Reconciliation

Click here for Examination of Conscience for Adults and Older Teenagers
Click here for Examination of Conscience for Children and Younger Teenagers

Examination of Conscience for Adults and Older Teenagers

These are some questions to help us see where God needs to work in our lives. Although these examinations are by no means exhaustive, they help to open our soul and heart. We also have pamphlets outside of our confessional with additional questions as well as the steps on how to go to Confession that include:

1. As we go into the confessional (with our sins written on a piece of paper if necessary), we say: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (state how long—years, months, weeks) since my last Confession.”
2. “These are my sins.” (Tell your sins. For mortal sins, the number must be included, at least in a general sense if we can’t remember the exact number).
3. When finished, we say, “I am sorry for these and all the sins of my life.”
4. The priest will then give a penance to say when we leave the confessional.
5. We then say the Act of Contrition (which is available in the confessional).
6. The priest then gives Absolution from our sins. We then leave the confessional and go into the church to pray our penance.

To help our examination of conscience for adults and older teenagers, we consider the following questions:

• Have I been involved in occult practices (Ouija boards, superstition, witchcraft, séances, palm reading, tarot cards, black magic, astrology/horoscopes, sorcery, yoga, good luck charms, etc.)?
• Have I been involved in New Age or Eastern philosophies, the Masonic Lodge, rejected my faith by atheism or agnosticism, or have I left the Catholic Church to join a Protestant denomination or other religion?
• Have I received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin (sin of sacrilege)?
• Have I been married outside of the Church without a dispensation and received Holy Communion?
• Have I made an effort to learn more about my Catholic faith to grow in friendship with God?
• Do I pray daily, relying on God in trust for all things in my life?
• Have I denied aspects of the Catholic faith and decided what I want to accept or reject on my own?
• Do I use God’s name as profanity and a swear word? Do I do this in front of my children giving them bad example?
• Do I wish evil upon another person? Do I speak ill of the Catholic Church because I do not like certain teachings?
• Did I withhold something in Confession because of embarrassment that was a serious sin?
• Did I commit perjury?
• Do I go to Mass every Sunday and other holydays of obligation?
• Do I keep the one hour fast before receiving Holy Communion?
• Do I do unnecessary work on Sundays?
• Do I show respect toward my parents and those who are lawfully in authority over me?
• Do I abuse my parents or children? Have I been respectful to my spouse in front of my children?
• Do I fulfill my obligation in raising my children in the Catholic faith as I promised at their Baptism by praying, going each week to Mass, and providing a holy and healthy home?
• Have I committed murder?
• Have I had, promoted, or counseled others to have an abortion?
• Do I support (including politically) abortion, euthanasia, artificial contraception, and/or artificial insemination? Do I practice artificial contraception in my marriage?
• Have I willfully led another into serious sin?
• Have I respected my body by avoiding excessive drinking or eating and not taking illegal drugs?
• Have I driven while intoxicated or drugged?
• Am I abusive physically, emotionally, psychologically, or in my words and attitude toward others? Do I make sure that I always get my own way or others will pay for it?
• Am I vengeful? Do I harbor resentments or hatred for others who wronged me?
• Have I engaged in self-mutilation, including sterilization as a way of contraception?
• Have I failed to bury the ashes of the deceased?
• Am I bigoted?
• Have I committed adultery or fornication (sexual acts before marriage)?
• Have I committed masturbation or engaged in homosexual acts or any other sexual activities that do not end in the conjugal, marital union which should always be open to the possibility of life? Have I supported prostitution or bars of ill repute? Have I committed rape or incest?
• As an adult, have I engaged in sexual acts with children or teenagers?
• Do I dress immodestly—including when I come to church or to Mass?
• Have I supported in-vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, or human cloning?
• Do I live with someone before marriage engaging in sexual activity?
• Do I support “transgender lifestyles” and same-sex social policies?
• Do I harbor lust in my heart for someone?
• Have I stolen privately or at work or school? Have I willfully defaced someone else’s property?
• Do I excessively gamble so that my family suffers?
• Am I honest in my taxes? In what I give to my employers in labor? In what I give to my employees in compensation and to the government?
• Do I help those less fortunate than I? Am I a generous giver? Do I generously support the parish and Church?
• Have I pirated software or violated copyrights?
• Have I been cruel to animals?
• Have I been wasteful of material resources?
• Am I truthful? Do I spread gossip? Do I tell stories, even if they are true, that are designed to injure someone’s reputation (detraction)? Do I spread stories that I know are lies (calumny)?
• Have I violated someone’s confidence without a good reason?
• Have I viewed pornography; is it a habit? Have I led other people to this sin?
• What do I watch on television, the movies, the internet, or websites? What kind of music or video games do I have? Are they bringing me closer to God or taking me away from Him?
• Do I dwell on lustful thoughts? Am I jealous of what other people have, either materially or spiritually? Am I ever satisfied with “enough”?

Examination of Conscience for Children and Younger Teenagers

These are some questions to help us see where God needs to work in our lives. Although these examinations are by no means exhaustive, they help to open our soul and heart. We also have pamphlets outside of our confessional with additional questions as well as the steps on how to go to Confession that include:

1. As we go into the confessional (with our sins written on a piece of paper if necessary), we say: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (state how long—years, months, weeks) since my last Confession.”
2. “These are my sins.” (Tell your sins. For mortal sins, the number must be included, at least in a general sense if we can’t remember the exact number).
3. When finished, we say, “I am sorry for these and all the sins of my life.”
4. The priest will then give a penance to say when we leave the confessional.
5. We then say the Act of Contrition (which is available in the confessional).
6. The priest then gives Absolution from our sins. We then leave the confessional and go into the church to pray our penance.

To help our children and younger teenagers in their examination of conscience, the following is helpful:

• Do I pray to God every day? Do I put trust in superstitious things rather than God alone?
• Do I use God’s or Jesus’ name in anger rather than as a blessing?
• Have I paid attention at Mass, or do I fool around instead?
• Do I respect my parents, even when I don’t get my way? Do I do what my parents ask me the first time or do they have to keep asking me?
• Do I respect my brothers and sisters, even when they might annoy me? Do we fight physically or emotionally? Am I a bully around the house or at school?
• Do I keep peace in the house, or does everything always have to go my way?
• Do I respect my school teachers, coaches, Sunday school teachers, baby-sitters, etc.?
• Do I give a good example to my brothers, sisters, school friends, etc.?
• Am I mean to others? Do I do or say things to hurt other people’s feelings? Do I beat people up? Have I excluded people as my friends because I don’t like them anymore?
• Do I tell lies or spread stories that make somebody look bad, even if they are true stories?
• Am I modest in what I wear and what I watch on television, the movies, the internet, and websites?
• Have I stolen things or returned things in bad condition? Have I destroyed someone else’s property for fun?
• Do I cheat in schoolwork?
• Do I tell lies to get other people in trouble? Do I lie to make myself look good or to avoid punishment?
• Do I share things or my time with others willingly? Am I generous? Am I jealous of what other people have or what they can do?
• Am I thankful to God and to my parents for what they do for me?
• Am I generous with compliments and praise of others?