God? How often? Have you neglected to provide for her maintenance, and that of your children? Have you squandered her earnings and your own on your sinful pleasures?

As a Wife. Have you, without the knowledge of your husband, made useless and extravagant expenses, or dissipated a part of his property in favor of your own relations? How much? Have you not made difficulty in his family by your selfish jealousy and unfriendly conduct towards his relations?

Have you been respectful and obedient to him in every thing reasonable? Have you not made his home disagreeable, and his life unhappy, by your ill-temper and scolding tongue? Have you refused him his marriage rights? How often? Have you not persuaded him to offend God against the dictates of nature and of conscience? How often?

Have you done your part for the support of the family? Have you been idle and neglectful of your household duties?

III. If you are Master, Mistress, or Employer. Have you treated your servants in a harsh, tyrannical, and unfeeling manner? Have you not overburdened them with work? Have you obliged them to do unnecessary work on Sundays and other Holy Days? How often? Have you hindered them from hearing Mass on those days? How often?

Have you always given them proper and sufficient food and clothing? Have you treated them charitably in their sickness and distress? Have you dismissed them unjustly before the time agreed upon, or suddenly, by caprice, and with cruel haste?

Have you refused to your servants or laborers their just due, or wronged them by delaying to pay? Have you taken advantage of their poverty and want to engage them upon hard and unequal terms? How much have you wronged them, and how often?

Having slaves, have you cruelly parted parents from children, husband from wife, or allowed those to marry again who were still bound by a former marriage?

Have you been careful of the salvation of those depending upon you? Have you instructed them in the faith? Have you encouraged and exhorted them to frequent the church and the sacraments, and religious instructions?

Have you watched over their morals? Have you, on the contrary, retained them in your service, notwithstanding their corrupt and scandalous conduct, and perhaps with danger to yourself or your family? Have you permitted them to keep improper company and late hours, to frequent dangerous places and amusements?

Have you taken advantage of their condition to corrupt them, by your authority, your flattery, or your bribes? How, and how often? Have you allowed in your house persons of loose character, or dangerous gatherings, or tolerated in it any scandal of which you were aware? What, and how often?

IV. If you are a Servant, Clerk, or Apprentice. Have you served your employers diligently and faithfully? Have they suffered no harm by your fault? Have you wasted their substance? Have you given away their property to your own relations and friends? Have you stolen from them? Have you kept a part of what they trusted to you to make purchases for them? Have you kept or taken their property under pretence that your wages were too low? How much? How often?

Have you concealed from your employers the thefts or misconduct of your fellow-servants in matters belonging to your charge?

Have you revealed the faults of your superiors without necessity, and to their prejudice? Have you sown discord in their families, and how? Have you been the cause of other servants being sent away by your false or malicious complaints?

Have you engaged yourself in some service where your faith or your morals were in danger, or where you would not be allowed to fulfil the obligations of your religion? Have you allowed yourself to be enticed to the churches of heretics, to join in their family prayers, or to read their religious books? How many times?

Have you suffered yourself to be employed in some wicked service, or assisted your superiors in their criminal designs? What, and how often?

V. If you are a Magistrate or public officer. Have you been faithful and exact in the discharge of the duties of your office? Have you, through weakness, the fear of man, the desire of popularity, or anxiety for office and emolument, betrayed the public interest, or sacrificed the rights of particular persons, or suffered crime and disorder to go unchecked and unpunished? In what way, and how often?

Have you, directly or indirectly, received bribes; or allowed yourself to be influenced in the administration of justice, or your official conduct, by promises or presents? How, and how often?

Have you been guilty of embezzlement of the public funds? Have you made use of them for your own interest? Have you enriched yourself or your friends by means of unequal contracts, at the expense of the public? In what way? How much?

Have you abused your official power by oppression and cruelty, or applied it to purposes of revenge? Have you unjustly favored your friends? Have you shielded or aided the wicked? Have you neglected the cause of the poor, the innocent, the helpless, and the oppressed?

VI. If you are a Lawyer, Notary, or Clerk. Have you advocated claims which you knew to be unjust, or sustained an unjust defence? How often? Did you thereby obtain an unjust decision? Have you undertaken a prosecution against an innocent person, or urged it on after having discovered his innocence? Have you defended the cause of the guilty by means of fraud, bribes, or dishonest means?

Have you injured the just cause of your client by your treachery, gross ignorance, want of study, or neglect? How often? Have you given treacherous, doubtful, or ill-considered advice? Have you unjustly flattered the hopes of your clients, or otherwise excited useless litigation? Have you stimulated others to revenge? How often?

Have you been guilty of fraud, bribery, or other injustice in your business? Have you procured false testimony, or encouraged to commit perjury? Have you, by any artifice, obtained attestations to false affidavits and other documents, or sworn to them yourself? Have you been guilty of fraud in the drawing up of deeds, wills, contracts, and other instruments? Have you made them contrary to the intention of either party, or introduced ambiguous expressions? Have you falsified any document, or destroyed it, or substituted another in place of the true one? How often have you done any of these things?

Have you made out unjust bills of costs, demanding unlawful or exorbitant fees, or charging for services never rendered? How often?

What injury, and how much, have you caused to any one by any of the above sins? Have you ever repaired it, or made restitution?

VII. If you are a Physician or Surgeon. Have you undertaken the care of persons seriously sick, without sufficient science or experience? Have you treated serious or extraordinary cases with neglect, or applied insignificant remedies? How often, and with what result?

Being ignorant of the nature of the complaint, have you rashly hazarded dangerous remedies, and even with the peril of serious injury or death? Have you made merciless experiments upon the sick, especially those in the hospital, and the poor? How often, and with what result?

Have you failed to consult where you ought; or, in consulting, made choice of those not recommended by their skill? Have you made needless expense by calling in others, or followed their counsel against your own conscience? Have you kept patients lingering in sickness for sake of gain, or multiplied useless visits to their expense? Have you prescribed needless medicines for your own profit, or that of the apothecary? How much injury or injustice have you thus done? How often?

Have you undertaken surgical operations beyond your science or skill? Have you conducted them recklessly, with unnecessary hazard of life or loss of limb? How often? Have you intentionally taken the life of a child in the womb, or at its birth? Have you been guilty of procuring abortion, by your own act or advice, or by furnishing the means? How often?

Have you failed to warn those in danger of death, that they might receive the sacraments? Have you allowed infants to die without baptism, by your wilfulness or neglect? How often?

VIII. If you keep a Hotel or Bar. Have you not charged more to your guests than was just? Have you not adulterated your liquors? To what amount? How often?

Have you not given drink to drunkards, or to those already drunk, or allowed them in your house to drink to excess? How often? Have you not served those whom you knew to be ruining their family by their dissipation?

Have you kept your house open during divine service, or made it a place of dissipation on Sundays?

Have you allowed gambling in your establishment, or tolerated blasphemy, obscenity, and other wicked discourse? Have you permitted loose women to lodge in it, or frequent it? Has it not been a place of scandalous interviews, or other shameful immorality?

Have you allowed in it immoral shows or concerts, drunken festivity and dangerous dances? How often? Is not your business an occasion of sin to your neighbor, of harm to your children, and a hindrance to your own salvation?

1. N. B.—Some persons, who have made sacrilegious confessions, think all can be made right again by making a general confession, without giving the true reason why they wish to do so. This is a mistake. It is not only necessary to make all these confessions over again, but they are bound to acknowledge that they have confessed and communicated sacrilegiously, and how often; and to state also what other sacraments they have received in this state of sin.
2. N. B.—A sacrilegious confession, or communion, can never fulfil the Law of the Church. The obligation still remains, until they are made over again in a worthy manner. Persons who were unable to commune in the Easter-time, are also bound to do it afterwards. Those who are sick at this time must take care to have the Holy Communion brought to them.