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Examination of Conscience

In the Sacrament of Penance the Faithful who confess their sins to a Priest, are sorry for those sins and have a purpose of amendment, receive from God, through the absolution given by that Priest, forgiveness of sins they have committed after Baptism, and at the same time they are reconciled with the Church, which by sinning they wounded. (Canon 959)

Have I performed my duties toward God reluctantly or grudgingly?
Did I neglect my prayer life?
Did I believe in (or use) horoscopes, fortune telling, good luck charms, tarot cards, Ouija boards, Reiki or reincarnation?
Did I receive Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin or without the necessary preparation?
Did I violate the one-hour Euchartistic fast?
Did I fail to confess my sins at least once a year?
Did I fail to mention some grave sin in my previous confessions?
Did I seriously doubt a matter of Faith?
Did I put my faith in danger-without a good reason-by reading a book, pamphlet, or magazine that contains material contrary to Catholic faith or morals?
Did I endanger my faith by joining or attending meetings of organizations opposed to the Catholic faith (non-catholic services, the Communist Party, Freemasonry, "new age" cults, or other religions)? Did I take part in one of its activities?
Have I committed the sin of sacrilege (profanation of a sacred person, place or thing)?

Did I fail to try my best to fulfill the promises and resolutions that I made to God?
Did I take the name of God in vain? Did I make use of God's name mockingly, jokingly, angrily, or in any other irreverent manner?
Have I been a sponsor in Baptism or participate actively in other ceremonies outside the Catholic Church?
Did I tell a lie under oath?
Did I break (private or public) vows?

Did I miss Mass on a Sunday or a holy day of obligation through my own fault?
Did I fail to dress appropriately for Mass?
Did I leave Mass early?
Have I, without sufficient reason, arrived at Mass so late that I failed to fulfill the Sunday or holy day of obligation?
Did I allow myself to be distracted during Mass, by not paying attention, looking around out of curiosity, etc?
Did I cause another to be distracted?
Have I engaged in work or business activities on a Sunday or holy day of obligation that hindered worship, diminished the joy of the Lord's Day, or prevented proper rest and relaxation?
Did I fail to generously help the Church in her necessities to the extent that I am able?
Did I eat meat knowingly on the Fridays during Lent or on Ash Wednesday? (Ages 14+)
Did I fast as required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? (Ages 18-59)
Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season?

For Parents

Have I neglected to teach my children their prayers, send them to church, or give them a Christian education?
Have I given them a bad example?
Have I neglected to watch over my children, to monitor their companions, the books they read, the movies and TV shows they watch?
Have I failed to see to it that my child made the First Confession and First Communion?
Have I failed to see to it that my children have received the sacrament of Confirmation?

For children

Was I disobedient toward my parents?
Did I neglect to help my parents when my help was needed?
Did I treat my parents with little affection or respect?
Did I react proudly when I was corrected by my parents?
Did I have a disordered desire for independence?
Did I do my chores?

Did I easily get angry or lose my temper?
Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
Did I attempt suicide or physically harm myself?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, jealous, revengeful, hateful toward others or lazy?
Did I injure or take the life of anyone? Was I ever reckless in driving?
Have I mutilated myself or another?
Did I get drunk or use prohibited drugs?
Was I an occasion of sin for others by way of conversation, the telling of jokes religiously, racially, or sexually offensive, my way of dressing, inviting somebody to attend certain shows, lending harmful books or magazines, helping someone to steal, etc.? Did I try to repair the scandal done?
Did I eat or drink more than a sufficient amount, allowing myself to get carried away by gluttony?
Did I participate in any form of physical violence?
Did I have an abortion, or advised or supported an abortion?
Did I practice artificial birth control or was I or my spouse permanently sterilized (tubal ligation or vasectomy)?
Did I cause harm to anyone with my words or actions?
Did I desire revenge or harbor enmity, hatred, or ill-feelings when someone offended me?
Did I insult or offensively tease others?
Did I have a heated argument or disagreement with one of my brothers or sisters?

Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts? Did I engage in impure conversations? Did I start them?
Did I dress immodestly or provocatively?
Did I lead others to sin of impurity or immodesty?
Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with another (adultery, fornication, or sodomy)?
Did I look for fun in forms of entertainment that placed me in proximate occasions of sin, such as certain dances, movies, shows, or books with immoral contents? Did I associate with immoral places or surround myself with negative influences?
Did I fail, before going to a show or reading a book, to find out its moral implications, so as not to put myself in immediate danger of sinning and in order to avoid distorting my conscience?
Did I willfully look at an indecent picture or cast an immodest look upon myself or another? Did I willfully desire to commit such a sin?
Was I unfaithful to my marriage vows?
Did I marry or advise another to marry outside of the Church?
Did I abuse my marriage rights?
Do I have friendships that are habitual occasions of sexual sins? Am I prepared to end them?
In courtship, is true love my fundamental reason for wanting to be with the other person? Do I live the constant and cheerful sacrifice of not putting the person I love in danger of sinning? Do I degrade human love by confusing it with selfishness or mere pleasure?

Did I steal? How much money? Or how much was the object worth? Did I give it back, or at least have the intention of doing so?
Did I cause damage to another person's property? To what extent?
Did I harm anyone by deception, fraud, or coercion in business contracts or transactions?
Did I unnecessarily spend beyond my means? Do I spend too much money because of vanity, or caprice?
Do I give alms according to my capacity?
Was I envious of my neighbor's goods?
Did I neglect to pay my debts?
Did I knowingly accept stolen goods?
Did I desire to steal?
Did I give in to laziness or love of comfort rather than diligently work or study?
Was I greedy? Do I have an excessively materialistic view of life?

Did I lie or deceive others, whether by word or omission?
Did I gossip or spread rumors that could harm someone's reputation?
Was I dishonest in my dealings at work, school, or with others?
Did I exaggerate stories or facts to make myself appear more impressive or to gain favor?
Did I speak harshly or unjustly about others, judging them without knowing the full story?
Did I uphold others' dignity when speaking about them, even if I disagree with them?
Did I break promises of confidentiality or share something told to me in trust without permission?
Did I respect others' privacy and good name?

Did I allow impure thoughts and desires to linger in my mind, instead of dismissing them?
Did I view or engage with media (e.g., movies, websites, books) that objectify or disrespect the human person?
Did I foster any inappropriate emotional attachments or attractions to someone married or commit to another?
Did I encourage impure or scandalous behavior in myself or others?
Did I fail to maintain healthy boundaries in my relationships, especially with those of the opposite sex?
Did I fail to honor my commitments and uphold the dignity and sanctity of marriage in my thoughts, words, and actions?
Did I compare my relationships unfavorably to others, leading to envy or dissatisfaction?

Did I feel resentful or bitter because someone else had something I wanted?
Did I wish harm or misfortune on others because of their success, wealth, or possessions?
Did I let jealousy affect my relationships or actions toward others?
Did I allow my desire for material things to overshadow my love for God and others?
Did I spend excessively on luxuries while neglecting the needs of the poor and my responsibilities?
Did I prioritize money, possessions, or status over spiritual and family life?
Did I constantly compare myself to others, leading to dissatisfaction and ingratitude?
Did I complain excessively about what I lack rather than appreciate what I have?
Did I strongly desire something that rightfully belonged to someone else?
Did I manipulate or pressure someone to give me something I had no right to?
Did I take advantage of someone's misfortune for personal gain?
Did I fail to share my time, talents, or resources with those in need?
Did I refuse to help others because I was too attached to my own possessions?
Did I give to charity grudgingly or only for the sake of appearances?

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