Examination of Conscience

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When I went to confession on Saturday, my confessor (of 7 years) advised me to find a new form for my examination of conscience for confession as a way of refreshing they way I view things.

Richard Rego’s is very good. Also (from my Episcopalian days), I know that the one in St. Augustine’s Prayer Book is excellent.

Any other suggestions? What do you use?
 
MannaG said:
I personally like this one by Fr. Robert Altier. 👍
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Thank you so much.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder how they come up with this stuff: Desecrating the Eucharist? I ask you. :rolleyes:

Oh. I forgot. They come up with this stuff from hearing confessions, and from watching people like me go through life . .

Here’s another good examen.
 
I know that your question was directed at the examination as part of going to confession. However, on a daily basis, before going to bed, I have used the following one and it has become a source of both recognition and sorrow for my sins.

This examination is based on an article by Fr. Dennis Hamm, S.J, a Jesuit priest and theologian at Creighton University . The article was titled – Rummaging for God: Praying Backward Through Your Day

Here is the link:

silentinsight.com/silent-insight-daily-catholi/daily-meditation-rummaging-for-god.html

Peace,
Brian
Silent Insight - Daily Catholic Meditations for Faith, Listening and Peace
(www.SilentInsight.com)
 
bbrownatl said:
I know that your question was directed at the examination as part of going to confession. However, on a daily basis, before going to bed, I have used the following one and it has become a source of both recognition and sorrow for my sins.

This examination is based on an article by Fr. Dennis Hamm, S.J, a Jesuit priest and theologian at Creighton University . The article was titled – Rummaging for God: Praying Backward Through Your Day

Here is the link:

silentinsight.com/silent-insight-daily-catholi/daily-meditation-rummaging-for-god.html

Peace,
Brian
Silent Insight - Daily Catholic Meditations for Faith, Listening and Peace
(www.SilentInsight.com))
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You know, this is very important. I cut my spiritual teeth on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and this article is an updated version of the daily (or twice-daily) examen he developed.

I have been neglecting it and defaulting to the *Confiteor *because by the time I get to Compline (I pray the entire LOH), I am often dozing over my breviary. Still, this is one of the best things one can do to “keep close accounts” with God. I need to reconsider my routine, and I thank you for this reminder and for the link.
 
MannaG said:
I personally like this one by Fr. Robert Altier. 👍
Click to expand...
A few questions about it;

“If you did not will the act, e.g., if you were forced or if it was in a dream,”

Dreams of wickedness and vile conduct are not thereby sinfull? Incredulous!

My own control of my dreams can vary from absolute to just hanging on for the ride…

“Despair of God’s grace or mercy”

What precicely does that entail?
 
Dtmccameron said:
A few questions about it;

“If you did not will the act, e.g., if you were forced or if it was in a dream,”

Dreams of wickedness and vile conduct are not thereby sinfull? Incredulous!

My own control of my dreams can vary from absolute to just hanging on for the ride…

“Despair of God’s grace or mercy”

What precicely does that entail?
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We are not responsible for what we do in our dreams since we do not have full consent of the will when asleep, no matter how much we may think we control our dreams.

To despair of God’s grace or mercy means to believe you are so sinful that you can’t be saved.
 
bbrownatl said:
I know that your question was directed at the examination as part of going to confession. However, on a daily basis, before going to bed, I have used the following one and it has become a source of both recognition and sorrow for my sins.

This examination is based on an article by Fr. Dennis Hamm, S.J, a Jesuit priest and theologian at Creighton University . The article was titled – Rummaging for God: Praying Backward Through Your Day

Here is the link:

silentinsight.com/silent-insight-daily-catholi/daily-meditation-rummaging-for-god.html

Peace,
Brian
Silent Insight - Daily Catholic Meditations for Faith, Listening and Peace
(www.SilentInsight.com)
Click to expand...
Good sites, thanks.
 
I Googled “examination of conscience” and found at least three or four dozen (then I got tired of looking!).

I made a little project out of it. I read through each one, saved the ones I liked, didn’t save the duplicates or those non-applicable (such as those directed to a child or teen), and kept about two dozen.

Now, all I have to do is hit a few laptop keys and voilà - an examination of conscience. If the one I’m looking at “doesn’t do it for me” that day, I’ll just look at another!

I made a folder just for them so I don’t have to go crazy looking for where I saved them or what I called them.

Ingenious :newidea: if I do say so myself! (Anyway, it works for me.)
 
GemmaRose said:
I Googled “examination of conscience” and found at least three or four dozen (then I got tired of looking!).

I made a little project out of it. I read through each one, saved the ones I liked, didn’t save the duplicates or those non-applicable (such as those directed to a child or teen), and kept about two dozen.

Now, all I have to do is hit a few laptop keys and voilà - an examination of conscience. If the one I’m looking at “doesn’t do it for me” that day, I’ll just look at another!

I made a folder just for them so I don’t have to go crazy looking for where I saved them or what I called them.

Ingenious :newidea: if I do say so myself! (Anyway, it works for me.)
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Great idea! Now go to confession and tell the priest you suffer from scrupulosity! 😃 😃 😃
 
GemmaRose said:
:rotfl:

I don’t think I’ve fallen into scrupulosity, but I have tilted at times! 😉
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I have a priest friend, who actually does not like hearing confessions, who says that what the world could use right now is a good case of scrupulosity!
 
I went to confession yesterday with a long list of stuff I’d got from examining my conscience.

My penance: go and think of all the good things I’d done in the same period, and give thanks to God for giving me the grace to do them!

Made me realise that in spite of all the bad stuff I do to resist God, He is still there working through me, and if I made the effort to not resist Him, things would be even better!
 
DL82 said:
I went to confession yesterday with a long list of stuff I’d got from examining my conscience.

My penance: go and think of all the good things I’d done in the same period, and give thanks to God for giving me the grace to do them!

Made me realise that in spite of all the bad stuff I do to resist God, He is still there working through me, and if I made the effort to not resist Him, things would be even better!
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It is so TRUE. A good examination of conscience brings with it both a sense of one’s sinfulness and a sense of God’s goodness, and whe you see His mercy, you are able to give thanks for it – even when it means indulging in the “vanity” of seeing goodness in our own lives.
 
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