Tag Archives: Examination of Conscience

Catholic Examination of Conscience for Adults

Here’s a pretty good examination of conscience before going to Confession:

I don’t know anything about bulldogcatholic. I only glanced at this examination. Couple of things:

  • About the abstinence from meat on certain days such as Fridays, there is no mention of the possibility of doing another penance or charitable act instead, according to the promulgated law of whatever country’s Bishops Conference.
  • There is talk only of male self-abuse. Um… I think women can do that grievous sin as well.
  • While sins of simple contraception belong to the sixth commandment, chemical contraception belongs to the fifth commandment – Do not murder – as the chemicals murder an already conceived child. Meanwhile, in vitro fertilization also belongs to the fifth commandment, since, to get one conception (which involves its own mortal sins) you have to get very many other conceptions which are then discarded like trash. Meanwhile, artificial insemination is a sin against the sixth commandment as unity is also to be part of the marriage act, which is always to be open to life.

If you see any other adjustments, leave them in the comments section. But the rest looks quite good. I like how the fifth commandment gives a proper translation of the Hebrew, which has “Do not murder.” Not all killing is murder. I think of the just stopping of a threat of already being delivered mortal violence. Should that end with the perp dying, that’s on him, not on the one stopping the threat.

Perhaps you know of other good examinations of conscience…

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St John Vianney’s Illumination of Conscience, Fr Mark Goring [and a Fr George anecdote]

I very much appreciate the painting of the angel during the proclamation of the vocation of Isaiah as being the background image for this video. Great choice Father Mark.

I have spoken and written many times about my own little illumination of conscience after I asked my Guardian Angel to help with my examination of conscience. Unlike the Patron Saint of Priests featured in the video above, Saint John Vianney, who had no fear, I was fearful enough to ask my guardian angel to be gentle in this illumination. And still it was like being hit with clarity so hard as to throw me into a kind of PTSD event, repeatedly.

It wasn’t all at once. But it was like my guardian angel was saying: “Remember this?” (wham!) and then after a minute, “Remember that? (wham!), and then after a minute, “Remember this other thing? (wham!)” And so on. Yikes! I have a great confessor. Jesus is good and kind. The angels rejoice.

Should you do this, just be sure to ask your guardian angel to be gentle with you, lest you get a heart attack and die unconfessed. Even having done this, mind you, I’m still way too afraid to do as Saint John Vianney did. And even he repented right away and asked our dear Lord to take the piercing illumination away. And you still wonder why it is that Saint John Vianney did such great penances? I feel like a little ant next to him.

It’s Advent. Go to Confession.

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