Examination of conscience

Confession and the 10 Commandments

Initial questions:

How long has it been since you last made a good confession? When was the last time you told all the grave sins that you had committed? Did you ever willingly conceal any mortal sin that you committed when you went to confession? How long has it been since you last received Holy Communion? Have you always received it worthily? Have you ever approached Holy Communion conscious that you had committed mortal sins and without having first been to confession? Have you ever profaned the Eucharist by committing a sacrilege? Have you ever been lacking in respect for the Most Blessed Sacrament by receiving Holy Communion without having first completed the fast that is prescribed, or by talking, laughing, without having made due preparation and without thinking about whom you were about to receive? Do you do any form on penance on a Friday? Do you observe the commandments of the Church on special occasions with the strictness they deserve? Have you eaten meat on a Friday during Lent? Did you fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? Did you help the Church, supporting its activities (missionary, seminary, support for the clergy etc.)?

Questions regarding the 10 Commandments:

1 - You shall not have any other gods before me.

Do you believe in God as your Father and Saviour, the Father and Saviour of all men and women? Is your life orientated towards God? Do you love him as a son or daughter should? Among all the things you hold dear in your life, does God occupy pride of place? Do you believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Do you pray every morning and evening? Do you live the Christian virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity? Do you look upon Faith as a precious gift to be nourished? Do you try your best to grow in Faith? Are you convinced about your Catholic religion? Do you seek and accept God's will in your daily life, especially in moments of difficulty? Have you endangered your Faith by reading books, publications and articles that are contrary to the Faith, to Christ and to the Church? Do you try to know, to deepen and to enlighten yourself about the truth of the Christian Faith? Have you spoken negatively about religion, the Pope or priests? Have you caused some person to distance himself from the practice of religion? Do you have hope in God's love or are you discouraged and despairing in the face of life's difficulties by cursing and by being rebellious? Are you superstitious? Do you wear a talisman, lucky charms, or magical objects? Do you truly believe in horoscopes? Did you ever go to see a fortune teller, a sorcerer, a person who reads palms, one who reads cards, a witch? Did you ever take part in a séance?

2 - Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.

Do you have respect and love for the name of God and for the Blessed Virgin Mary? Have you given courageous witness to your Faith? Have you ever cursed? Have you ever said anything false or heretical about God, such as: ''God does not do things that are just'', ''God is cruel'', ''God is terrible'', ''God enjoys seeing human beings suffering'', ''God has not remembered his blessings'' etc.? Have you ever told blasphemous jokes or things that were blasphemous? Have you ever sworn falsely or in an illicit or unnecessary way? Have you kept your word and been faithful to the promises that you made?

3 - Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

The 24 hours of every Sunday and feast day constitute the ''day of the Lord'': did you sanctify this by prayer, good works and by promoting life's sacred values (family, friendship, culture, nature, solidarity, peace etc.)? Did you free yourself from the labours of work, enjoying your freedom as a child of God? Did you do some small amount of work? Did you participate at Mass, coming together for one hour with others who believe? While you were at Mass were you distracted, did you chat with someone, did you disturb others around you? Did you give up some of your time or your energies to others (apart from those who are closest to you)? Did you do any voluntary work?

4 - Honour your father and your mother.

Have you shown love, respect, obedience to your parents and have you offered them whatever help was possible? Were you kind to you family? Were you there for them? When you were at home did you work together with your family and share with them? Did you create an atmosphere of serenity, communion, conversation with others or were these people left alone to be by themselves? Did you do your best to educate your children? Did you watch what sort of friendships they made, what games they played, how they amused themselves and what sort of things they read? Did you choose responsibly the school they attend? Do you give them the example of a truly Christian life? Do you pray together as a family? Do you respect the elderly, women, children; your superiors and those in authority? Do you obey the laws of your country with fidelity? Do you carry out your duties as a good citizen? Do you appreciate the value of taking part in public elections? Did you vote according to your conscience, in a way that is coherent with your Christian principles? Did you ever use your vote for purely private gain? Are you a member of any association that has immoral goals?

5 - Do not kill.

Do you think of your life as a gift from God, something over which you do not have absolute control but one for which you are a steward? Do you show respect for your life by eating food and drinking alcohol in moderation? Do you smoke? Do you allow yourself to rest properly? Do you seek refuge in excessive use of alcohol or in drugs? Have you ever taken drugs? Are you prudent in the way you drive your car? Have you ever put your own life or the lives of others in danger? Have you looked after your health and that of others who are close to you carefully? Do you strive to love others as you love yourself, and especially as God loves them? Have you treated others as you would like to be treated yourself? Are you welcoming and responsible, especially towards those who have less than you? Are you envious?

Do you harbour feelings of hatred, rancour, or vendetta? Have you fought with someone? Do you show respect and give assistance those who are weakest in society: the sick, those who are handicapped, the elderly, children, the poor? Are you racist? Have you forgiven someone who offended you? Have you procured an abortion or advised someone to seek an abortion, one of the gravest sins in God's eyes and in the eyes of the Church? Did you ever kill anyone? Have you ever used violence against someone? Have you ever hit someone, wounded someone or caused injury or sickness to anyone? Do you own, or keep, dangerous arms or weapons? Were you cruel to animals? Have you cursed anyone or wished them harm? Have you given scandal by the way you dress, act or speak? Were you an occasion of sin for someone?

6 - Do not commit impure acts.

Do you have a clear Christian understanding when it comes to your body, love, sexuality and chastity? Have you kept your body pure and chaste? Have you committed dishonest, obscene, immoral acts? Have you given into lust, self-arousal, prostitution, sexual perversion, homosexuality? Have you participated in orgies? Have you been ''experimental''? Have you seduced or acted shamefully with someone who was innocent? Do you avoid the dangerous occasions and bad company? Have you remained faithful to your fiancé or fiancée? Have you had pre-marital sexual intercourse? If you are married, do you understand the meaning of the Sacrament you received? Do you love, respect and help your spouse with generosity? Is your sexual life always an expression of love, of complete self-giving and openness to life? Have you committed adultery? Have you misused marriage by not observing God's law or the Church's teaching? Have you practised contraception? Do you read or look at newspapers, publications, books or programmes that are obscene? Do you listen to stories, read pornographic novels or watch pornographic films? Do you contribute to the development or distribution of pornography by purchasing obscene material? At home do you have any obscene statues, posters or pornographic images? Do you think or speak about women (or men) as if they were merely objects of pleasure? Do you try to help or encourage other couples to be faithful?

7 - Do not steal.

Are you convinced by the words in the Gospel which state that ''it is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God''? Do you know that in the Bible avarice is ''idolatry'', namely the adoration of money instead of God? Are you a usurer? Did you lend money at excessive rates of interest, causing those who were already in difficulty to be ruined? Are you honest in your work, in your profession, in the office, in business?

Have you earned what you possess honestly? Have you taken goods that belong to others or to the community? Are you convinced that you work faithfully and that you deserve your monthly salary? Have you wasted time at work? Were you absent from work unnecessarily? Have you sought gifts, extra payments or favours that you do not deserve? Have you sought to be recommended in order to secure advantages or privileges? Are you convinced that the dishonesty of others never justifies your own dishonesty? Apart from your rights, have you thought of your duties? Do you respect the rights of others? In claiming the right to do something, even if it is just, do you also bear in mind the common good? Have you gone on strike unfairly? If you are an employer, do you pay a fair wage to your employees? Do you defraud the State? Do you pay your taxes properly? Do you show respect for that which belongs to society: roads, the means of transport, public places and buildings? Have you caused damage to the environment, to monuments, to public or private property, dirtying or spoiling it? Have you repaired or compensated for the damage you caused? Have you given back money or the other items that you borrowed? Do you do things in order to gain favours or advantages? Have you used illicit means to get better results in examinations, at work, in politics or in society? Have you defrauded your insurance company by making false claims for damage or by receiving money falsely? Have you always fulfilled your responsibilities? Have you gambled money? Are you addicted to gambling, causing damage to your family as a result? Have you falsified cheques? Did you ever handle money that you knew was counterfeit? Have you ever received stolen goods?

8 - Do not bear false witness.

Are you false, disloyal, a person who deceives? Do you deceive your neighbour with your words? Have you told lies, spoken falsehoods? Have you come to rash judgments? Have you accused your neighbour unjustly? Do you speak ill of others? Do you gossip about others? Have you told lies under oath? When giving evidence did you state something that was not true? By your example have you taught others to lie, such as your children? Have you been accomplice in someone else's mistakes, directly and willingly? Have you omitted to stop or report someone else's mistakes when it would have been your obligation to do so? Have you protected those who have done wrong? By remaining silent have you hidden crimes? Have you slandered anyone? Have you caused the defamation of a person by means of your whispers? Have you repaired the damage you caused by defaming a person or by the slander you spread?

9 - Do not covet your neighbour's spouse.

Have you maintained a sense of modesty and decency in your life and in your thoughts? Do you have a ''clean'' mind? Have you looked at women (or men) in a sexual way? Have you willingly entertained yourself with impure thoughts or desires? Have you behaved in an unbecoming way or in a way that led to bad thoughts, desires or urges? Do you know that this is moral violence and is scandalous?

10 - Do not covet your neighbour's goods.

Are you always complaining about what other people have, saying ''Lucky them''? Do you like luxurious things and ostentatious displays? Do you look down on the evangelical value of poverty? Are you envious of other people and of what they possess? Do you wish them ill and do you enjoy when bad things happen to people? How do you live what Christ taught: ''Blessed are the poor in spirit''?

NB: For further information about the topics discussed, please see the following documents:

* Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), Part Three;

* Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), Part Three.