Form of examination of conscience


FORM OF EXAMINAfl<I^N5(5f9
CONSCIENCE

COLLEGE LIBRARY

VERTICAL FILE

1)

This suggested form for an examination of conscience

should be completed and adapted to meet the needs of different

individuals and to follow local usages.

2) In an examination of conscience, before the sacrament

of penance, each individual should ask himself these questions

in particular:

1. What is my attitude to the sacrament of penance?
Do I sincerely want to be set free from sin, to turn again
to God, to begin a new life, and to enter into a deeper
friendship with God? Or do I look on it as a burden, to
be undertaken as seldom as possible?

2. Did I forget to mention, or deliberately conceal, any
grave sins in past confessions?

3. Did I perform the penance I was given? Did I make
reparation for any injury to others? Have I tried to put
into practice my resolution to lead a better life in keep-
ing with the Gospel?

3) Each individual should examine his life in the light of

Cod's word.

I. THE LORD SAYS: "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD
YOUR GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART.”

1. Is my heart set on God, so that I really love him
above all things and am faithful to his commandments,
as a son loves his father? Or am I more concerned about
the things of this world? Have I a right intention in what
I do?

2. God spoke to us in his Son. Is my faith in God
firm and secure? Am I wholehearted in accepting the
Church's teaching? Have I been careful to grow in my
understanding of the faith, to hear God’s word, to listen
to instructions on the faith, to avoid dangers to faith?
Have I been always strong and fearless in professing my
faith in God and the Church? Have I been willing to be
known as a Christian in private and public life?

3. Have I prayed morning and evening? When I pray,
do I really rs'-e my mind and heart to C'-d or is it



matter of words only? Do I offer God my difficulties, my
joys, and my sorrows? Do I turn to God in time of
temptation?

4. Have I love and reverence for God’s name? Have I
offended him in blasphemy, swearing falsely, or taking
his name in vain? Have I shown disrespect for the
Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints?

5. Do I keep Sundays and feast days holy by taking
a full part, with attention and devotion, in the liturgy,
and especially in the Mass? Have I fulfilled the precept
of annual confession and of communion during the
Easter season?

6. Are there false gods that I worship by giving them
greater attention and deeper trust than I give to God:
money, superstition, spiritism, or other occult practices?

II. THE LORD SAYS: “LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I
HAVE LOVED YOU.”

1. Have I a genuine love for my neighbors? Or do I
use them for my own ends, or do to them what I would
not want done to myself? Have I given grave scandal
by my words or actions?

2. In my family life, have I contributed to the well-
being and happiness of the rest of the family by patience
and genuine love? Have I been obedient to parents,
showing them proper respect and giving them help in
their spiritual and material needs? Have I been careful
to give a Christian upbringing to my children, and to
help them by good example and by exercising authority
as a parent? Have I been faithful to my husband (wife)
in my heart and in my relations with others?

3. Do I share my possessions with the less fortunate?
Do I do my best to help the victims of oppression, mis-
fortune, and poverty? Or do I look down on my neighbor,
especially the poor, the sick, the elderly, strangers, and
people of other races?

4. Does my life reflect the mission I received in con-
firmation? Do I share in the apostolic and charitable
works of the Church and in the life of my parish? Have



I helped to meet the needs of the Church and of the
world and prayed for them; for unity in the Church, for
the spread of the Gospel among the nations, for peace
and justice, etc.?

5. Am I concerned for the good and prosperity of the
human community in which I live, or do I spend my life
caring only for myself? Do I share to the best of my
ability in the work of promoting justice, morality, har-
mony, and love in human relations? Have I done my
duty as a citizen? Have I paid my taxes?
6. In my work or profession am I just, hard-working,
honest, serving society out of love for others? Have I
paid a fair wage to my employees? Have I been faith-
ful to my promises and contracts?
7. Have I obeyed legitimate authority and given it due
respect?

8. If I am in a position of responsibility or authority,
do I use this for my own advantage or for the good of
others, in a spirit of service?

9. Have I been truthful and fair, or have I injured
others by deceit, calumny, detraction, rash judgment, or
violation of a secret?

10. Have I done violence to others by damage to life
or limb, reputation, honor, or material possessions?

Have I involved them in loss? Have I been responsible
for advising an abortion or procuring one? Have I kept
up hatred for others? Am I estranged from others
through quarrels, enmity, insults, anger? Have I been
guilty of refusing to testify to the innocence of another
because of selfishness?

11. Have I stolen the property of others? Have I
desired it unjustly and inordinately? Have I damaged
it? Have I made restitution of other people’s property
and made good their loss?
12. If I have been injured, have I been ready to make
peace for the love of Christ and to forgive, or do I
harbor hatred and the desire for revenge?

III. CHRIST OUR LORD SAYS: “BE PERFECT AS
YOUR FATHER IS PERFECT.”

1. Where is my life really leading me? Is the hope of



eternal life my inspiration? Have I tried to grow in the
life of the Spirit through prayer, reading the word of
God and meditating on it, receiving the sacraments,
self-denial? Have I been anxious to control my vices,
my bad inclinations and passions, e.g., envy, love of
food and drink? Have I been proud and boastful, think-
ing myself better In the sight of God and despising
others as less important than myself? Have I imposed
my own will on others, without respecting their free-
dom and rights?
2. What use have I made of time, of health and
strength, of the gifts God has given me to be used like
the talents in the Gospel? Do I use them to become
more perfect every day? Or have I been lazy and too
much given to leisure?

3. Have I been patient in accepting the sorrows and
disappointments of life? How have I performed morti-
fication so as to “fill up what is wanting to the sufferings
of Christ? Have I kept the precept of fasting and ab-
stinence?

4. Have I kept my senses and my whole body pure and
chaste as a temple of the Holy Spirit consecrated for
resurrection and glory, and as a sign of God’s faithful
love for men and women, a sign that Is seen most
perfectly in the sacrament of matrimony? Have I dis-
honored my body by fornication, impurity, unworthy
conversation or thoughts, evil desires, or actions? Have
I given in to sensuality? Have I Indulged in reading,
conversation, shows, and entertainments that offend
against Christian and human decency? Have I en-
couraged others to sin by my own failure to maintain
these standards? Have I been faithful to the moral law
in my married life?
5. Have I gone against my conscience out of fear or
hypocrisy?

6. Have I always tried to act in the true freedom of
the sons of God according to the law of the Spirit, or
am I the slave of forces within me?

Copyright © 1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Publications Office, UNITED STATES CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
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