Particular Examination on the Virtues and Christian Duties

1. Is your faith true, and sincere?

   Do you believe all revealed truths, without any exception?

   Do you believe them firmly, and without hesitation?

   Do you believe them from the true motive of faith, namely, because God has revealed them to his church, that teaches them to us?

   Upon this principle, do you believe, equally, all the truths which the church believes and teaches, whether they be repugnant or not to the notions that might arise in your mind from the suggestions of corrupt nature, self-love, pride, early prejudices, or any other source of error?

2. Do you profess your faith, before God and men, by your thoughts, words, and actions?

   When thoughts contrary to faith arise in your mind, do you endeavor to banish them, and ‘bring your understanding into captivity to the obedience of Christ, ¹ the author and finisher of our faith,’ ² —saying to him, ‘I do believe, Lord! help thou my unbelief.’ ³

   Have you not, by your silence, or equivocal mode of speaking on the truths of faith, when they have been questioned or denied in your presence, given others reason to suspect that you did not believe them firmly?

   Are you not one of those who ‘are ashamed of the gospel,’ and ‘detain the truth of God in injustice,’ who, through human respect, or some other bad principle, dare not advocate the maxims of religion before persons who attack them?

   Have you not sometimes been ashamed to practise your religion—omitting to say your prayers, grace before and after meals, and even to make the sign of the cross, in the presence of others?

3. Do you view every thing in the light of faith?

   Do you judge of the evils and good things of this life by the principles of faith, and not according to the maxims of the world? Are your joy and grief caused, not by what you see, but by what you believe?

   In trying circumstances, difficulties, and doubts, do you let faith preside over your determinations, and regulate your conduct?

   In the ordinary occurrences of life, even in the discharge of your duties, in the practice of virtue, &c. are you actuated by motives of faith, and not merely led by habit, or by natural and human motives?

   In a word, do you ‘live by faith,’ which is the life of the just in this land of pilgrimage? ⁴

Particular examination on hope.

Are you persuaded that God wishes you to be saved, and that he will give you all the graces necessary for it?

In times of temptation and spiritual aridities, do you not give way to melancholy feelings, falsely imagining that God has forsaken you? Are you, on the contrary, fully persuaded, that he will never suffer you to be tempted above your strength, and that he will never abandon you, if you do not yourself abandon him first?

After having been guilty of some great transgression, or frequently relapsed into the same faults, have you not continued in the state of sin, either through despair of God's pardon, or presumption on his mercy?

Particular examination on confidence in God.

A Christian who is well grounded in this virtue, relies entirely upon the goodness and mercy of God, both for the time being, and for the time to come.

He does not depend upon the favor and protection of men; and if he sometimes uses their assistance, he never courts it with anxiety, nor is he disturbed, when they refuse it to him.

He would see himself destitute of friends, and exposed to the frowns of the world, without being dismayed or disconcerted. ‘The Lord is the protector of my life,’ said the psalmist, ‘of whom shall I be afraid?’ ⁵ —‘Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.’ ⁶

The fear of wanting health, talents, or means, does not prevent him from undertaking what duty requires of him.

He does not fear to be deprived of the necessaries of life; for he knows that they will never be wanting to him who serves God faithfully.

In the management of his temporal affairs, he proceeds with as much care as if all the success depended upon him; and yet, he expects it only from the blessing, which he hopes God will give to his exertions.

He does not even rely upon the spiritual means of salvation and perfection, which he may happen actually to enjoy, but upon God, who placed them within his reach—so that if he be deprived of them, he humbly submits to the dispensation of heaven, and experiences no abatement in his fervor and devotion.

Finally, in all his wants, either for body or soul, he looks to God for assistance and protection.

Particular examination on the love of God.

1. Do you love God purely, that is, because he is infinitely good, perfect and deserving of all love?

   When you have loved him, because he is good, has it not been, only, because he is good to you, because he promises you great rewards in heaven?

   When you have said that you loved him for himself, because of his infinite perfections, has your heart been in accordance with your tongue?

   Do you love God above all things, that is, more than all the goods of this life, more than any person, more than yourself?

   Do you prefer his service to all the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world?

   Would you be ready to sacrifice your own pleasure, your health, and even your life, rather than to lose his grace by sin?

   Do you love God with your whole heart, so that you love nothing but in him, and for his sake?

   With your whole mind—being delighted to think of him, and of the means of pleasing him in all things?

   With your whole soul—subjecting to him all its faculties, after the example of the royal prophet, who said, ‘Shall not my soul be subject to God?’ ⁷

   With your whole strength—sparing yourself no trouble, minding no difficulty, when the will of God requires you to act?

2. Is the love you have for God such, that you wish only what he wishes, desire what he desires, love what he loves, hate what he hates?

   Do you resign yourself with joy to the dispensations of his providence, in all things?

   Do you rejoice when you see, or hear of persons who serve God faithfully and love him with all their heart?

   Do you, on the contrary, grieve, when he is offended, and endeavor to make some amends for the transgressions of others, by your piety and fervor?

Particular examination on the love of our neighbor.

Have you rejoiced at your neighbor's happiness, and grieved at his misfortune?

Are you always willing and ready to do good to him, whenever you have it in your power to do so?

In your intercourse with him, do you show proper regard for his opinions and sentiments, take care not to hurt his feelings, and try, ‘as much as it is in you, to have peace with all men?’ ⁸

Do you take care not to speak, nor to listen to those who speak of the faults of others, unless duty compels you?

In a word, do you fulfil in regard to your neighbor the two great rules laid down in holy scripture: ‘Never do to another what thou wouldst hate to have done to thee by another;’ ⁹ and—‘As you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner?’ ¹⁰

Is not your conduct towards your neighbor regulated by your own interest, your feelings, and inclination?

Is it not, on this account, that you seek his company, enter into his views, approve his principles, praise him, and take his part, on every occasion, even against your better judgment, and perhaps against your conscience?

Do you love him for God's sake, independently of his amiable qualities, and kindness to you—remembering these words of the gospel: ‘if you love those that love you, what reward shall you have?’ ¹¹

Have you borne patiently with the imperfections of others, treating them with the same kindness that you expect from them—following the rule given by St. Paul: ‘Bear ye one another's burdens; and so shall you fulfil the law of Christ?’ ¹²

When your friends have communicated to you, what they called just causes of complaint against certain persons, have you done all you could to soothe their minds, and pacify them?

Have you carefully avoided suspicions, injurious to your neighbor, rash judgments, and detraction?

When you have thought that some one had spoken, or acted unkindly with regard to you, have you not falsely imagined that you were authorized to retaliate; instead of following the precept of St. Paul: ‘Render no man evil for evil, be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good?’ ¹³

Particular examination on our actions in general.

Have we taken great care to perform our actions in the state of grace, without which they are dead, and none of them, not even the best, can procure us heaven?’

Have we offered them to God, and performed them in conformity to his will, and for his glory?

Knowing that God, being the first principle of all his creatures, ought to be their last end, have we reflected that we transgress this indispensable rule, not only by acting with a bad intention, but also when our intentions are neither good nor bad, and when we act without any intention?

Upon this principle, 1. Have we rejected all bad intentions? 2. Have we avoided acting from motives merely human, morally good, but not supernatural? 3. Have we guarded against acting, through habit, without attention, and, as it were, by rote?

Have we made use of the four means which the saints recommend, as most efficient to induce us to do all our actions well, viz.

To remember the presence of God;

To perform every one of them, as if we were to die immediately after it;

To bear in mind the account which we shall have to give God for it;

To consider the reward or the punishment, which will follow it?

Particular examination on our daily religious duties.

Do you rise at a regular hour, and not too late in the morning?

Do you rise every day at the appointed time, without unnecessary delay?

Do you give your first thought to God, adore his divine majesty, and offer yourself to him, to do his will in all things, after the example of Christ, who, ‘coming into the world said: behold! I come to do thy will, O God?’ ¹⁴

Are you careful never to omit saying your morning prayers, before you apply to your usual occupations?

Do you endeavor to hear mass every morning?

Are you punctual in performing the spiritual exercises, which you have prescribed to yourself, with the approbation of your spiritual director; such as meditation, pious reading, beads, &c.?

Before going to bed, do you say your night prayers, examine your conscience, and place yourself in the state in which you would wish to be at the hour of your death?

After your night prayers, do you avoid all unnecessary talk, and occupation?

Is God the object of your last thought; and the sign of the cross your last action, before you compose yourself to sleep, as it ought to have been the first thing you did, when you awoke in the morning?

Particular examination on hearing mass.

Have you heard mass as often as you might possibly have done, and always from a pure and religious motive?

Have you not heard it through habit, and because others did so, with whom you lived, or in whose company you happened to be?

For the sake of pleasing some persons, and obtaining the good opinion of others?

Through hypocrisy, human respect, or interest?

Has it been to worship God, and adore all his divine perfections, which cannot be worthily adored, but by the holy victim that is offered on our altars?

To acknowledge the divine goodness of God towards you, and give him thanks for all the blessings which he bestows daily upon all his creatures?

To appease his wrath, satisfy his justice, and atone for your sins, through the infinite merits of Jesus Christ?

To beg of God some particular grace and favor, either for yourself or others, knowing that there is none, though ever so great, but can be obtained through Christ, who offers himself to his father, in this sacrifice, for all the wants of his church?

During mass, have you manifested, by your external deportment, a high sense of religion, a profound humility, and a lively faith of the presence of God?

Have you cherished in your heart the sentiments of piety and religion, which are becoming during the celebration of these holy mysteries,—whilst ‘the Lamb, who taketh away the sins of the world,’ is laid upon the altar, for the living and the dead?

Have you been penetrated with a deep sense of your unworthiness, and sorrow for your sins? with submission to the will of God, confidence in his mercy, gratitude for his blessings, and love for his goodness?

Particular examination on confession.

Do you consider confession, not only as necessary to obtain the pardon of those sins, by which we lose the grace of God, but also as a most efficacious means to preserve and increase it; to acquire the knowledge of ourselves; to foresee and guard against the occasions of sin, to which we may be exposed; to prevent our imperfections from growing into inveterate, and perhaps incurable habits?

Have you looked upon frequent confession as being, in the ordinary course of divine providence, an indispensable means to arrive at christian perfection?

Have you, therefore, had recourse to it, not only whenever you had just cause to suppose yourself guilty of mortal sin—not neglecting it, even then, through fear, shame, or perhaps worse motives—but, as often as the particular wants of your soul required it, according to the advice of a prudent and enlightened director?

Have you not shared in the error of those who neglect going to confession, when they are in trouble, or find themselves exposed to peculiar, though unavoidable temptations; not being willing to understand that you were, under such circumstances, in greater need of this means of salvation, and, perhaps, strictly bound to have recourse to it?

When you have been to confession, has your examination of conscience been diligent and strict?

Your contrition, interior, supernatural, supreme, and universal?

The recital of your sins, entire, plain, undisguised, prudent, and modest?

Have you performed your penance, at the time, and in the manner, prescribed by your confessor?

Particular examination on holy communion.

1. Have you a great desire to communicate often, and is this desire regulated by the advice of a prudent and pious director?

   Does this desire cause you to lead a life of innocence and piety? or, to use the words of St. Austin, ‘do you live so, as to deserve to communicate daily?’

2. Are you led to the sacred table, by a pure and holy intention?

   Do you communicate, to comply with the desire which our Lord has to give himself to you?

   To establish his reign in your heart, and make him master of your affections?

   To obtain an increase of sanctifying grace, which may enable you to make daily progress in christian perfection, and persevere in God's service and love, to the end of your life?

   To obtain the particular graces and favors, you stand in need of, according to the peculiar wants of your soul, and the circumstances in which you may happen to be placed—such as:

   Patience, in your troubles and afflictions?

   Meekness, forbearance, and charity?

   The spirit of prayer, the love of retirement and solitude?

   The grace to shun pride, vanity, idle curiosity, and other particular faults or imperfections, to which you may be naturally prone?

3. In your preparation before communion, and during your thanksgiving, have you performed the acts of faith, humility, adoration, love, &c. which are generally laid down in all approved prayer-books?

1. 2 Cor. x. 5.
2. Heb. xii. 2.
3. Mark ix. 23.
4. Heb. x. 38.
5. Ps. xxvi. 1.
6. Ps. xxii. 4.
7. Ps. lxi. 2.
8. Rom. xii. 18.
9. Tob. iv. 16.
10. Luke vi. 31.
11. Mat. v. 46.
12. Gal. vi. 2.
13. Rom. xii. 17. 21.
14. Heb. x. 5. 9.