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Sample Examination of Conscience

6/7/2012

9 Comments

 
In response to Lori Ann's question, this is a sample list that I use to do a quick inventory.  It took me about 30 minutes to do this the first time.  Now I'm able to do a pretty quick tally in under 10... five if I'm in a pickle.  I still feel better if I write it all out, but that's just me.  This is a basic list to go from, and once you've got the subheading suggestions down, you can come up with your own.

Sample Examination Guide:

1st Commandment:  I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
        Do I prioritize material objects (money, clothes, food or television shows) over God?
        Do I put other people (family, friends, celebrities, etc) ahead of God in my life?
        Do I ignore God altogether?

2nd Commandment:  You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
        Do I say things like "I swear to God" when I'm not being fully honest?
        Do I use God's name as part of curses (ex: Goddamn it)
        Do I listen to music that takes God's name in vain?
        Do I consent to conversations that take God's name in vain?

3rd Commandment:  Keep holy the Sabbath.
        Do I attend Sunday Mass and all holy days of obligation?
        Do I rest in accordance with God's Divine example?
        Do I do anything to profane the day set aside for special honor and appreciation of                     God's blessings?

4th Commandment:  Honor thy father and mother.
        Do I obey my parents?
        Do I obey my superiors and those who have authority over me?
        Do I reflect the morals and teachings they've worked to instill in me?

5th Commandment:  You shall not kill.
        Have I been a party to murder (abortion counts on this one, folks)?
        Have I caused spiritual death through scandal or intimidation?
        Have I contributed to the emotional scarring of an individual through taunts,
                humiliation or bullying?

6th Commandment:  You shall not commit adultery.
        Have I sought marital satisfaction (emotionally, physically, psychologically) outside the
                bonds of my own marriage?
        Have I remained chaste in my thoughts and actions (pornography, lewd thoughts, etc).
        Have I put another person / thing above my spouse?
        Have I intentionally dressed in an overtly sexual manner, thus giving away the
                modesty meant only for my spouse?
        Have I shared emotions and desires with another person and not my husband, thus   
                taking from him / her the opportunity to connect and understand me on a deeper
                level?

7th Commandment:  You shall not steal.
        Have I taken anything that doesn't belong to me without first asking?
        Have I borrowed something with no intent to return it?

8th Commandment:  You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
        Do I participate in gossip?
        Do I spread lies about someone?
        Do I say nothing as others spread fallacious information about someone?
        Do I not strive for truth and honesty in my actions, thoughts and words?

9th Commandment:  You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
        Do I lust after anyone?
        Do I watch pornography or read lewd materials?
        Do I listen to suggestive music or take enjoyment in watching suggestive videos?
        Do I seek fulfillment outside of my own marital relationship instead of working to
                nurture and solidify it?

10th Commandment:  You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
        Have I gotten jealous of someone because of the blessings they have in life?
        Instead of being grateful for my own blessings, have I grumbled and demanded more                 than my fair share on the basis of what I perceive others to have?
        Have I lost faith in Divine Providence?

Picture
7 Deadly Sins - the Creepy Cousins you can't get rid of.

Pride:  Have I placed myself above others in life?  Have I expected things of others that I don't expect of myself?  Have I made excuses for my failings?

Gluttony:  Akin to Commandment 1, have I over-indulged on food, clothing or entertainment?  Have I ignored my duties as a parent / wife / friend because I've prioritized gluttonous tendencies over my vocation?

Wrath:  Have I reacted with hatred or anger?  Have I wished ill on someone?  Have I allowed anger to boil up inside of me to flood out my love and patience?

Envy:  Akin to Commandment 10, have I been envious of others?  Have I become ungrateful for my own blessings while comparing them to the perceived blessings of others?

Sloth:  Have I been lazy?  Have I spent more time on Facebook than I have on the "big project" at work?  Have I watched three movies in a row while I push off laundry and dishes for the 5th straight night?  Have I said my prayers in bed instead of kneeling beside it because I was simply "too tired" to move?  Have I pushed off prayer altogether (be it Mass, daily offerings, etc) because I just "didn't feel like" praying that day?

Greed:  Also akin to Commandment 10, have I taken more than my fair share of resources?  Have I hungrily worked around the clock to amass food / money / materials for myself without thought to those who are also struggling to get by?  Have I been willing to share my resources with others through Divine Providence?

Lust:  Akin to Commandment 9, have I lusted after a person or thing?  Have I allowed myself to watch pornographic materials, listen to overtly sexual music, or partake in sexual activity that is outside the bonds of marriage? 
9 Comments
Lori Ann
6/7/2012 04:22:40 am

Thank you for the list - its very helpful. Are you really this thorough at confession? How long are you in there? Also, how are gluttony and the first commandment the same thing?

Reply
Gina
6/7/2012 05:16:41 am

Sorry, sorry... little slow on the uptake today. Ha ha!

I'm definitely NOT this thorough at every confession, though I should really try to be. Like I said, once you get the hang of it, it only takes about 10 minutes to give yourself enough time to really go through the inventory. Plus, going to confession regularly (once a month) helps cut down on "What if I forget..." moments.

I'm typically only in the confessional for maybe 3 minutes. I've never timed myself, though. Ha ha.

Your last question is a great one and almost made me want to dedicate an entire blog entry. But I'll give you a highlight here.

When we are gluttonous, we are basically feeling as though we're entitled to an overabundance of something. Maybe for you that something is extended lunch hours. Maybe for me it's eating all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box before anyone else gets to have any (man... I've actually been known to do that - heh).

Anyway, taking those basic examples, we can break them down into root cause. My gluttony for marshmallows is at odds with my desire to love God in all things. If I truly loved God and placed Him as my priority, I'd pour myself a normal bowl of cereal and leave some tasty tid-bits for my husband, son or friend. too. Why? Because I understand God to exist within John, Vince and others. By hogging the marshmallows through gluttony, I stifle Divine Providence. I specifically tell God "No, I'm not helping You out because I think eating these marshmallows is more important than You and Your Will."

Granted, this is a ridiculous and base example, but my point is there. If you remove "marshmallows" and insert "money," "friends," or even "Facebook usage," you're still saying no to God's Divine Will through placing another object / person / thing above Him.

Reply
Lori Ann
6/7/2012 05:23:07 am

Would you consider eating all the marshmallows a mortal sin?! That seems a little extreme.

Gina
6/7/2012 05:26:47 am

Ha ha ha ha ha - oh my goodness, no. No I would not. However, eating all the marshmallows would be symptomatic of a larger problem, don't you think?

After all, if I'm eating all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms, chances are good I'm also trying to eat most of the grapes before anyone else gets a chance to have some... maybe I'm sneaking into the kitchen late at night to swipe a few extra cookies... you might even find me spending a few bucks that were meant for diapers or John's anime collection on a stash of McDonald's fries.

Repeatedly placing anything before God through gluttony, greed or even sloth is replacing God wit an idol. They don't necessarily have to be gilded in gold and shaped like a bull.

:)

Gina
6/7/2012 05:28:53 am

Ha ha ha ha ha - oh my goodness, no. No I would not. However, eating all the marshmallows would be symptomatic of a larger problem, don't you think?

After all, if I'm eating all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms, chances are good I'm also trying to eat most of the grapes before anyone else gets a chance to have some... maybe I'm sneaking into the kitchen late at night to swipe a few extra cookies... you might even find me spending a few bucks that were meant for diapers or John's anime collection on a stash of McDonald's fries.

Repeatedly placing anything before God through gluttony, greed or even sloth is replacing God with an idol. They don't necessarily have to be gilded in gold and shaped like a bull.

:)

Deo volente link
6/7/2012 12:21:42 pm

I found this really nice blog by a link on "Dymphna's Road," I believe. I admire your handling of Confession and the sources you've quoted today.

There is another priest who is really excellent in dealing with Confession (there are many, of course). I thought I'd let you know about his post.

Msgr. Charles Pope is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. who blogs on the Archdiocesan website. Some years back, he wrote a post called "Getting Ready for Confession?" <a href="http://blog.adw.org/2009/03/getting-ready-for-confession/">The link to that post can be found here.</a> You'll notice that Msgr. has added a link to his "Litany of Reparation" which is a magnificent thing to have printed out. I use it before Confession and it really helps not only as a plea to God for forgiveness before leaving for Church, but also as a review of things to remember for Confession. I recommend it highly!

Kind regards!
D.v.

Reply
Gina
6/8/2012 02:18:09 am

Deo volente,

Thanks for letting me know how you found me. I always appreciate that. Special thanks for the link. I thought my list was thorough... WHEW! Ha ha.

I love, love, love the litany. Wow. I've now got it printed out as well. This is so wonderful! You are so kind to have shared this with me!

For anyone else interested in D.v.'s link, you can access it a little easier here:

Examination of Conscience: http://www.fisheaters.com/penance.html#examination

Litany: http://www.fisheaters.com/penance.html#examination

Reply
Xyzza
9/2/2014 12:57:48 am

Hi Gina :) i have an assignment similar to this , may i ask if this questions can be answered by whom?

Reply
Maria
4/18/2019 03:00:06 pm

Soooo, seven years after the original post..

I have a question. How do you personally distinguish between those thoughts you have or desires you have or inclinations, whatever, and the actual sins you commit. I find myself confessing “tendencies” a lot, but have been told once or twice by priests that unless the thought/desire/inclinations is indulged or acted upon, it doesn’t constitute a sin. Whenever I read these very thorough examinations, I get stuck there, because I am guilty of, like, half of them, haha.. buuuut only in thought, like my knee jerk unexamined reaction is whatever, though my choice is not.

Pretty sure this sounds overscrupulous, ha, but I am in reality very ready to dismiss most things as not sins and for this very reason end up overcompensating towards the scrupulous, if that makes any sense.

One day, I will get to the point of setting up an appointment and talking this over with one of our Dominicans, but today is not yet that day, so I am just curious what your personal take is.

Reply



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