Examination of Conscience

FOR TEENS

To begin, set aside some quiet time for reflection. Start by praying to the Holy Spirit, asking for help in making a good examination to prepare for Confession. Read through the items on the following pages to help reflect honestly on ways you may be sinning in your life. If necessary, take this list or some brief notes (keep them private!) with you to Confession to help you remember what you need to confess. This examination is based on the 10 Commandments and the 5 Precepts of the Church. It is meant to be merely a starting point for your reflection and to help identify patterns of sin in order to repent of them.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2052-2557

I. I am the Lord your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.

Do I love God above all things?
Is He number one in my life or do I put myself before God?
Has money and pleasure become more important to me than the God who created me for Himself?
Do I pray often? Have I neglected my friendship with God by neglecting prayer?
Have I been involved with occult or superstitious practices (fortune-telling, palm readers, etc.)?
Have I ever received Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
Have I violated the Communion Fast by having food or beverage within one hour before receiving Communion (other than medical need)?
Have I told a lie in confession or deliberately withheld confessing a mortal sin?

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

Have I ever used God's name out of anger or disrespectfully?
Do I speak about the Faith, the Church, the saints, or sacred things with irreverence, hatred or defiance?
Do I watch television or movies, or listen to music that treats God, the Church, the saints, or sacred things irreverently?
Have I used vulgar, suggestive, or obscene speech?
Do I behave disrespectfully in Church?

III. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

Have I deliberately missed Mass on a Sunday or on a Holy Day of Obligation?
Do I strive to make Sunday a day of prayer and rest?

IV. Honor your father and your mother.

Am I rude or sassy to my parents?
Do I talk poorly of them to others?
Have I disobeyed my parents?
Do I complain about chores or make my parents remind me to do them?
Am I disrespectful to teachers, coaches, or others in authority?

V. You shall not kill.

Do I abuse alcohol or drugs, such as marijuana?
Have I ever had an abortion?
Have I ever encouraged someone to have an abortion?
Do I stand up for the right to life of the vulnerable or have I merely accepted society's culture of death?
Have I used abortifacient contraceptives or encouraged anyone to do so?
Have I sterilized myself in any way or encouraged others to do so?
Did I participate in or approve of euthanasia or "mercy-killing"?
Have I intentionally cut or hurt myself?
Have I seriously contemplated suicide?
Am I a bully online?
Do I keep anger against anyone?
Have I held a grudge?
Have I refused to forgive someone?
Have I cursed anyone?
Have I been cruel to a pet?

VI. You shall not commit adultery.

Have I ever had sex with anyone?
Have I masturbated?
Have I engaged in sexting?
Have I ever touched someone in a sexual way?
Have I watched pornography?
Have I freely and deliberately entertained impure thoughts?
Have I used condoms or any form of contraception?
Am I modest in dress?
Am I modest in what I post on social media?

VII. You shall not steal.

Do I steal from my parents or from friends?
Have I stolen any property from a store?
Do I illegally download content from the internet?
Do I gamble excessively?
Do I seek to share what I have with the poor and needy?

VIII. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Have I cheated at school or in games?
Have I copied someone else’s homework?
Have I been dishonest (especially with my parents)?
Am I guilty of detraction (deliberately making known the faults of others)?
Am I guilty of slander (spreading hurtful lies about someone)?
Do I deliberately spread rumors or keep rumors alive by passing them on?
Do I gossip about others?
Do I reveal information that should be confidential?

IX. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

Have I been jealous of the friends that someone else has?
Have I lusted over someone?

X. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Am I envious of others?
Do I wish that others be deprived of the goods or talents that are theirs?
Am I jealous of others?
Do I harbor unforgiveness and grudges against others?
Do I hold on to resentment?
Do I nag my parents into buying things because my friends have them?
Do I help others when they need help?