Examination (Grades 5-8) of Conscience

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Lord, give me the grace to acknowledge and confess all my sins.

“Blessed is the one whose fault is removed, whose sin is forgiven. Because I kept silent, my bones wasted away; I groaned all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength withered as in dry summer heat. Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, ‘I confess my transgression to the LORD,’ and you took away the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32: 1, 3-5

Steps to a Good Confession:

1. Carefully examine your conscience.
2. Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3. Make a firm resolution not to sin again and to avoid whatever leads you to sin.
4. Tell your sins to the priest. All unconfessed mortal sins, of which you are aware, must be confessed by kind and number as best you can.
5. Say an Act of Contrition when asked to
6. Receive absolution.
7. Do the penance the priest gives you.

Suggested Dialogue:

Priest: May the Lord, who enlightens every heart, help you to know your sins and to trust in His mercy.

Penitent: Bless me Father, for I have sinned.

It has been ________ since my last confession.

Here state your sins.

Priest gives counsel and penance.

Penitent makes an Act of Contrition:

My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong, and failing to do good, I have sinned against You, whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more,

and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. Amen.

Receive absolution.

Priest: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good

Penitent: His mercy endures forever.

Priest: Your sins are forgiven, go in peace.

Penitent: Thanks be to God.

Examination of Conscience

1. You shall not have other gods before Me.

___ Is there something in my life that I love more than God? (video games, computer, TV, friends, sports…)? Have I placed God first?

___ Have I neglected to try to pray every day (morning and evening)?

___ Have I made a bad confession (purposely

avoiding confessing a mortal sin)?

___ Have I received Jesus in Holy Communion

unworthily (with mortal sin on my soul)?

___ Have I failed to try to nourish my Catholic faith and grow in friendship with Jesus?

___ Have I been moody or rebellious about praying or going to Sunday Mass?

___ Have I engaged in superstitious or occult practices: Ouija boards, 8 ball, séances, palm reading, tarot cards, divination, horoscope, witchcraft, magic…?

 

2. You shall not take the Name of the

Lord your God in vain.

___ Have I used God’s Holy Name in anger or to wish harm on someone?

___ Have I used bad language?

___ Have I spoken disrespectfully or made jokes about God or religious people or sacred things?

___ Have I failed to try to keep any promises

I have made to God, or in God’s name?

___ Have I failed to treat God’s name with love and reverence?

 

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

___ Have I missed Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation when I could have gone?

___ Has my behavior made it difficult for my parents to get to church on time?

___ Have I neglected to try to treat Sunday a day of rest and joy for my family?

___ Have I knowingly distracted others at Mass by talking, or fooling around?

___ Have I neglected to try to pay attention at Mass? Do I take Holy Communion prayerfully?

___ Have I failed to help the Church by giving some of my allowance or earnings?

___ Have I failed to be generous to the poor?

 

4. Honor your father and your mother.

___ Have I failed to pay proper attention to my parents, priest, and teachers, especially when they talk to me about God?

___ Have I failed to obey my parents and teachers quickly and cheerfully? Do I talk back, complain, or need to be reminded many times?

___ Do I nurse angry feelings or show resentment when corrected by my parents?

___Have I asked forgiveness of my parents or those in authority over me when I have disobeyed them or been disrespectful?

___ Have I failed to show love for my parents?

___ Have I broken the rules at home or school?

___ Am I lazy about my chores or homework?

___ Do I ask God every day for the help I need to be a good son or daughter, brother or sister?

 

5. You shall not kill.

___ Have I intentionally done anything that hurt (or might hurt) myself or someone else?

___ Have I been mean to anyone, excluded them in an unkind way, or wished harm on anyone?

___ Have I encouraged anyone to do something wrong, praised them for it or helped them do it?

___ Have I lost my temper or fought with anyone (brothers, sisters, classmates, friends…)?

___ Have I neglected to help my brothers, sisters, or friends when they needed my help?

___ Have I held grudges or been moody or hard to get along with?

___ Have I been unwilling to forgive anyone?

___ Have I teased anyone to the point of upsetting them?

___ Have I bullied anyone?

___ Have I hated anyone or nursed bad feelings, or resentment toward anyone?

___ Have I asked forgiveness of those whom I have offended?

___ Have I neglected my class work or my chores at home?

___ Have I been irresponsible in neglecting my health (not eating right or getting enough sleep)?

 

6. You shall not commit adultery.

___ Have I kept my thoughts, heart, and body pure, as the dwelling place (temple) of God?

___ Have I engaged in looking at impure images, movies, television, Internet (pornography), or listened to music that offended God?

___ Have I engaged in impure conversations? Did I begin them?

___ Have I neglected to dress modestly or to otherwise safeguard purity?

___ Have I displayed immodest looks or glances at anyone?

___ Have I been impure with touches or other actions (by myself or with another person)?

 

7. You shall not steal.

___ Have I stolen or kept things that aren’t mine?

___ Have I returned what I have stolen?

___ Have I seriously entertained temptations to

steal?

___ Have I been stingy about sharing my things with others?

___ Have I been greedy?

___ Have I borrowed anything without asking permission?

___ Have I failed to return things I borrowed?

___ Have I failed to treat other people’s property with care and respect?

___ Have I broken or damaged something and not told anyone about it?

___ Have I cheated on my homework or tests, or helped someone else cheat?

 

8. You shall not lie.

___ Have I been dishonest or told lies?

___ Have I said things about other people that are not true? Have I done so to hurt them?

___ Have I knowingly broken a promise?

___ Have I cheated in class or in games?

___ Have I gossiped about another person?

 

9 & 10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or your neighbor’s goods.

___ Have I entertained sinful desires for inappropriate things or for the things of others?

___ Am I selfish, thinking only about what I want and not considering the needs of others?

___ Have I failed to be grateful to God, family, or others for what I have received?

___ Have I been jealous of what others have, whether it be their friends, things, or abilities?

___ Do I get mad when I have to share my friends with others?

___ Have I nagged my parents to buy things because my friends have them?