Examination of conscience

 

A Thorough  Guide To An Examination of Conscience 

 

Act of contrition prayer:

O my Loving God,

I am heartily sorry for all of my sins because of them I deserve the eternal pains of hell,

but mostly because I offended thee my God who is all good and deserving of all my love.

I firmly resolve today with the help of your grace to confess all my sins

to do penance and avoid the proximate occasion of sin, and to try not to sin anymore.

 

 

“What Is My Relationship With God Like?

 

When was my last confession?

Have I been angry with God, and rejected him deliberately?

Have I used God’s name in vain, using his name through anger and frustration (eg. Oh MY God, Jesus Christ)?

Have I cursed others seeking God’s justice upon them?

Have I placed my trust and looked for healing or hope via other religions and new age, for eg reiki, fortune tellers, crystals etc.

Have I believed in superstition eg, knock on wood?

Have I done any spiritual meditation or rituals that are outside of the Catholic faith eg yoga, new age meditation?

Have I been a part of a cult? Have I ever denounced my faith in Jesus Christ?

Have I ever participated in seances, witchcraft, or satanic black magic?

Have I worn or believed in new-age objects, symbols, and other Gods  (eg buddha statues, charms, dream catchers, burning of herbs)?

Have I worn or owned any satanic or witchcraft symbols, books etc?

Have I taken an interest, or followed Aliens?

Have I turned others away from God through my opinions and actions?

Have I tried or persuaded others to practice new age healing, meditation or fortune telling, etc?

Have I deliberately ripped, broken, or profaned blessed items?

Do I go to Mass every Sunday, and on holy days of obligations? Do I sincerely try to participate when I am in Mass? Do I come on time and give myself time to prepare for Mass?

Have I fasted on Good Friday and tried to do penance on other days prescribed

Have I treated God as second best and not that important?

Do I try and spend good quality time in prayer?

Do I offer Thanksgiving or am I always grumbling & complaining?

Have failed to believe in the true presence of God in the Holy Eucharist?

Have I ever committed a mortal sin and then received Eucharist without confession?

Have I been jealous or judge others who are stronger or more active in their Faith?

Have I mocked or spoken against the Holy Spirit, the blessed Mother, or the Holy angels and saints?

Have I spoken badly about the Pope & failed to pray for Him?

Have I worked on Sundays, preventing me from going to Mass, and/or spending time with the family?

Have I watched movies, social media or listened to music that curses or uses the Lord’s name profanely?

Have I failed to defend the Lord & His Laws or have I been embarrassed by Christ & His teachings?

Have I preached about God in anger causing hostile arguments with others?

Am I a lover of money, position, and/or power that puts these things before God?

Have I been cruel to animals or committed impure acts toward them?

Have I deliberately harmed the environment or put it in danger anyway?

Do I have fear? Am I also worried about tomorrow or the future, lacking trust in God

Have  I  ever doubted that God loves me?

Have I refused to listen to my conscience when it speaks to me?

 

“How have I treated myself?”

Have I been lazy, and putting my duties onto others?  Has my laziness affected my studies, my going to work, or affecting my health? Has my laziness affected others?

Have I tried or had thoughts of harming myself?

Do I mock myself by calling myself names? Can I see my self-worth and goodness?

Have I been vain? Do I worry excessively about my appearance and the clothes I wear?

Have I dressed inappropriately?  Have I dressed to bring attention to myself that may have distracted others and caused them to desire me?

Have I dressed inappropriately before the presence of God?

Do I show off & boast? Do I think I am better than others because of what I do, what I look like, or what I have?

Do I have a fear of aging? Am I struggling to accept my aging appearance?

Do I starve myself so I can be thin?

Have I ever hated myself?

Am I eating excessively that it is harming my health and mobility?

Have I committed an abortion, used contraception

Have I used my sexuality outside of marriage? Have I had impure thoughts and committed impure sexual acts by myself or with others?

Have I watched or looked at indecent images, movies, and pornography? Have I failed to protect myself from exposure to these things?

Do I listen to profane and sexualized music

Am I stubborn, and proud and fail to seek advice from others

Am I selfish and only think of my own needs and fail to take criticism

Have I taken drugs, gotten drunk, or used any form of substance that is harmful to my body or my mind?

Have I spent excessive time on games or social media preventing duties, time for prayer, and time for others?

 

“How Have I Treated My Parents?”

Have I lied or been disobedient to my parents?

Have I ever spoken disrespectfully to my parents using bad language or called them names?

Have I harmed them physically in any way?

Have I hated my mother or my father or desired to have other parents?

Have I deliberately not tried to forgive my parents for what they have done to me?

Have I cursed or wished my parents harm or desired them to go to hell?

Have I abused my parent’s wealth, kindness & generosity? Have I ever stolen from my parents? Have I manipulated my parents and their final will for financial gain?

Have I caused my parents grief and suffering through my bad choices and lifestyle?

Have I refused to help or assist my parents in their time of need?

 

“How Have I Treated Others?”

Have I lied or lied about another person, and caused them losses,  harm, or damage?

Have I judged another incorrectly? Have I gossiped about another? Has my gossip caused anyone harm, loss, or damage to their reputation in any way?

Have I taken anything that I did not pay for? Have I made dishonest or corrupt business dealings? Has anyone been affected in any way by my actions?

Have I committed any kind of fraud, or stolen people’s information or privacy?

Have I sold drugs, pornography or made illegal money on the black market?

Have I deliberately damaged another person’s property?

Have I threatened to hurt or harm someone, even if I really did not mean it literally?

Have I physically or mentally harmed another person through violence or bullying? Have any of my actions led anyone to suicide, to live in fear, or required medical assistance?

Have I indecently touched or looked at another?

Have I abused anyone and used profane and indecent language?

Have I ever told my child, that I wish I never had them?

Have I spoken or acted indecently toward or in front of a child /children? Have I exposed and not protected children from impure words, movies, songs etc?

Have I been violent in front of children or caused physical or mental harm to children?

Have I had impure or lustful thoughts of another?  Have I flirted or had any kind of intimacy with a married person? Have I destroyed another’s marriage?

Have I been unfaithful in my relationship/ marriage?

Have I ever used the other for my bodily pleasures, even in my younger years?

Am I disrespectful or lying to my spouse? Do I use my spouse for my own bodily pleasures? Do I force my spouse to do impure acts and/or to contracept?

Have I been jealous of what others have? Am I ungrateful for what I have?

Have I been greedy and have exploited or sacrificed others for my greed of money, power, or position?

Have I gambled? Has it caused financial burdens and pained others?

Am I angry at anyone or holding grudges and lacking forgiveness? Am I refusing to forgive them?

Have I cursed or desired someone to be harmed, be punished, or have a misfortune?

Have I sought or desired revenge toward another?

Have I been spiteful? Have I misused my work position or authority to deliberately hurt others?

Have I mocked, teased, or put others down? Have I been incompassionate and uncharitable to others? Do find other people’s faults raising myself above them?

Have I judged others and their circumstances? Have I lacked empathy towards others and their problems/situations?

 

Am I quick to anger and hot-tempered? Do I curse and scream when I am driving?

Am I impatient with others and do I think I am always right? Am I overconfident in myself making me overly proud?

Have I not protected human or family life? Have I supported or forced abortion, contraception, or euthanasia?

Have I encouraged others to substance abuse such as alcohol, smoking, or drugs? Is anyone an addict because of me?

Have I worked for human appreciation, seeking honor or respect for myself gratification?

 

Temptations will always persist in your journey through life and it is important not to fall into despair but to always seek God’s grace to overcome them.

Do not fear!  but keep your courage high dependent always on the compassionate mercy and forgiveness of  God, through the Holy Sacrament of confession.

The realization of our human weakness and the constant need for God’s Mercy is the realization of our salvation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.

 2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.

 3. Remember to keep holy the LORD’S Day.

4.  Honor your father and your mother.

5.  You shall not kill.

6.  You shall not commit adultery.

 7. You shall not steal.

 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

9.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.