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Examination of Conscience
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
I dont give God time every day in prayer?
I dont seek to love God with my whole heart?
Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
Have I received communion in the 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?
Are there other "gods" in my life? Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?
I dont seek to love God with my whole heart?
Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
Have I received communion in the 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?
Are there other "gods" in my life? Money, Security, Power, People, etc.?
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 any other person?
Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?
Have I been angry with God?
Have I wished evil upon any other person?
Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?
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?
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 neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
Have I given my family good religious example?
I dont try to bring peace into my home life?
I dont care about my aged and infirm relatives?
Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
Have I given my family good religious example?
I dont try to bring peace into my home life?
I dont care about my aged and infirm relatives?
5. You shall not kill.
Have I had an abortion or encouraged or helped anyone to have an abortion?
Have I physically harmed anyone?
Have I abused alcohol or used drugs?
Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
Have I been lost in anger or resentful?
Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against humanlife such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?
Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
Have I physically harmed anyone?
Have I abused alcohol or used drugs?
Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading him or her into sin?
Have I been lost in anger or resentful?
Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
Have I engaged, in any way, in sins against humanlife such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization?
Have I participated in or approved of euthanasia?
Do I envy the families or possessions of others?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
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 harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words,actions?
Do I dress immodestly?
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 harbored hatred in my heart?
Have I respected all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as mere objects?
Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?
Do I seek to be chaste in my thoughts, words,actions?
Do I dress immodestly?
7. You shall not steal.
Have I stolen what is not mine?
Do I waste time at work, school, and home?
Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
Have I cheated to get ahead?
I dont keep secret what should be kept confidential?
Do I waste time at work, school, and home?
Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
Have I cheated to get ahead?
I dont keep secret what should be kept confidential?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Have I lied? Have I gossiped?
Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
Have I cheated to get ahead?
Have I injured the reputation of others by slanders?
Do I speak badly of others behind their back?
Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts of others?
Have I cheated to get ahead?
Have I injured the reputation of others by slanders?
9. You shall not desire your neighbor´s wife.
Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity?
Do I give in to temptations?
Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex?
Have I caused them by impure reading, movies, television, conversation or curiosity?
Do I give in to temptations?
Have I behaved in an inappropriate way with members of the opposite sex?
10. You shall not desire your neighbor´s goods.
Am I jealous of what other people have?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
Am I greedy or selfish?
Are material possessions the purpose of my life?
Other sins
Did I deny or doubt God’s existence?
Did I refuse to believe God’s revelation?
Did I believe in horoscopes, fortune telling, dreams, good luck charms or reincarnation?
Did I deny that I was a Catholic?
Did I abandon the Catholic Faith?
Did I despair of or presume on God’s mercy?
Did I neglect prayer for a long time?
Did I fail to pray daily?
Did I blaspheme God or take God’s Name in vain, curse or break an oath or vow?
Did I miss Mass on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Am I always reverent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament? Was I inattentive at Mass?
Did I arrive at Mass late?
Did I leave Mass early?
Did I do unnecessary servile work on Sunday?
Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?
Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I failed to educate myself concerning the teachings of the Church?
Did I give a full day’s work in return for a full day’s pay?
Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
Was I the cause of anyone abandoning the Catholic Faith?
Did I give a fair wage to my employee(s)?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful toward others or lazy?
Did I give bad example, abuse drugs, drink alcohol to excess, fight or quarrel?
Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
Have I had or advised anyone to have an abortion?
Did I participate in or approve of the grave evil known as “mercy killing” or euthanasia?
Did I attempt suicide?
Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Did I dress immodestly?
Did I use impure or suggestive words?
Did I tell impure stories or listen to them?
Did I deliberately look at impure television, internet, plays, pictures or movies?
Did I deliberately read impure material?
Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with another (adultery, fornication or sodomy)?
Did I marry or advise another to marry outside of the Church?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?
Was I unfaithful to my marriage vows?
Have I kept company with someone else’s spouse?
Did I practice artificial birth control or was I or my spouse permanently sterilized (tubal ligation or vasectomy)?
Did I steal, cheat, help or encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods?
Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
Did I fulfill my contracts, give or accept bribes, not pay my bills, rashly gamble or speculate or deprive my family of the necessities of life?
Did I tell lies? Deliberately in order to deceive or injure others?
Did I commit perjury?
Did I vote in accordance with a properly informed conscience, in a way consistent with the teachings of the Church, in regard to the sanctity of human life and human life issues?
Was I uncharitable in word or deed?
Did I gossip or reveal the faults and sins of others?
Did I fail to keep secrets that I should have kept?
Did I eat meat on the Fridays during Lent or on Ash Wednesday?
Did I fast as required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season?
Did I fail to confess my sins at least once a year?
Did I go to Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin? Did I go to Holy Communion without fasting for one hour or more from food and drink (water and medicine are permitted)? Did I make a bad Confession? Did I deliberately not tell all the sins I committed during one of my Confessions? Did I fail to defend the Church?
Did I blaspheme God or take God’s Name in vain, curse or break an oath or vow?
Did I miss Mass on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
Am I always reverent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament? Was I inattentive at Mass?
Did I arrive at Mass late?
Did I leave Mass early?
Did I do unnecessary servile work on Sunday?
Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?
Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I failed to educate myself concerning the teachings of the Church?
Did I give a full day’s work in return for a full day’s pay?
Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
Was I the cause of anyone abandoning the Catholic Faith?
Did I give a fair wage to my employee(s)?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful toward others or lazy?
Did I give bad example, abuse drugs, drink alcohol to excess, fight or quarrel?
Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
Have I had or advised anyone to have an abortion?
Did I participate in or approve of the grave evil known as “mercy killing” or euthanasia?
Did I attempt suicide?
Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Did I dress immodestly?
Did I use impure or suggestive words?
Did I tell impure stories or listen to them?
Did I deliberately look at impure television, internet, plays, pictures or movies?
Did I deliberately read impure material?
Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with another (adultery, fornication or sodomy)?
Did I marry or advise another to marry outside of the Church?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?
Was I unfaithful to my marriage vows?
Have I kept company with someone else’s spouse?
Did I practice artificial birth control or was I or my spouse permanently sterilized (tubal ligation or vasectomy)?
Did I steal, cheat, help or encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods?
Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
Did I fulfill my contracts, give or accept bribes, not pay my bills, rashly gamble or speculate or deprive my family of the necessities of life?
Did I tell lies? Deliberately in order to deceive or injure others?
Did I commit perjury?
Did I vote in accordance with a properly informed conscience, in a way consistent with the teachings of the Church, in regard to the sanctity of human life and human life issues?
Was I uncharitable in word or deed?
Did I gossip or reveal the faults and sins of others?
Did I fail to keep secrets that I should have kept?
Did I eat meat on the Fridays during Lent or on Ash Wednesday?
Did I fast as required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season?
Did I fail to confess my sins at least once a year?
Did I go to Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin? Did I go to Holy Communion without fasting for one hour or more from food and drink (water and medicine are permitted)? Did I make a bad Confession? Did I deliberately not tell all the sins I committed during one of my Confessions? Did I fail to defend the Church?
Further Examination of Conscience
Based on the Seven Deadly Sins
What are commonly known as the seven deadly sins are more accurately called the seven capital vices. Vices are not sins; they are habits that incline us to sin and are often the root of our sins. By examining our conscience using the seven vices as a model, we can better understand our weaknesses.
Gluttony
Excessive desire and use of anything (especially food and drink), to the point of wastefulness.
Do I struggle with over consumption?
Do I eat excessively?
Does my consumption set a bad example for others?
Do I indulge in alcohol, food, or drugs to mask other emotions?
Do I participate in drinking activities simply for the sake of others?
Am I aware that while drinking alcohol is not a sin, drunkenness is?
Do I spend money on food or other things that I don’t really need?
Excessive desire and use of anything (especially food and drink), to the point of wastefulness.
Do I struggle with over consumption?
Do I eat excessively?
Does my consumption set a bad example for others?
Do I indulge in alcohol, food, or drugs to mask other emotions?
Do I participate in drinking activities simply for the sake of others?
Am I aware that while drinking alcohol is not a sin, drunkenness is?
Do I spend money on food or other things that I don’t really need?
Greed
Immoderate desire for material goods or worldly honors. Do I struggle with the desire to posses things of this world rather than the gifts of heaven? For example,
Has money or status replaced God in my priorities?
Do I long for the things of earth more than I long for the things of heaven?
Do I make unreasonable demands to my parents or my employer for money and resources?
Do I avoid old friends in order to be with a cer-tain group of people?
Have I cheated on a test or assignment in order to get ahead? Have I plagiarized?
Have I stolen anything?
Immoderate desire for material goods or worldly honors. Do I struggle with the desire to posses things of this world rather than the gifts of heaven? For example,
Has money or status replaced God in my priorities?
Do I long for the things of earth more than I long for the things of heaven?
Do I make unreasonable demands to my parents or my employer for money and resources?
Do I avoid old friends in order to be with a cer-tain group of people?
Have I cheated on a test or assignment in order to get ahead? Have I plagiarized?
Have I stolen anything?
Lust
Excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature; seeing people as objects for personal gratification. Do I view sexuality as a gift, or as a means to achieve my own desires? For example,
Do I encourage and entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Do I tell or listen to dirty jokes?
Do I view pornographic magazines, videos, or internet sites?
Have I engaged in sexual activities that have brought me further from God?
Have I committed sins of masturbation or artificial contraception?
Have I not avoided persons or places that tempt me to sexual sin?
Excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature; seeing people as objects for personal gratification. Do I view sexuality as a gift, or as a means to achieve my own desires? For example,
Do I encourage and entertain impure thoughts and desires?
Do I tell or listen to dirty jokes?
Do I view pornographic magazines, videos, or internet sites?
Have I engaged in sexual activities that have brought me further from God?
Have I committed sins of masturbation or artificial contraception?
Have I not avoided persons or places that tempt me to sexual sin?
Pride
Thinking of one’s self too highly; excessive love of self. Do I struggle with placing myself above others or above God? For example,
Have I relied on my own wisdom instead of seeking the counsel of others?
Have I caused my parents, my spouse, or my children unnecessary worry or anxiety by my attitude, behavior, or moods?
Do I thank others for what they do for me?
Do I fail to view my body as a temple and beautiful gift from God?
Do I allow my insecurities to overshadow the gifts that God has given me?
Do I place my own wants and concerns above the needs of others?
Thinking of one’s self too highly; excessive love of self. Do I struggle with placing myself above others or above God? For example,
Have I relied on my own wisdom instead of seeking the counsel of others?
Have I caused my parents, my spouse, or my children unnecessary worry or anxiety by my attitude, behavior, or moods?
Do I thank others for what they do for me?
Do I fail to view my body as a temple and beautiful gift from God?
Do I allow my insecurities to overshadow the gifts that God has given me?
Do I place my own wants and concerns above the needs of others?
Envy
Sorrow over another’s good; resenting a person for having something you perceive yourself as lacking. Am I envious of good things that happen to other people? For example,
Have I knowingly deceived anyone?
Have I been envious of the positions others hold?
Do I spread gossip, whether true or untrue?
Have I told a lie about someone? Have I spoken or remained silent about someone with the in-tention of harming their reputation?
Do I enjoy hearing bad news about people I don’t like?
Sorrow over another’s good; resenting a person for having something you perceive yourself as lacking. Am I envious of good things that happen to other people? For example,
Have I knowingly deceived anyone?
Have I been envious of the positions others hold?
Do I spread gossip, whether true or untrue?
Have I told a lie about someone? Have I spoken or remained silent about someone with the in-tention of harming their reputation?
Do I enjoy hearing bad news about people I don’t like?
Sloth
Failure to use one’s talents and gifts; reluctance to do good because of the cost. Do I place more value on my own priorities than the priorities that God would want me to have? For example,
Have I neglected daily prayer?
Have I missed Sunday Mass or any holy day of obligation?
Have I shown disrespect by leaving Mass early?
Have I failed to stand up for my faith when presented with the opportunity to do so?
Have I too often heard myself say, “I’m too busy” when invited to do something good?
Do I glorify God in the way I do my daily work?
Failure to use one’s talents and gifts; reluctance to do good because of the cost. Do I place more value on my own priorities than the priorities that God would want me to have? For example,
Have I neglected daily prayer?
Have I missed Sunday Mass or any holy day of obligation?
Have I shown disrespect by leaving Mass early?
Have I failed to stand up for my faith when presented with the opportunity to do so?
Have I too often heard myself say, “I’m too busy” when invited to do something good?
Do I glorify God in the way I do my daily work?
Wrath
Inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger.
Do I allow my irritations with people to interfere with my love for them?
Have I used the name of God or Jesus Christ to swear?
Have I been mean or unjust to anyone?
Have I held a grudge against anyone?
Do I struggle with allowing myself time to think and pray before negatively reacting to a challenging aspect of life?
Do I point out faults of others while ignoring my own?
Do I grumble about situations instead of taking what steps I can to improve them?
Am I prejudiced against certain types of people?
Have I committed an act of violence or abuse—physical,
Inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger.
Do I allow my irritations with people to interfere with my love for them?
Have I used the name of God or Jesus Christ to swear?
Have I been mean or unjust to anyone?
Have I held a grudge against anyone?
Do I struggle with allowing myself time to think and pray before negatively reacting to a challenging aspect of life?
Do I point out faults of others while ignoring my own?
Do I grumble about situations instead of taking what steps I can to improve them?
Am I prejudiced against certain types of people?
Have I committed an act of violence or abuse—physical,
These habits are called virtues. Work on living out these virtues to counter the temptation of your vice.
Temperance: moderates the desire for pleasure.
Charity: love of others
Chastity: freedom from whatever is lewd and salacious.
Humility: keeps a person from reaching beyond himself.
Patience: endure present evils without sadness or resentment.
Diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish the will of God.
Forgiveness: disposition or willingness to forgive.
Temperance: moderates the desire for pleasure.
Charity: love of others
Chastity: freedom from whatever is lewd and salacious.
Humility: keeps a person from reaching beyond himself.
Patience: endure present evils without sadness or resentment.
Diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish the will of God.
Forgiveness: disposition or willingness to forgive.
