An Examination of Conscience for Lent

During this grace-filled season of Lent, we need to seek God’s forgiveness for our sins. He generously forgives all who come to him. A sacramental confession is the way to approach God for his forgiveness so that we can be reconciled to him and receive his love more fully into our hearts.

The following questions are based on the Ten Commandments. They are intended to help us open our minds to the ways we have sinned against God and against those around us. They are an invitation to search our hearts so that we might receive healing and the love of our heavenly Father.

1. I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods besides me.
   • Do I worship God in spirit and truth and give him the praise he deserves?
   • Am I angry with God or resentful toward him because of illness or other misfortune?
   • Do I make a god out of my work, my possessions, or my image in the eyes of others? Do I let these things rule my life instead of the Lord?
   • Have I tried to grow in the knowledge of God through daily prayer and Scripture reading?
   • Have I ever dabbled in the occult or given credence to horoscope, channeling, or other "psychic" attempts to tell the future?
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
   • Have I been hypocritical by adhering to a ritualistic observance while my heart has been far from God?
   • Have I resorted to profane language by cursing and swearing?
   • In conversation, have I taken part in slander or jokes aimed at demeaning religion, the church, or God’s authority?
3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
   • Have I allowed myself to become so dominated by my work or chores that I have not set aside Sunday as a day for the Lord and my family?
   • Have I attended Mass every Sunday?
   • In my prayer and attendance at the liturgy, am I content with a passive observance rather than devoting myself to genuine worship of the Lord?
4. Honor your father and your mother.
   • As a young person in the family home, do I listen to, respect, and obey my parents when they instruct me?
   • As an adult, do I visit and care for my parents in their old age?
   • Do I harbor short-term or long-standing resentments against my parents?
   • Do I blame my parents for my own shortcomings?
5. You shall not kill.
   • Have I ever struck anyone in anger, intending to injure the person?
   • Have I ever had an abortion, or advocated abortion, either through my opinions in conversation or by actively assisting someone in procuring one?
   • Have I ever endangered myself or the life of another person through the abuse of alcohol or drugs?
6. You shall not commit adultery.
   • Have I engaged in sexual activity outside of marriage?
   • Have I been involved in a homosexual relationship?
   • Have I given my mind over to lustful thoughts or fantasies?
   • Have I read pornography or watched indecent movies or television shows?
   • In conversation, have I told or enjoyed lewd or obscene jokes and stories?
7. You shall not steal.
   • Have I taken anything that did not belong to me?
   • Have I been dishonest in the payment of my taxes or in the submission of expense accounts in my business?
   • Have I wasted time and cheated my employer by not doing a full day’s work for my wages?
   • Have I been extravagant in my manner of life, to the neglect of the poor at home and abroad?
   • Have I been irresponsible and neglected the needs of my family by wasting money on gambling or betting?
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
   • Have I defamed the good name of another person by taking part in gossip or slander?
   • Have I injured the reputation of others by speaking about their failures and sins with little desire or intention to help them?
   • Have I condoned prejudice and hatred toward people of other nationalities, races, or religions?
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
   • Have I sought the affections of another’s husband or wife?
   • Have I contemplated infidelity to my husband or wife?
   • Have I upheld the dignity of my husband or wife in all circumstances?
   • Have I rejected my family in my heart, wishing to distance myself emotionally and personally from them?
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
    • Do I have and express concern for those who are suffering by giving generously to the poor and caring for those in need?
    • Do I habitually compare myself with others in terms of wealth, status, and financial security?
    • Am I jealous of the personal qualities of others or envious of their possessions or success?
    • Do I keep my finances in order and exercise proper stewardship over what is mine?
    • Am I generous in giving of my time and money to the work of the church?

• Have I put God first?
• Have I misused God’s name?
• Have I lied?
• Have I stolen?
• Have I cheated?
• Have I gossiped?
• Have I gotten angry?
• Have I been lazy?
• Have I been greedy?
• Have I been prideful?
• Have I been selfish?
• Have I been jealous?
• Have I failed to love?
• Have I prayed daily?
• Have I kept holy the Lord’s Day?
• Have I been slothful?
• Have I honor my father & mother?
• Have I committed adultery?
• Have I desired my neighbor’s wife?
• Have I desired my neighbor’s goods?

From the online March 28, 2004 Parish Bulletin of Christ the King Catholic Church, Webster, South Dakota