Examination of Conscience
Examination of Conscience for Catholics is helpful to form a clear and correct
conscience in preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation. By reflecting
over one's own life through the examination of the past and present thoughts,
words, and actions that have offended God in any way, we will develop a
sensitive conscience to even the slightest offense against the Divine will. It
is recommended that one make an Examination of Conscience at the beginning and
end of every
day. After a thorough Examination of Conscience, make the sacrament of Reconciliation
where you will be asked to make a good Act of Contrition.
How to make a Examination of Conscience
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
Do I give God time every day in prayer?
Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
Do I seek to surrender myself to God's Word as taught by the Church?
Have I ever received Communion in a state of mortal sin?
Have I ever deliberately told a lie in confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in confession?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have I used God's name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
Have I been angry with God?
Have I wished evil upon another person?
Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?
Have I ever received Communion in a state of mortal sin?
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
Have I tried to observe Sunday as a family day and a day of rest?
Do I do needless work on Sunday?
4. Honor your Father and your Mother.
Do I honor and obey my parents?
Have I given my family good religious example?
Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
Do I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
5. You shall not kill.
Have I had an abortion or encouraged anyone to have an abortion?
Have I physically harmed anyone?
have I abused alcohol or drugs?
Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading them into sin?
Have I been angry or resentful?
Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
Have I encouraged or condoned sterilization?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage?
Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
Has each sexual act in my marriage been open to the transmission of new life?
Have I been guilty of masturbation?
Have I sought to control my thoughts?
Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as objects?
Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words and actions?
Am I careful to dress modestly?
7. You shall not steal.
Have I stolen what is not mine?
Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen?
Do I waste time at work, school or at home?
Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
Do I pay my debts promptly?
Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Have I lied?
Have I gossiped?
Have I spoken behind someone else's back?
Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
9. You shall not desire your neighbor's wife.
Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, conversations or curiosity?
Do I seek to control my imagination?
Do I pray at once to banish impure thoughts and temptations?
10. You shall not desire your neighbor's goods.
Am I jealous of what other people have?
Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
Do I trust that God will care for all of my material and spiritual needs?
Act of Contrition
O my God, 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 offend Thee, my God, Who are 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.
Amen.
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