Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap (compiled)
6 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience – what sins have you committed since your last good confession.
2. Be sincerely sorry for your sins.
3.Confess your sins to the priest.
4. Make certain that you confess all your mortal sins and the number of them.
5. After your confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
6. Pray daily for the strength to avoid the occasion of sin, especially for those sins you were just absolved from.
NEED EXAMINE: WHY DID I COMMIT THESE SINS, WHERE DID I COMMIT SINS, WHEN, TO WHOM, AND PRAY TO ASK GOD TO HELP TO PREVENT THE OCCASION OF SIN.
“Then He breathed on them and said, “ Received the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”. (John 20, 22-23)
I. PRAYER AND EXAMINATION:
1. Come, Holy Spirit: Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, Grant, that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
An Act of Faith: O God, I firmly believe all the truths that you have revealed and that you teach us through your Church, for you are truth itself and can neither deceive or be deceived.
An Act of Hope: O God, I hope with complete trust that you will give me, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all the necessary grace in the world and everlasting life in the world to come, for this is what you have promised and you always keep your promises.
An Act of Charity: O God, I love you with my whole heart above all things, because you are infinitely good; and for your sake I love my neighbor as I love myself.
II. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE BASE ON 10 COMMANDMENTS
1- I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
– Do I give God time every day in prayer?
– Do I seek to love Him with my whole heart?
– Have I been involved with superstitious practices or have I been involved with the occult?
– Have I beloved in lucky charms, artifacts
– Have I put my self, my idols before God?
– Do I seek to surrender myself to God’s Word as taught by the Church?
– Have I ever received Communion in a state of mortal sin?
– Have I ever deliberately told a lie in confession or have I withheld a mortal sin from the priest in confession?
– Am I ignorant of my catechism (Act of Contrition, Apostle’s Creed, Ten Commandments, Seven Sacraments, the Our Father)?
– Have I failed to trust in God and His mercy?
– Have I willfully doubted or denied any of the teachings of the Church (heresy)?
– Have I taken active part in any non-Catholic worship?
– Am I a member of any anti-Catholic or any secret society?
– Was I pride, boasted of my abilities, tried to win praise and glory?
– Have I been angry with God?
2- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
– Have I used God’s name in vain: lightly or carelessly?
– Have I wished evil upon another person?
– Have I insulted a sacred person or abused a sacred object?
– Have I used God’s name in vain by way of profanity?
– Have I murmured or complained against God?
– Have I maligned priests or others consecrated to God?
– Have I sworn by God’s name (oath) either falsely or rashly?
– Have I cursed anyone or sworn a false oath?
– Have I broken any private vow, or promise which affected someone’s life?
– Have I been insincere, ashamed about my religion, being as a catholic?
– Have you been ashamed to make the sign of the Cross, pray before meal in front of others?
3- Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
– Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation?
– Have I been late for Mass through my own negligence?
– Have I left early before the mass ended?
– Have I bothered about the priest homily?
– Have I worked on Sunday, Holy Days of Obligation?
– Have I been inattentive at Mass or paid much attention to someone else?
– Have I come to mass with an angry or unforgiveness heart?
4- Honor your Father and your Mother.
– Do I honor and obey my parents?
– Have I been despise to my parents or neglected them?
– Have I failed to care for my sick or disable parents?
– Have I neglected my duties to my spouse and children?
– Have I given my family bad religious example?
– Do I try to bring peace into my home life?
– Have I unwanted to be a parent?
– Have I mistreated, abused my spouse or children?
– Do I have violent acts against my spouse or children?
– Do I deny my relationship with my parents or children?
Regarding my children:
– Have I neglected their material needs?
– Have I failed to care for their religious education or sacraments?
– Have I allowed them to neglect their religious duties?
– Have I otherwise failed to discipline them?
– Have I given them bad example, bad teaching or told them do bad things?
– Have I expelled them out the house and denied their relationship?
5- You shall not kill.
– Have I had an abortion or encouraged anyone to have an abortion?
– Have I performed abortion, sold abortion drugs?
– Have I physically harmed or hurt anyone?
– Have I involved in or killed someone?
– Have I wished for some one’s death?
– Have you plotted or taken revenge on one who’s offended you?
– Have I abused alcohol or drugs?
– Did I give scandal to anyone, thereby leading them into sin?
– Have I been angry or resentful?
– Have I harbored hatred in my heart?
– Have I mutilated myself through any form of sterilization?
– Have I failed, denied to forgive anyone?
– Have you had thoughts of committing suicide, assisted someone committing suicide?
6- You shall not commit adultery.
– Have I been faithful to my marriage vows in thought and action?
– Have I engaged in any sexual activity outside of marriage or fornication?
– Have I used any method of contraception or artificial birth control in my marriage?
– Have I been guilty of masturbation?
– Have I indulged in other impure thoughts, desired to have sex with others?
– Have I respected all members of the opposite sex?
– Have I raped someone?
– Have I been guilty of any homosexual, same sex activity?
– Do I dwell on pornography and obscenity on internet, magazine, email?
– Have I practiced birth control?
– Have I failed to dress modestly?
– Have I sent to someone an indecent literature or indecent pictures?
– Have I watched X rated films or programs?
– Have I respected purity for my date?
– Have I permitted my children or others under my charge to do these things?
– Have I used indecent language or told indecent stories?
– Have I willingly listened to such indecent stories?
– Have I boasted of my sins?
– Have I sinned against chastity in any other way?
– Have I become intoxicated?
– Have I used narcotics?|
– Have I involved in selling drugs?
7- You shall not steal.
– Have I stolen what is not mine?
– Have I damaged anyone’s property through my own fault?
– Have I returned or made restitution for what I have stolen or borrowed?
– Do I gamble excessively, thereby denying my family of their needs?
– Do I seek to share what I have with the poor?
– Do I turn blind eyes toward a desperate beggar?
– Have I cheated or defrauded other?
– Do I cheated on my income taxes, business, games, insurance or school?
– Have I refused or neglected to pay any debts?
– Have I exchanged the price tag?
– Have I took my company possessions home for personal use?
– Have I failed to give contribution to my church?
– Have I paid my workers properly or otherwise abused them?
8- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
– Have I lied?
– Have you concealed sins at confession?
– Have I concealed, distorted the truth, gave false testimony?
– Have you cheated, judged or gossiped others?
– Have I talked or spread bad news about priests, religious, or someone?
– Have I spoken behind someone else’s back?
– Am I sincere in my dealings with others?
– Am I critical, negative or uncharitable in my thoughts, words of others?
– Do I keep secret what should be kept confidential?
– Have I cursed anyone or otherwise wished evil on him?
– Have I taken pleasure in anyone’s misfortune?
– Is there anyone to whom I refuse to speak or be reconciled?
– Have I been jealous or envious of anyone?
– Have I knowingly caused others to sin?
– Have I cooperated in the sins of others?
– Have I teached, showed someone how to commit crime?
– Have I lied, mistreated, abuse my love?
9- You shall not desire your neighbor’s wife.
– Have I consented to impure thoughts?
– Have I desired to have sex with someone’s wife?
– Have I encourage or caused someone a divorce?
– Do I pray at once to seek after impure thoughts and temptations?
– Have I harbored lustful desires for anyone?
– Have I touched, kissed or embraced another impurely?
– Have I done anything to provoke or occasion impure thoughts in others?
– Have I have a lustful look?
– Have I enjoyed looking at indecent dress of someone?
10 – You shall not desire your neighbor’s goods.
– Am I jealous of what other people have?
– Have I been grieved at the prosperity of the others?
– Have I ever wished the downfall of anyone or of their business?
– Have I cheated on the share of family estate?
– Am I greedy or selfish?
– Do I trust that God will care for all of my material and spiritual needs?
– Are material possessions the main purpose of my life?
– Do I lend with high interest to someone?
THE LAWS OF THE CHURCH
1 and 2. see Third commandment
3 and 4. – I failed to make confession ….. years, and failed to receive Holy Communion during the Easter time.
– I received Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin.
– I made a bad confession. (hide sin and no good examination)
5 and 6. – I didn’t fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
– I ate meat on Ash Wednesday, on Friday in Lent.
III. BE SINCERELY SORRY FOR YOUR SINS
– I committed these sins by how, to whom, where, when.
– I make decision to stay away from near occasions of sins, that is, all persons, places and things which easily lead into sin.
Say: The Act of Contrition: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend with your help to sin no more, to do penance and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Amen
III. ENTER THE CONFESSION ROOM
– Kneel down – Make the sign of the Cross. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of The Holy Spirit. Amen.
– Say: Bless me father, I have sinned. My last confession was how many days /weeks /months /years ago. These are my sins: (Confess your sins and how many times committed.)
– When you have done, say: “Father, I am finished. I am truly for these and all the sins of my past life. Please, absolve me.”
– Listen to the priest’s instructions, advices.
IV. AFTER CONFESSION
– Say the prayers or do what the priest tells you.
– Thank God for forgiving your sins. Say your own prayer or say this one: Heavenly Father, by dying on the Cross for love of us Your dear Son Jesus brought peace to the world by taking away our sins and giving us your forgiveness. I thank You for your mercy to me and to all who are truly sorry for having offend You. Help me to avoid sins and use this Sacrament more often. May the power of your love given to me in this sacrament guide me in all I do to please You in all things. Father, thank You for your love and mercy. Amen.
– Ask God for the help you to keep from offending God.
– Pray daily for the strength to avoid the occasion of sin
