If nothing comes up when you do an examination of conscience, does it mean you haven’t sinned, or that you’re doing it wrong?
Does anyone else know what I’m talking about?!
Maybe some tips or pointers on examination of conscience would be helpful.
Dear Ann:
Some thoughts occure to me:
There are two major divisions of sin: mortal and venial – that is ‘deadly’ and ‘easily forgiven.’ This suggests two parts be included in an examination of conscience.
**The first part **is a consideration of whether one has committed mortal sin. This is crucial. It is the difference between hell and heaven. Because of this decisive nature of mortal sin, this examination must be comprehensive. One has to review all possible mortal sins and discern whether one has committed one or more. Each mortal sin of which one is conscious must be confessed.
For this first portion of the examination it is often helpful to review the Decalogue and consider each of the Commandments. The Decalogue is complete; if the Commandments are understood in a properly broad way, all possible mortal sins fall under one or more of the Commandments – but, keep in mind the exquisite understanding of murder and adultery which Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount.
If one does not find any mortal sins, this means that one does not have any sin that must be confessed. However, frequent confession is not merely a means of avoiding hell, it is an aid to attaining heaven. After the examination for mortal sin, one turns to the second phase of examination of conscience.
Mortal sin makes the difference between heaven and hell; the second stage of examination addresses the difference between heaven and purgatory. Jesus commands us to be “perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48.) St. John tells us that “all iniquity is sin,” but not all sin is deadly. (See, 1 John 5:16-17.)
**The second part **of the examination is the discipline that seeks perfect imitation of and obedience to Christ. This is an effort to purge the imperfections which hamper our holiness, and which will delay our entry into heaven by requiring purgation.
The tenor of this part of the examination is different from the first. When considering mortal sin, we must be complete – any mortal sin is fatal to salvation. However, the effort to attain perfection is an ongoing and life-long activity. It cannot be done all at once.
For this part of the examination one does not need a list of possible
sins, rather one considers one or two of the
virtues. The question is not so much ‘how have I failed,’ but ‘how could I do better the things that I have already done without mortal sin, but also without perfectly following Christ.’ Because, this examination does not require a comprehensive review – we cannot work on everything at once – one can choose just one or two virtues, and then consider the occasions since last going to Confession that one has acted with this virtue, and consider how that action could have been improved. ‘I was honest, but was my honesty pure? Was I motivated by pure intentions, etc.?’ ‘I helped someone in need, but did I do all that I could? Did I do it from love or from some other motivation? Did I notice the person for himself, or did I treat him as a mere project or object of my virtue?’
It is very unlikely when using this kind of examination that one will not find one or more things that could be improved. These imperfections in charity or holiness are most often venial sins, but the work of purging them from our habits and hearts is also a worthy and important part of the work of the Faith and a worthy use of the Confessional.
A word of caution, however, because one does not want to become overwrought or scrupulous with worry, it is usually good to limit this second examination to at most two virtues. This will usually generate more than enough matter for improvement, and will not usually overburden one with things to improve all at once. After all, we have every Saturday for the rest of our lives to work on these many sins of imperfection – but there is no point in saving them all for purgatory.
Pax Christi tecum.
John Hiner
“The sacrament of penance is the masterpiece of God’s goodness. By it our weakness is fortified.”
“It is true that venial sins may be expiated in many ways which are to be highly commended. But to ensure more rapid progress day by day in the path of virtue, We desire that the pious practice of frequent confession, which was introduced into the Church by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, should be earnestly advocated. By it genuine self- knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and an increase of grace is secured by the very fact that the sacrament is received.”
Pius XII, (quoted by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., see,
ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/CONFVOCA.TXT.)
