This Examination of Conscience comes from our booklet Way of Life for Young Catholics.

An Examination of Conscience is a list of some of the ways that we can love God and love our neighbour, and some of the ways we can fail to love through sin. A simple method is to reflect briefly on the ‘capital virtues’ (humility, love, chastity, kindness, moderation, patience, diligence) and the ‘capital vices’ (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, laziness) – and see how we have fallen short.

Reflecting on an Examination of Conscience helps us to be honest with ourselves and honest with God. It is not meant to be a burden. It helps us to examine our lives. If something touches our conscience, we can bring that to Confession, so that we can be at peace with Christ and with one another.

This particular Examination of Conscience is based around the Ten Commandments. It is not to be used every day, or even at every Confession. We do not need to go through a checklist every time. It is here for us to
look at every now and then, when we need some extra help in calling to mind our sins. It can be especially useful if we have not been to Confession for a long time.

Above all, remember God’s mercy and His love for you. His love never fails or changes. He loves you passionately, with infinite kindness and tenderness. The only reason we remember our sins is so that we can turn to Him, receive His forgiveness, and learn to love Him in a new and deeper way.

1st Commandment – I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.

2nd Commandment – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

• Do I seek to love God with all my heart?
• Do I stay faithful to Jesus, even when I have difficulties or doubts?
• Do I make at least some time for prayer every day?
• Do I hold on to the practice of my Catholic faith, or have I turned away from it, or spoken against the teachings of the Church?
• Have I been involved with the occult, e.g., with Ouija boards, séances, tarot cards, fortune telling, or the like? Have I put faith in horoscopes?
• Have I received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?
• Have I lied to the priest in Confession or deliberately not confessed a mortal sin?
• Have I used God’s holy name irreverently?
• When things are difficult, do I hope in God, or do I give in to self-pity and despair? Do I get angry and resentful with Him?

3rd Commandment – Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

• Have I been to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (when that has been possible)?
• Do I make a sincere effort to come to Mass on time, and to listen and pray during the Mass? Do I fast for an hour before receiving Holy Communion (apart from water and medicine)? Am I reverent in church?
• Do I try to keep the Sabbath holy by keeping Sunday as a day of prayer, rest, and relaxation, avoiding unnecessary work?

4th Commandment – Honour your father and your mother.

• Do I honour and respect my parents? Do I show kindness to my brothers and sisters?
• Do I treat my children with love and respect? Do I carry out my family duties?
• Do I support and care for the wellbeing of all family members, especially the elderly and the sick?
• Do I honour and obey my lawful superiors, and follow the just laws of my country?

5th Commandment – You shall not kill.

• Do I love my neighbour as myself? Do I try to be kind and generous with everyone I meet? Do I help those in need?
• Do I harbour hatred or anger against anyone?
• Do I try to forgive those who have hurt me? Do I pray for my enemies?
• Have I deliberately tried to hurt anyone – physically or emotionally?
• Have I had an abortion or encouraged another to have an abortion?
• Have I attempted suicide?
• Have I abused alcohol or used illegal drugs?
• Have I led anyone to sin through bad example or through direct encouragement?
• Do I care for my own physical, emotional, and spiritual health?

6th Commandment – You shall not commit adultery.
9th Commandment – You shall not desire your neighbour’s wife.

• Am I faithful to my husband or wife, in my actions, my words, and my thoughts?
• As a Catholic, was I married outside the Church?
• Has our marriage been open to new life, or have I used contraception, or been sterilised?
• Have I engaged in sexual activity before marriage?
• Have I engaged in sexual activity outside of my marriage?
• Have I looked at pornography?
• Have I masturbated?
• Have I used impure language or told impure jokes?
• Do I dress and behave modestly? Am I respectful and chaste in my relationships?
• Do I try to turn away from impure thoughts and temptations?

7th Commandment – You shall not steal.

• Have I stolen or accepted stolen goods?
• Have I cheated anyone of what I owe them?
• Am I lazy? Do I waste time at work or at school or college?
• Do I gamble excessively?
• Do I share what I have with the poor and with the Church according to my means?
• Have I copied or used pirated material or illegal downloads: videos, music, software?

8th Commandment – You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

• Do I tell the truth, even if it is inconvenient? Or do I lie or mislead people?
• Am I a trustworthy and sincere person? Do I keep my word and my promises, and keep confidential things confidential?
• Have I cheated in exams or been dishonest in any way in my studies or at work?
• Have I gossiped or spread rumours or spoken badly about people in any way? Have I ridiculed or humiliated anyone?
• Do I share my Catholic faith whenever it is possible, or do I hide my faith out of cowardice or embarrassment?

10th Commandment – You shall not desire your neighbour’s goods.

• Am I grateful for the things I have and for the blessings God has given me? Or am I always complaining?
• Am I jealous of other people: their possessions, talents, beauty, success or relationships?
• Am I greedy or selfish? Am I too caught up with material things?

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