Nightly Examination of Conscience - how does that work for you?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Tis_Bearself

Patron
I am doing this prayer program that includes a nightly examination of conscience. I have been pretty good about doing it every night. I am also supposed to be going to daily Mass and when I do I usually am recalling my sins as part of the Mass exercises too. Currently I go to Confession every 20 days, or sooner if a sooner one is needed to meet the First Saturday obligation, so there is an examination of conscience done in connection with that too.

Some days these examinations of conscience bring up some useful stuff, for example
  • “I could have been kinder in my response to this person”
  • “I need to work on having more trust in God regarding this difficult situation” (although being fearful in a situation is not necessarily a sin, just an area I need to work on)
  • “I was lazy today when I should have been doing X”
    and so on.
However, some days I examine my conscience at these multiple times and I just draw a blank. My days are really busy as I have to get work done, try to meet a daily Mass and prayer goal (the Masses and prayers take up a couple hours minimum), other goals I have to meet in connection with this prayer program (diet, exercise etc. which some days go well and other days not, but again it’s not an actual sin if you slip up and eat a cookie or can’t go for a walk because there is an ice storm happening), and am dealing with a personal situation that cropped up involving someone’s unexpected death and the well-being of an elderly person close to my family. With all this going on, I am not seeing much room for me to commit sins other than perhaps a brief unkind word or thought. I simply don’t have time.

I am not saying I’m perfect because I totally see areas for improvement at getting closer to God, having more trust in God, making more sacrifices for God, etc. But I’m just not seeing actual sins, again not because I’m so holy but because my schedule and activities are not providing a lot of opportunities or occasions for sins. I worry that when I go through my day and can’t come up with any sins, I’m “doing it wrong” because “the just man sins seven times a day” and I sure don’t think I’m a perfect person. I find myself going back in the past trying to find some old sins just to have some sins to think about.

Can someone else who does nightly examinations of conscience provide some guidance or enlightenment here? I feel like the inability to find sins means I am doing it wrong and probably sinning by not finding any sins.

Once when I was a young child (like 8 years old) I went to confession because it was required by my school that we go on a certain day and I could not think of any sins to confess, and my mother had told me that even if you didn’t have sins it was okay to go and just get grace. So I told the priest I could not think of any sins and he got kind of upset with me, in a gentle way, but the idea was I didn’t do my examination of conscience right. I realize he was trying to make sure that I as a child understood how to examine my conscience and took the responsibility seriously but I felt really bad about that and that is how I am feeling now as well when I come up with a blank.
 
Boy, your post brought feelings of oh, I need to do this too. I’m lazy at night but I know I really need to do this. Sometimes when I go to confession I draw a blank also and it’s not because I don’t have sins, I just can’t think of them or they are the same old ones like being mouthy or lazy… ha! I’m going to try to make changes in this area–thanks to YOU!
 
Usually when 20 days pass I can find at least a few sins to confess, also the priests don’t seem to mind if I say something like “I am having difficulty trusting in God regarding (describe certain situation) and this is something I need to work on and need God’s grace and help to trust Him more”. But when I’m just reviewing the events of a particular day, I am frequently not coming up with a particular sin in that 24 hour period. I’m just wondering if others are always able to find a sin each 24 hours or is it just me. I don’t want to get super scrupulous to the point of considering something like “I went off my diet by eating 2 pieces of candy” to be a sin.
 
Maybe your just not sinning very much!

Through all these pious devotions and cooperation with sacramental grace and maturation in the spirit, you are becoming more divinized - more full of grace. More Marian, more Christlike. Hence you are just not sinning as much.
 
Last edited:
I would hope you’re right but it might just mean my sins are becoming different in nature. Like for example, I might not have to watch out for lust so much as a busy middle-aged person as opposed to a less busy teenager, but I do have to watch out a lot for pride and greed.

(Actually that is a helpful thought. Thank you. )
 
Last edited:
My wife and I got Examen journals for Christmas and have been trying to take time to do them nightly. It really helps to identify trends in your downfalls, as well as to help you better notice God’s presence in your life.

They have both a men’s and a women’s version:

www.creatingtolove.com

The Examen Journal

The Examen Journal is a prayer tool to empower you to discover God's presence in your life every single day.
www.creatingtolove.com
 
I love the Examen journals, but my approach in general has been different.

I conclude my prayers at night with a very slow act of contrition.
It tends to be preceded for thanksgiving for whatever sticky situation I found my self facing, in which I was able to be light or show mercy to someone.
Then, in the morning, before I lift my head, I ask the Holy Spirit to show me WHAT to do in my day. Not so much regret for what I’m going to do later, but place me where I am needed so that I CAN do.

Pro-activity and productivity has always been kind of a “thing” for me.
Or maybe I’m just nosy. 😝🤣😊
 
Last edited:
Hello.

Thank you for this topic. I work nights and my nights & days are always mixed up – it’s one of the rationalizations I use to neglect my prayer life. I get so tired sometimes that I just sit there and vegetate in front of the TV for hours on my days off.

You’ve encouraged me. Thank you.
 
Thanks for the thread. There are really something useful ideas being brought forth, not the least of which is bringing these forward in our lives to think about rather than merely muddling through life.

Blessings,
Stephie
 
@Tis_Bearself

Thanks so much for posting, nice reminder for all of us ,it’s always in my list to make an EC, but some how forget it, too lazy and tired, but i always say Lord have mercy on a sinner,don"t look on my sins but the love you have for me!.As Jesus said be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect,i just remembered a Psalm 19:12-14 But who can detect their errors?Clear me from hidden faults.13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;do not let them have dominion over me.Then I shall be blameless,and innocent of great transgression.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hear be acceptable to you,O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I think you’er trying too hard, all by yourself,have you asked the Holy Spirit to remind you of your hidden sin,faults and relayed on Jesus ?, we are weak human beings,we sin in our thought words and actions ,knowingly and unknowingly, for eg for sinner God may show mercy and forgive,but for those who know Jesus and made Him his own and have a personal relationship with Jesus,it’s different when we sin, we hurt Jesus more! why ? because when our own people hurt us we feel more pain than any stranger does, like wise,to whom more is given much will be required from them,this applies for you and me and all of us in this situation, though you also have to watch out for scrupulosity and negativism,always end the EC by affirming how much Jesus love your and cares and shows mercy to you and thank God for all the blessings and even the problems because he does every thing for the Good Romans 8:28, end it in a positive way. God bless

Hear is an EC you can print out Hope it Helps,

An examination of conscience is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God” There are various types of examinations of conscience but regardless of which one you use to prepare yourself for the Sacrament it should be rooted in Scripture; particularly, the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes.

http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wor...entals/penance/examinations-of-conscience.cfm
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
Once when I was a young child (like 8 years old) I went to confession because it was required by my school that we go on a certain day and I could not think of any sins to confess, and my mother had told me that even if you didn’t have sins it was okay to go and just get grace. So I told the priest I could not think of any sins and he got kind of upset with me, in a gentle way, but the idea was I didn’t do my examination of conscience right. I realize he was trying to make sure that I as a child understood how to examine my conscience and took the responsibility seriously but I felt really bad about that and that is how I am feeling now as well when I come up with a blank.
Click to expand...
I think your mother is right,we though we may have venial sins or even very few sins, confessing them is a good practice,we get the fullness of Grace and healing of mind body and soul,as St Francis was asked by Jesus give me yourself, but St Francis said in reply, Lord i have given you everything,but Jesus said anew give me again and again ,it gives me great joy, so likewise confessing frequent will be great joy to Jesus and rejoicing in Heaven.

This reminds me of a joke a Priest said in a sermon .it goes like this… A boy who went for the first time for confession didn’t remember any of his sins and he was silent ,then the Priest said, let me help you with this ,and he began to say a number of sins and to this, the boy said no to every question,the Priest put forth,obviously the Priest was upset and asked, what sin did you commit ?Then the Boy said i only have the habit of saying lies 🤣 God Bless
 
Last edited:
For the past year, I go through 1 Corinthians 13 and note where I have failed in charity.
 
I just write down my sins when I recognize them then bring that list to confession. I won’t remember them otherwise.
 
My dad is an evangelist in the protestant world, he has been in ministry since he was a kid.

We have some long talks about faith 🙂

One night we were discussing purgatory, sin, etc. and I mentioned doing an examine of conscience every day.

Dad teared up and said “since I was a little boy, every night before I go to sleep I rewind the day in my mind. I ask God to forgive me for things I have done and to forgive me for things I have forgotten. I’ve never told another person that, because I was afraid they would think of me as crazy.” <3
 
The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.

Amen.
(prayer attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr, 1892-1971)

The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is dispair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top