Examination of Conscience

This is an examination of conscience that I found on this website: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwillingshepherds.com%2FExamination.html&h=2514c8f4fb201faa8577cc5ad9966dbd



How are you to make an examination of conscience? THINK ABOUT YOUR SINS.



Examine your conscience:



1. On the Ten Commandments of God.

2. On the Commandments of the Church.

3. On the particular duties of your state of life.

4. On the Seven Deadly Sins.



And consider where in and how often you have offended God by thought, word, deed, or omission. REMEMBER ALWAYS TO COUNT YOUR SINS. There are certain words never to be used in the confessional. Never say sometimes, a good many times, not often, very often. Never use such expressions, because they are all vague, indefinite terms; they do not give the priest any idea of the exact number of one’s sins. Tell what you said, and how many times you said it. Tell what you did, and the number of times you did it. If you cannot give the exact number, give it as nearly as you can. Tell about how often. God does not require impossibilities. Doing the best you can, you need have no fear of telling a lie. To come as nearly as you can to the number is not lying. It is all you can do. But if you find this too difficult, because you have been absent from Confession a long time, then give an average number of the sins you have committed daily or weekly or monthly. Put one day or one week or one month with another, and see about how often in a day or in the week or in the month you have been in the habit of committing each sin. Moreover, have some system in examining yourself and in telling your sins. Follow the order of the commandments. Separate your different sins, one kind from another, and count how many you have of each. Act like a man who has a quantity of money of different denominations. He separates the different pieces according to their value, and, counting each kind, soon knows the value of the whole.



If a person cannot read let some one read the Examine of Conscience for him. Remember you must COUNT YOUR SINS before going to confession.



EXAMINE OF CONSCIENCE



First Commandment



I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.



I denied, or doubted my faith _____ Times a week, or month.

I murmured against God _____ Times a week, or month.

I despaired of His mercy _____ Times a week, or month.

I missed my daily prayers _____ Times a week, or month.

I went to places of false worship _____ Times a week, or month.

I talked against the Church, priests, or faith _____ Times a week, or month.

I went to fortune tellers _____ Times a week, or month.

I was dealing with the occult-i.e. Ouija Board _____ Times a week, or month

I was guilty of superstitious practices _____ Times a week, or month.

I was guilty of excessive materialism _____ Times a week, or month.

I was guilty of malice (deliberate choice of evil) _____ Times a week, or month

I read books contrary to faith _____ Times a week, or month.



In counting your sins, if you cannot give the exact number, average, tell as nearly as you can, about how often you have committed each.



Second Commandment



Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.



I swore by name of God (Blasphemy) _____ Times a week, or month.

I swore by name of Jesus (Blasphemy) _____ Times a week, or month.

I cursed others by saying: God damn you _____ Times a week, or month.

I cursed my children and wife _____ Times a week, or month.

I cursed in the hearing of the young _____ Times a week, or month.

I perjured myself by swearing falsely in court _____ Times a week, or month.

I took rash and unnecessary oaths _____ Times a week, or month.

I provoked others to curse _____ Times a week, or month.

I did not prevent cursing when I could and should _____ Times a week, or month.

I spoke against saints, holy things and pious practices. _____ Times a week, or month.



Third Commandment



Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath Day.



I missed Mass on Sunday & Holydays through my fault _____ Times a week, or month.

I spent a great part of these days in sinful occupations _____ Times a week, or month.

I was late for Mass by my own fault _____ Times a week, or month.

I kept my wife, children or employees from Mass _____ Times a week, or month.

I assisted at Mass with willful distractions _____ Times a week, or month.

I engaged in servile works on Sunday and Holydays without necessity _____ Times a week, or month.



Fourth Commandment



Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.



1. Duty of Children



I disobeyed my parents/teachers/leaders in important matters _____ Times a day, or week.

I caused them to be angry: I grieved them _____ Times a day, or week.

I used insulting language to them _____ Times a day, or week.

I kept or wasted my wages I should have given to them _____ Times.

I did not support them _____ Times.

I incited my brothers and sisters against them _____ Times.

I neglected to write them, or send them help _____ Months _____ years.

I neglected them in sickness, in death _____ Months _____ years



2. Duties of Husbands and Fathers



I grieved, abused, struck my wife _____ Times

I accused her wrongfully _____ Times

I neglected to provide for my family _____ Times

I gave my children bad example _____ Times

I failed to correct their faults _____ Times

I neglected to instruct them in religion _____ Times

I interfered with their religious vocation _____ Times



3. Duties of Wives and Mothers



I disobeyed my husband _____ Times.

I caused my children to disobey and dishonor him _____ Times.

I talked of his faults to my children or neighbors _____ Times.

I neglected to correct my children _____ Times.

I gave them bad example _____ Times.

I did not instruct them in their religion _____ Times.

I interfered with their religious vocation _____ Times.



Under this commandment masters and mistresses, employers and employees should examine themselves on their respective duties.



Fifth Commandment



Thou shalt not kill.



I was angry _____ Times.

I caused others to become angry _____ Times.

I was quarreling or fighting _____ Times.

I desired the death of others _____ Times.

I cherished hatred to others _____ Times.

I've used or approved of artificial birth control _____ Times.

I refused to speak or to be reconciled to others _____ Times.

I caused the death of another by negligence _____ Times.

I brought dishonor to family, school, community, or the Church _____ Times.

I have been guilty of detraction (telling an unkind truth about another) _____ Times.

I led others to commit sin, by word or example _____ Times.

I Used illegal drugs _____ Times.



For physicians, parents, others, - caused, counseled, consented to abortion. Abortion is a case reserved by the Holy See to Bishops.



Sixth Commandment and Ninth Commandment



Thou shalt not commit adultery.



Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.



Here the penitent must seriously consider past thoughts, words, and actions against these commandments. If one had the misfortune to break them, one must tell whether one is single or married; whether thoughts, words, desires, or acts referred to single or married persons or relatives.



I had premarital sex, including oral sex, intercourse, impure touching of another _____ Persons_____ Times.

I took pleasure in impure thoughts _____ Times a day.

I had impure desires _____ Times a day

I spoke immodestly in the hearing of _____ Persons_____ Times a day.

I boasted of sins of impurity _____ Times a day_____ a week.

I sang or listened to immodest songs _____ Times a day_____ a week.

I read immodest books, papers, or writings _____ Times.

I was guilty of immodest looks _____ Times a week

I kept, showed, looked at immodest pictures/pornographic material _____ Times a week.

I went to immodest places of amusement _____ Times a week.

I was guilty of immodest acts (See note above, and tell what these acts were) _____ Times.

I committed homosexuals actions _____ Persons_____ Times.

I committed immodest acts alone _____ Times.

I was guilty of the sin of Onanism (masturbation, withdrawal method) _____ Times.



In the Book of Genesis Onan was commanded by his father to impregnate the widow of his slain brother and to raise the offspring of the union. In order to avoid raising descendants for his late brother, however, Onan engaged in coitus interruptus.



There are hidden sins known only to God and the sinner. These he must also tell, and the number of times.



Seventh Commandment and Tenth Commandment



Thou shalt not steal.



Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.



I stole goods to the amount of $ _____, _____ Times.

I destroyed property, defrauded insurance companies $ _____, _____ Times.

I took from my employers $ _____, _____ Times.

I stole $____ worth, but restored, though able to return all, only $______ Worth

I wasted time for which I was paid work, value of $ _____, _____ Times.

I injured others in their employment or goods $ _____, _____ Times.

I neglected to pay my bills, just debts, amounting to $ _____, _____ Times.

I defrauded in weights and measures $ _____, _____ Times.

I defrauded those employed by me $ _____, _____ Times.

I unjustly deferred the payment of their wages $ _____, _____ Times.

I desired to possess unjustly my neighbor’s goods _____ Times.



Eighth Commandment



Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.



I told lies _____ Times.

I seriously injured my neighbor’s character, by publishing his secret faults _____ Times.

I carried stories and caused trouble _____ Times.

I told a deliberate lie to the injury of my neighbor _____ Times.

I spoke without necessity of the known faults of others _____ Times.

I've broken promises deliberately _____ Times.

I am guilty of calumny-telling lies about one another _____ Times.

I failed to defend my neighbor’s character _____ Times.

I encouraged detraction or calumny, or listened to it with complacency _____ Times.

I failed to make reparation for sins of tongue _____ Times.



Commandments of the Church



I neglected my yearly confession and Easter Communion _____ Times.

I attempted marriage contrary to the law of the Church _____ Times.

I neglected, when able, to support the Church _____ Times.

I ate meat on days of abstinence, without permission or necessity. _____ Times.

I caused others to eat meat on days of abstinence _____ Times.

I broke the fasts of the Church _____ Times.

I caused others to break the fasts of the Church _____ Times.



The Seven Deadly Sins



I was guilty of gluttony _____ Times.

I was drunk _____ Times.

I caused others to be drunk _____ Times.

I gave liquor to those drunk _____ Times.

I was slothful in religious exercises _____ Times.

I was lazy and idle _____ Times.

I was envious _____ Times.

I was yearning for impure pleasures _____ Times.

I have had an immoderate desire for earthly goods _____ Times.

I have had an inordinate desire for revenge _____ Times.

I was proud _____ Times



The Four Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance



Willful murder (including abortion) _____ Times.

The sin of Sodom. (unnatural sex) _____ Times.

Oppression of the poor. _____ Times.

Defrauding laborers of their wages. _____ Times



The Six Sins against the Holy Ghost



Presumption of God's mercy-sinning and saying God must forgive me _____ Times.

Despair-to believe that god will refuse to forgive you _____ Times.

To attack as false or questioning the known truth. _____ Times.

Envy at another's spiritual good _____ Times.

Obstinacy in sin-refusing to stop known sinful behavior _____ Times.

Final impenitence-refusing to accept God's mercy at moment of death _____ Times.



Nine Ways of being Accessory to Another's Sin

By counsel-talking one into sin _____ Times.

By command-telling one to sin _____ Times.

By consent- agreeing with the sin _____ Times.

By provocation- to pressure one into sin _____ Times.

By praise or flattery- congratulating the sin committed by others _____ Times.

By concealment- covering up the sin for another _____ Times.

By partaking- approving sin by assisting in it _____ Times.

By silence-by not speaking up against the sin _____ Times.

By defense of the ill done- rationalizing the sin done or will be done _____ Times.



Also, don't forget to always confess all Venial sins that you might have committed-i.e., ingratitude, reckless driving, selfishness, rudeness etc.



[for more on sin: http://communityofhopeinc.org/Catholic%20Beliefs/sin.htm#7%20failures ]