Examination of Conscience

Jean Jackson
Feb 4, 2022
4 min read

As a devout, practicing Catholic, I confess my sins regularly and moreso when I believe I have committed a mortal one.

Whenever I'd prepare for confession, I would have a cursory Google search of how to do this. It's not that I don't know how, but that I hope to be accountable for everything I know I had done wilfully, as we say in church—'in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, in what I have failed to do, through my own fault'.

Lists can be overwhelming though, and often I could not really relate to many of the prompts: have I killed anyone, or caused someone's life to be in danger? Had I recently left the church through apostasy? Had I recently joined the Masonry or a communist party? Had I committed adultery?

On the other end of the spectrum, many prompts weren't pointing to particularly sinful behaviour, and would have just caused me to be scrupulous: Have I been moody and sullen? Have I prayed every day? Have I been financially generous with the church?

For people who acknowledge their sinfulness but are otherwise... mundane in their sinfulness, I found the answer in a leaflet being distributed at Greenbelt Chapel:

A Guide to Confession Based on the 7 Capital Sins

Adapted from 'Examination of Conscience based on the 7 Deadly Sins' by Father Dylan James

Pride

Pride is the mother of all sin. It is a craving for excellence beyond what is reasonable. It makes a person hate being less than God.

Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others, in my thoughts or words?
Have I ranked myself better than others?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit that I was wrong? Refused to admit that another person had a better idea?
Have I been arrogant?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?

Lust

Lust is disordered desire for sexual pleasure, isolated from its procreative and unitive purpose.

Have I viewed other people as mere objects, rather than as persons to be loved?
Have I looked at pornography?
Have I entertained impure thoughts?
Have I masturbated?
Have I engaged in sexual acts outside marriage?

Sloth

Laziness, especially laziness in the things of God. Sloth is a sorrow in the face of spiritual good—it makes a person lethargic and want to do nothing.

Have I sought God above else, or have I put other priorities ahead of Him? (romantic relationship, family, friends, comfort and ease, etc.)
Have I gotten so caught up in things of this world that I've forgotten God?
Have I risked losing my faith by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Have I trusted God, especially in times of difficulty?
Have I attended Mass each and every Sunday?
Do I seek to grow my relationship with God by praying every day?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer, or failed to give God due concentration in prayer or in the Mass?
Have I taken the Lord's name in vain? Or used other foul language?
Have I been lazy in helping others?
Have I been more focussed on myself than on the needs of others?
Have I wasted time needlessly? Especially with TV or the internet?

Envy

Envy is sadness at the happiness of another. Jealousy is coveting what belongs to another.

Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, appearance, intelligence, clothes, possessions, money, friends, family or another?
Have I damaged the reputation of another person by my words, attitude, or looks?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true? Have I exaggerated?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?

Greed

Greed is the excessive love of possessing things.

Have I been overly concerned about my own comfort and well-being?
Have I been resentful of my lack of money?
Have I been generous in giving? Have I given with a cheerful heart?
Have I cheated or stolen?
Have I used people for my own ends and advantage?
Have I wasted money?

Anger

Anger is the undue desire for vengeance—undue in cause or in extent.

Have I been resentful, held grudges?
Have I nurtured imaginary angry conversations?
Have I been slow to forgive?
Have I lost my temper?
Have I been impatient with people, family, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Have I failed to keep secrets?

Gluttony

Gluttony is the inordinate desire for food or drink.

Have I eaten more than I need?
Have I drunk alcohol excessively?
Have I eaten greedily, with little consideration for the presence and needs of those at the table with me?
Have I always fasted an hour before receiving the Holy Communion at Mass?
Have I driven after drinking?
Have I given money to help the hungry?
Have I regularly practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays?

I have found that the list above is moderate, relatable, and confronting for me and my circumstances. Nonetheless, we should be careful not to narrow our sins and relationship with the Lord into a single list. It's a bit one-dimensional.

In addition to the above, I tend to go through the following lists when I prepare for confession:

A Good Catholic Examination of Conscience by beginningCatholic.com, based on the Ten Commandments and the precepts of the church.
Examination of Conscience for Married Persons by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lastly, I have found Father Casey's videos on confession very helpful to help me remember that the Sacrament of Penance exists to heal our souls and to seek reconciliation with God. It's more than a series of scripted prayers and a transactional exchange of information.

If you're feeling spiritually barren from the state of your sins, or are just curious, I recommend watching the following videos, as they are relatively short:

You're Doing Confession Wrong! — explains the true spirit and form of the Sacrament of Penance.
Making a Good Confession (Examining Your Conscience) — how to frame your thoughts when preparing for confession.