Examination of Conscience

• Did I doubt or deny that God exists?
• Did I refuse to believe what God as revealed to us?
• Did I believe in fortune telling, horoscopes, dreams, the occult, good-luck charms, tarot cards, palmistry, Ouija boards, seances, reincarnation?
• Did I deny that I was Catholic?
• Did I leave the Catholic Faith?
• Did I give time to God each day in prayer?
• Did I love God with my whole heart?
• Did I despair of or presume on God's mercy?
• Did I have false gods in my life that I gave greater attention to than God, like money, profession, drugs, TV, fame, pleasure, property, etc.?

• Did I blaspheme or insult God?
• Did I take God's name carelessly or uselessly?
• Did I curse, or break an oath or vow?
• Did I get angry with God?

• Did I miss Mass Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?
• Did I come to Mass on time? Leave early?
• Did I do work on Sunday that was not necessary?
• Did I set aside Sunday as a day of rest and a family day?
• Did I show reverence in the presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament?

• Did I disobey or disrespect my parents or legitimate superiors?
• Did I neglect my duties to my husband, wife, children or parents?
• Did I neglect to give good religious example to my family?
• Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
• Did I fail to educate myself on the true teachings of the Church?
• Did I give scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
• Did I cause anyone to leave the faith?
• Did I cause tension and fights in my family?
• Did I care for my aged and infirm relatives?
• Did I give a full day's work for a full day's pay?
• Did I give a fair wage to my employees?

• Did I kill or physically injure anyone?
• Did I have an abortion, or advise someone else to have an abortion? (One who procures and abortion is automatically excommunicated, as is anyone who is involved in an abortion, Canon 1398. The excommunication will be lifted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.)
• Did I use or cause my spouse to use birth control pills (whether or not realizing that birth control pills do abort the fetus if and when conceived)?
• Did I attempt suicide?
• Did I take part in or approve of "mercy killing" (euthanasia)?
• Did I get angry, impatient, envious, unkind, proud, revengeful, jealous, hateful toward another, lazy?
• Did I give bad example by drug abuse, drinking alcohol to excess, fighting, quarreling?
• Did I abuse my children?

Note: In the area of deliberate sexual sins listed below, all are mortal sins if there is sufficient reflection and full consent of the will. "No fornicators, idolaters, or adulterers, no sodomites,... will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor 6:9-10) "Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts." (Mt 5:28)

• Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or desires?
• Did I use impure or suggestive words? Tell impure stories? Listen to them?
• Did I deliberately look at impure TV, videos, plays, pictures or movies? Or deliberately read impure materials?
• Did I commit impure acts by myself (masturbation)?
• Did I commit impure acts with another - fornication (premarital sex), adultery (sex with a married person)?
• Did I practice artificial birth control (by pills, device, withdrawal)?
• Did I marry or advise anyone to marry outside the Church?
• Did I avoid the occasions of impurity?
• Did I try to control my thoughts?
• Did I engage in homosexual activity?
• Did I respect all members of the opposite sex, or have I thought of other people as objects?
• Did I or my spouse have sterilization done?
• Did I abuse my marriage rights?

• Did I steal, cheat, help or encourage others to steal or keep stolen goods? Have I made restitution for stolen goods?
• Did I fulfill my contracts; give or accept bribes; pay my bills; rashly gamble or speculate; deprive my family of the necessities of life?
• Did I waste time at work, school or at home?
• Did I envy other people's families or possessions?
• Did I make material possessions the purpose of my life?

• Did I lie?
• Did I deliberately deceive others, or injure others by lies?
• Did I commit perjury?
• Did I gossip or reveal others' faults or sins?
• Did I fail to keep secret what should be confidential?

• Did I fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday?
• Did I eat meat on the Fridays of Lent or Ash Wednesday?
• Did I fail to receive Holy Communion during Easter time?
• Did I go to Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin? Without fasting (water and medicine permitted) for one hour from food and drink?
• Did I make a bad confession?
• Did I fail to contribute to the support of the Church?