For those who forgot and need to refresh their memories...especially those who might just be on their way home from the priest's house.....  Here it is

Act of Contrition

Oh my God,
I am heartily sorry for
having offended You,
And I detest all my sins,
because I dread the loss of heaven
and the pains of hell,
But most of all because they offend You, my God,
who are good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace,
to do penance,
and to amend my live. Amen

We take this very seriously. We must be in a state of grace when receiving Holy Communion...

1 Corinthians 11:27

"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord.
A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged by (the) Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."

 
 

  Examination of Conscience

Before, we had the written Word. Now He has lived among us and we have experienced Him. He is the perfect and most clear language for us... that of human form.  How close are we getting to conforming to Him?

 

I am the Lord your God, You shall not have any other god besides me.

What things occupy my mind more than God? Are the sacrifices which I make for myself more than those which I give to God?  Do I tithe to myself more of my talents and treasure than I do God? Do I look for attention from myself and others? Do I judge others as if I could know what God knows? Do I attribute all good things with which I have been blessed to God, or worship myself for my own accomplishments? Have I put my own pleasure before the needs of others?

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

Do I take the name of Christ in calling myself "Christian" and act otherwise? Do I take the title "body of Christ" as a member and neglect my duty to protect life at all its stages" Do I actually say the name of the Most Holy without really wanting His help?

 Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.

Have I always loved God and neighbor through the expression of worship in the Eucharist celebration? Have I been rude and rejected Jesus present in the whole Mass by arriving late through laziness or sloth? Do I give more attention to being on time for other things? Do I just mark the day as holy by going to mass and neglect the other hours of the day as His? Do I prepare for the Eucharistic Celebration by assuring a state of grace by participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Have I received Holy Communion without that Sacrament? Have I taken time to learn about the Eucharistic Celebration and all it's parts?.. or do I merely "follow the program?"

 Honor your father and mother.

Do I show respect to my parents, even knowing their faults? Have I forgiven them for their weaknesses as I want to be forgiven by God? Do I honor them by being the best I can be, thus showing how I developed what they have given me in cooperation with the Lord? Do I neglect the real needs of my parents? Have I allowed fear to dominate a relationship with my parents? Have I neglected to share what I have learned from the Lord with them?

 You shall not kill.

Have I gossiped about others and killed part of their reputation? Have I sought to harm anyone in any way? Have I become vengeful? Do I look to get even? Do I reject the truth that comes from others because I don't particularly like their personality. Have I used birth control pills? (80% of all birth control pills do not prevent conception... they actually cause a hostile environment in the womb and "abort" the new life.) Do I listen to what others have to say rather than what they say? Have I aided in the mutilation of my body or that of another's? Do I have an unconfessed abortion in my past? Did I assist in helping anyone procure an abortion in any way? Have I participated in bringing about abortion by putting issues that serve me before protection life during election time?

 You shall not commit adultery.

Have I looked at others as objects of pleasure, pleasures that don't align properlywith my status as one who is baptized? Have I taken the form of a human being even in my thoughts and used it for perverse pleasure, devaluing it of the integrity that God has given the human person in the totality of mind, spirit, and soul? Have I entertained thoughts for carnal pleasure? Have I practiced the conjugal union with my spouse while thinking of another? Have I moved beyond chastity in any other way? Perhaps I have by using artificial birth control and reducing my spouse to a "thing" for pleasure. Have I tempted my spouse to look for another by not being available to share love? Have I married outside of my baptism?

 You shall not steal.

Have I used what should be given to God for things that are not holy? Have I taken things that did not belong to me? Have I purposely taken things from work that my employer paid for to have for my own personal use without permission? Have I taken advantage of mistakes that might have been made by a cashier when I knew a price was different? Have I assumed consent to use other people's things at my own convenience? Have I used other's material possessions without asking? Have I damaged other people's material possessions without offering to compensate? Have I rationalized cheating on my income tax placing my burden on others?

 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Have I made myself judge over another's heart when they have erred and talked about them? Have I practiced complaining about another other than what is prescribed in Matthew 15? Have I deliberately let a lie live on about another, even though I knew better because I didn't like the other person? Have I ever had the attitude of "They deserved that!" Have I talked about another's sins, especially when they might have been forgiven by God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

 You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

Have I reduced my spouse through humiliation by comparing to another's? Have I not looked at my own marriage and put it first as a Sacrament as Holy as any other? Have I wished for the talents of another's spouse to be in my own?

 You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Am I jealous of what others might have? Have I judged others who have as more fortunate than I? Have I been jealous of their home life and neglected my responsibility in my own? Have I looked at another's things as better or beautiful than what God has given me?  Jesus said: "You have heard the commandment, 'You shall love your countryman and hate your enemy.' My command to you is: love yourenemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are sons ofyour heavenly Father, for His sun rises on the bad and the good, he rains on the just and the unjust."   Do I try to love the bad and the good alike? Do I pray for my enemiesand persecutors? Does pride stand in the way of my living this teaching?Do I feel that the bad and the good should be treated with equality andjustice in my eyes?  Do I love others as I wish to be loved? Do I provethat I am a true son my heavenly Father by by my attitude, actions, anddeeds? Do I seek to surrender to the will of God humblyor do I seek tolead God by my will? Am I truly worthy of my Lord's sacrifice for me by the way I live? 

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"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him. Then He will separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. The sheep He will place on His right hand, the goats on His left. The king will say to those on His right: 'Come. You have My Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me'.""Then He will say to those on His left: 'out of my sight you condemned, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink. I was away from home and you gave Me no welcome, naked and you gave Me no clothing. I was ill and in prison and you did not come to visit me. (Matthew 25: 31-36; 41-43)

Am I going to be among the sheep or the goats when I stand before our Lord? Do I think of the needs of others before I think of my own? Do I give willingly of my time and talents to my community, to those in need, and to my faith community family? Do I seek out those in need to help them rather than waiting for them to cross my path?

• Am I worthy of the Kingdom by my thoughts, words, actions and deeds? Do I earnestly seek direction from the Lord in this regard through sincere and humble prayer?

• Do I recognize the strangers, the prisoners, the ill in my life? Jesus said "Feed my sheep." Have I, am I, do I, WILL I?
• Here's one to consider from one of our readers of this page....
• "One thing that I might add to the examination of conscious is how we sometimes forget to respect and take care of ourselves. Sometimes we do not  give ourselves rest and downtime. I think women who are generally caretakers are guilty of this very often. I am single so I have a bit more time to give, but also a writer and that takes oodles and scads of time. We forget to refresh ourselves so that we may continue to give service. So many are workaholics and are killing themselves and not spending enough time with their families, and much suffering ensues from this. We are made in the image and likeness of God and although our natures are sinful, we should respect our own bodies and minds as a temple of God. This is not lived and taught in the body of Christ for the most part. I mean it seems like people do not know how to do it or to teach the same. Perhaps they are taught what not to do, but not why not to do it. They are often not instructed on what TO do, I observe. Also they do not know and are not shown, (most) how and why we must respect ourselves and honor ourselves. We must love others as we love ourselves. This I think is a problem in the church. We, as the body of Christ need to have more elaborated teaching, more detailed teaching. Not just to be told what to do and what not to do. An elaboration, I believe is necessary for deeper understanding. And I feel, perceive that people desperately need a deeper understanding, in fact I think it must come, because the consciousness of the population will require it. We are lead of course by the Holy Spirit, but we need the teaching. The general population is now more educated and more aware."

            From Susan Parker