Examination of Conscience

Before Confession

REFLECT that this confession may be the last of your life. Therefore, prepare yourself for it as if you were lying sick upon your deathbed, and already at the brink of the grave. Ask God to give you the grace to make a good examination of conscience, the light to see your sins clearly, and the strength to make a sincere confession and to amend your life.

Prayer

MOST merciful God, Father in heaven, relying on Thy goodness and mercy, I come to Thee with filial confidence to confess my sins and to implore Thy forgiveness. Thou wilt not despise a contrite and humble heart.

Bless me and receive me again into Thy favor; I acknowledge that I have been most ungrateful to Thee, but I sincerely repent and detest the wrong I have done, and I desire henceforth to walk in the way of perfection in accordance with Thy holy will.

O Jesus, my Saviour, my good Shepherd, I have strayed far from the path that Thou hast marked out for me; I did not follow in Thy footsteps; I wandered into forbidden places. Repentant and sorrowful, I beg to be admitted again into the fold of Thy faithful followers. I want to confess my sins with the same sincerity as I should wish to do at the moment of my death. My Jesus, I look to Thee with confidence for the grace to examine my conscience well.

O Holy Spirit, come in Thy mercy; enlighten my mind and strengthen my will that I may know my sins, humbly confess them, and sincerely amend my life.

Mary, my Mother, immaculate spouse of the Holy Ghost, refuge of sinners, assist me by thy intercession.

Holy angels and saints of God, pray for me. Amen.

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

BEGIN by examining yourself on your last confession: Whether a grievous sin was forgotten through want of proper examination, or concealed or disguised through shame. Whether you confessed without a true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment. Whether you have repaired evil done to your neighbor. Whether the penance was performed without voluntary distractions. Whether you have neglected your confessor’s counsel, and fallen at once into habitual sins.

Then examine yourself on the Ten Commandments; the Commandments of the Church; the Seven Capital Sins; the duties of your state of life; and your ruling passion. Calmly recall the different occasions of sin which have fallen in your way, or to which your state and condition in life expose you; the places you have frequented; the persons with whom you have associated. Do not neglect to consider the circumstances which alter the grievousness of the sin, nor the various ways in which we become accessory to the sins of others.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

1. I AM the Lord, thy God, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.

3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

4. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be long-lived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee.

5. Thou shalt not kill.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

THE SIX COMMANDMENTS OF THE CHURCH

1. TO HEAR Mass on Sundays, and holy days of obligation.

2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed.

3. To confess at least once a year.

4. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the Easter time.

5. To contribute to the support of our pastors.

6. Not to marry persons who are not Catholics, or who are related to us within the fourth degree of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor to solemnize marriage at forbidden times.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, AND THE OPPOSITE VIRTUES

THE FOUR SINS WHICH CRY TO HEAVEN FOR VENGEANCE

1. Wilful murder.

2. The sin of Sodom.

3. Oppression of the poor.

4. Defrauding the laborer of his wages.

NINE WAYS OF BEING ACCESSORY TO ANOTHER’S SIN

1. By counsel.

2. By command.

3. By consent.

4. By provocation.

5. By praise or flattery.

6. By concealment.

7. By partaking.

8. By silence.

9. By defense of the ill done.

THE SEVEN SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY

1. To admonish sinners.

2. To instruct the ignorant.

3. To counsel the doubtful.

4. To comfort the sorrowful.

5. To bear wrongs patiently.

6. To forgive all injuries.

7. To pray for the living and the dead.

THE SEVEN CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY

1. To feed the hungry.

2. To give drink to the thirsty.

3. To clothe the naked.

4. To visit and ransom the captives.

5. To harbor the harborless.

6. To visit the sick.

7. To bury the dead.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

WHEN did you make your last confession?

Did you take sufficient pains to awaken contrition?

Did you omit to confess a mortal sin, either intentionally or through forgetfulness?

Did you intentionally neglect to say the penance which was imposed on you, or were you so careless as to forget it?

Have you carried out the resolutions you made at your last confession or have you paid no heed at all to them?

EXAMINATION ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

I. HAVE you doubted in matters of faith? Murmured against God at your adversity or at the prosperity of others? Despaired of His mercy?

Have you believed in fortune-tellers or consulted them?

Have you gone to places of worship belonging to other denominations?

Have you recommended yourself daily to God? Neglected your morning or night prayers? Omitted religious duties or practices through motives of human respect?

Have you rashly presumed upon God’s forbearance in order to commit sin?

Have you read books, papers, and periodicals of anti-Catholic or atheistic tendency? Made use of superstitious practices? Spoken with levity or irreverence of priests, Religious, or sacred objects?

II. Have you taken the name of God in vain? Profaned anything relating to religion?

Have you sworn falsely, rashly, or in slight and trivial matters? Cursed yourself or others, or any creature? Angered others so as to make them swear, or blaspheme God?

III. Have you kept holy the Lord’s Day, and all other days commanded to be kept holy? Bought or sold things, not of necessity, on that day? Done or commanded some servile work not of necessity? Missed Mass or been wilfully distracted during Mass? Talked, gazed, or laughed in the church? Profaned the day by dancing, drinking, gambling, or in other ways?

IV. Have you honored your parental superiors, and masters, according to your just duty? Deceived them? Disobeyed them?

Have you failed in due reverence to aged persons?

V. Have you procured, desired, or hastened the death of any one? Borne hatred? Oppressed any one? Desired revenge? Not forgiven injuries? Refused to speak to others? Used provoking language? Injured others? Caused enmity between others?

VI and IX. Have you been guilty of any sin against holy purity in thought, word, or deed?

VII. Have you been guilty of stealing, or of deceit in buying, or selling, in regard to wares, prices, weights, or measures? Have you wilfully damaged another man’s goods, or negligently spoiled them?

VIII. Have you borne false witness? Called injurious names? Disclosed another’s sins? Flattered others? Judged rashly?

X. Have you coveted unjustly anything that belongs to another?

EXAMINATION ON THE PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH

HAVE you gone to confession at least once a year?

Received holy communion during Easter time?

Have you violated the fasts of the Church, or eaten flesh meat on prohibited days?

Have you sinned against any other commandment of the Church?

Examine yourself also in regard to the Seven Capital Sins and the nine ways of being accessory to another’s sin.

After the Examination

HAVING discovered the sins of which you have been guilty, together with their number, enormity, or such circumstances as may change their nature, you should endeavor to excite in yourself a heartfelt sorrow for having committed them, and a sincere detestation of them. This being the most essential of all the dispositions requisite for a good confession, with what humility, fervor, and perseverance should you not importune Him Who holds the hearts of men in His hands to grant it to you!

CONSIDERATIONS TO EXCITE IN OUR HEART TRUE CONTRITION FOR OUR SINS

CONSIDER Who He is, and how good and gracious He is to you, Whom you have so often and so deeply offended by these sins. He made you — He made you for Himself, to know, love, and serve Him, and to be happy with Him forever. He redeemed you by His blood. He has borne with you and waited for you so long. He it is Who has called you and moved you to repentance. Why have you thus sinned against Him? Why have you been so ungrateful? What more could He do for you? Oh, be ashamed, and mourn, and despise yourself, because you have sinned against your Maker and your Redeemer, Whom you ought to love above all things!

Consider the consequences of even one mortal sin. By it you lose the grace of God. You destroy peace of conscience; you forfeit the felicity of heaven, for which you were created and redeemed; and you prepare for yourself eternal punishment. If we grieve for the loss of temporal and earthly things, how much more should we grieve for having deliberately exposed ourselves to the loss of those which are eternal and heavenly!

Consider how great is the love of God for you, if, only from this, that He hath so long waited for you and spared you, when He might have so justly cast you into hell. Behold Him fastened to the cross for love of you! Behold Him pouring forth His precious blood as a fountain to cleanse you from your sins! Hear Him saying, “I thirst,” —“I thirst with an ardent desire for your salvation!” Behold Him stretching out His arms to embrace you, and waiting until you should come to yourself and turn unto Him, and throw yourself before Him, and say, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son.” Let these considerations touch your heart with love for Him Who loves you so much, and love will beget true contrition, most acceptable to God.

Say an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory to obtain true contrition. Then add the following:

INVOCATIONS

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, March 15, 1884.

Holy Virgin, Mary immaculate, Mother of God and our Mother, speak thou for us to the Heart of Jesus, Who is thy Son and our Brother!

Indulgence of 100 days, once a day. — Leo XIII, Dec. 20, 1890.

AN ACT OF CONTRITION

Recite very attentively one of the following acts.

I

ETERNAL Father! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they displease Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.

II

O MY God, I am truly sorry that I have sinned, because Thou art infinitely good and sin displeases Thee. I promise not to offend Thee again. I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, and I will endeavor to please Thee in everything.

III

O God! infinitely worthy of all love, my Creator, my Saviour, my Benefactor, why did I ever offend Thee? Lord, have mercy on me. How ungrateful I have been to Thee, Who art infinitely good! Father, forgive me. I love Thee, my God, with my whole heart and above all things; I hate sin because it is offensive to Thy goodness. I am truly sorry for having offended Thee, and with Thy help I will shun the occasions of sin and seek to please Thee in all things.

IV

O MY God! confessing my guilt and with a contrite heart I kneel before Thee and implore Thee to look down in mercy upon me. I detest and am heartily sorry for all my sins, not only because I dread the loss of heaven and the pain of hell, but also and principally because by them I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins and to amend my life. I acknowledge Thee, O God, to be the Supreme Good, and I love Thee with all my heart. Be merciful to me, a poor sinner. I beseech Thee, by the Passion and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, to forgive me my sins. Amen.