A Prayer to the Holy Spirit before examination of conscience

Holy Spirit, You know everything. You know me better than I know myself. Please open my heart so that I could well recognize the good and the evil that are within me. Make me able, out of love for God and all that is good, to sincerely repent of my sins. Also give me courage and strength to persevere in my good decisions. Amen.

 

You shall not have strange gods before me.

– Do I put God first in my life? Or instead of true God do I worship an idol: money, power, education, career, myself?

– How much do I try to deepen my faith and dispel doubts?

– Do I trust in God’s goodness? Do I fall into despair about the possibility of my own salvation? Or, conversely, believing it too insolently, do I abuse God’s mercy?

– Do I neglect the daily prayer? Do I keep Friday’s fasting?

– Am I giving myself to divination, magic or spell? Do I go to the fairies? Do I wear amulets, believe horoscopes? Do I seek help from various healers and bio-therapists in my illness?

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

– Do I respect God, His good name? Do I name the saints (Jesus, Mary, other saints) without respect?

– Have I blasphemed, i.e., have I spoken about God badly, with hatred, with reproach? To Him, to myself, to my fellow men?

– Have I abused God’s name, threatening with His penalty to impose my will on others?

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day

– Do I attend Holy Mass on Sundays and other holidays? Am I late for Sunday Mass?

– Do I restrain myself on Sundays and holidays from activities that interfere with the worship of God?

– Do I disturb others in Sunday celebrations with my behavior – loud homework, supermarket trips?

– How much time do I find on Sunday to nurture family bonds and relationship with friends?

– How much time do I spend on Sunday for myself (book, good movie, sports, decent entertainment, hobbies)?

Honor your father and your mother

– Do I relate with respect to my parents in my thoughts, speeches, deeds?

– Do I pray for them? Do I find time to visit? Do I support them materially, care for them in illness? Do I talk bad about my parents in the presence of my children?

– How do I bring up my children – what values do I instill in them, do I teach them what is good and what is bad? Am I interested in the lives of my children: do I know their friends, do I know what they read, how do they spend their free time? How much time do I spend with them? How do I respond to the sin of my children: when they cheat at school, live unmarried, dishonestly work?

– Do I respect the independence of adult children? Or maybe I interfere too much in their married life, in the upbringing of children?

You shall not kill

– Do I support abortion in discussions? Have I persuaded anyone to terminate pregnancy?

– Do I support euthanasia?

– Do I break the traffic rules recklessly? Did I drive a car under the influence of alcohol or drugs?

– Do I harm my health through alcohol abuse, using drugs?

– Do I hide hate in my heart, waiting for a suitable opportunity to take revenge on someone?

You shall not commit adultery, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife

– Am I a faithful spouse?

– If I do not have a husband or wife, do I take sexual intercourse outside of marriage?

– Do I use pornography or other sexual services (escort agencies, immoral contacts on the Internet)?

– Do I support contraception or do I use it?

You shall not steal, you shall not covet your neighbor’s goods

– Did I steal anything?

– May be  I obtained undue benefit by deception? Maybe others have to pay for my electricity, gas, for my unpaid rent? Or may be I do not validate tickets on the bus?

– Do I pay taxes due?

– Do I repay my debts and return the borrowed things?

– Am I honest in buying and selling? Or maybe I tried to hide that the merchandise I’m selling is out of order?

– Do I diligently perform my work? Do I abuse or mob my employees as an employer, for example, paying too low salaries, employing them illegally and depriving them of their pension contributions, health benefits or paid leave?

– Have I used my position for the unlawful gain of material profit? Maybe I accept or give bribes?

– Have I returned stolen things?

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

– Did I lie?

– Have I ever told the lie about another man (slander)?

– Did I cast false suspicions on my neighbor, by words or deeds?

– Did I withdraw slander?

– Have I ever, without a valid reason, revealed the faults and errors of my neighbor (backbiting)?

– Have I hardened my neighbor in bad behavior by flattery?

– Have I kept private or professional secrets entrusted to me?