Mt 28:1-10
Turn off lights, leave Paschal candle and altar candles lit, read sermon using a little candle.
I want to say a few words about 2 things: hope, and the symbolism of the Easter Candle.
Pope Benedict recently wrote an encyclical on hope. He commented on the fact that many people in our modern society live without hope, they live thinking that this world is all there is, they live thinking that things can’t really get better, or, if they can get better only as a rather limited this-worldly utopia. Many of us will know people who have this kind of existential despair. Some of us will have known it ourselves, or may periodically feel bouts of it.
If life consists only of life in this world, and, as it evident, there is much suffering in this world: How can we hope? What can ‘hope’ possibly mean?
The light in the darkness, is the sign of the reality that is our Hope, and that Hope has a name, and His name is ‘Christ’.
The light in the darkness is a sign that the darkness has not triumphed. Even when darkness seems to have nearly encompassed everything, the light remains. Darkness is real, but it has not triumphed.
To move from the sign to the reality, we must look to the Empty Tomb. The Empty Tomb contains the clearest sign that Death has not triumphed, in fact, Death has been defeated.
Death, judging by the rules of what those without faith think they know, there is no overcoming Death.
But if we look to Him who left the Empty Tomb, then Faith teaches us that Death can be overcome because Death HAS been overcome.
Death and suffering are real, but they are not the final word, and they will ultimately be extinguished by the light that was not extinguished.
We heard in that Gospel text, angel said, “He is not here. He has risen as He said He would.”
“as he said he would” –these words are pivotal.
These words tell us He is Lord, he is the master of time and Lord of History.
“as he said he would” –He knows what He is about, and He is doing it.
To come back to the candle: The blessing words I said as I traced the symbols on it:
He is the “alpha and omega”, Greek for: He is the Beginning and the End
“All time belongs to Him” –why every year the date of the year is put on the candle: 2008.
He is the cause of creation, and He is bringing creation to Himself.
Not even the death and suffering that entered this world with sin can stop His plan.
He took death in His hands on the Cross and defeated it.
Five grains of incense, for the five wounds of the cross, were pressed into the Easter Candle
Why? To show that He has sanctified suffering
He has made it an offering to the Father
He has made it the means of our transition to new life.
The light of the Easter candle is not yet spread through the whole world, and has not yet spread through the whole if any one of us here
But it is the sign that the light cannot be extinguished
And will, in fact, be triumphant and extinguish darkness.
Faith knows this in the mind, grasps it as the truth that endures in darkness.
Hope, the hope that Pope Benedict reminds us must characterise a Christian in our modern world, hope does not just know this in the mind, but in the will, sets the heart on the goal of Christ, on the goal of the Light that cannot be extinguished, the light that enables us to hope even in darkness, the hope that enables us to make sense of the angel’s words: “Do not be afraid”.
This is what the candle shows us.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Maundy Thursday, Shaftesbury
Tonight we remember 2 of the greatest gifts Christ had given us. And, how they were given to us at a crucial moment. Jesus knew what lay ahead of him, he knew that he was leaving his disciples behind. And often, when we leave someone, we try and give them something, something to remember us by, something to continue to make us present. And the gifts that Christ gave the Church at the Last Supper are the gifts of the Mass and the priesthood.
I spent many of the earlier years not knowing why it is that Catholics always have Mass when we gather. Is it because we can’t think of anything better to do? Catholics say Mass because this is the thing that Christ commanded us to do: “Do THIS in memory of me” he said at the Last Supper. He commanded us to do this because this is where he gives himself to us. And this is also where he gives us the perfect prayer.
One of the things that makes us human is our need to pray. All through human history, humans have tried to find a suitable way to pray. We can see this in the pagan temples of so many ancient ruins. But humans have struggled to find an act of worship that is worthy of God. They’ve offered crop sacrifices, animal sacrifices, even human sacrifices. All trying to find something that is worthy of an infinite and all-powerful God.
The perfect prayer could only be offered by Jesus Christ himself. As perfect God his prayer has infinite value. As perfect man he can offer his prayer on behalf of all mankind. This perfect prayer is what he offered on the Cross. All prayer is a gift of self, and he offered his whole self in his life on the Cross. So, as the Catechism says(CCC2606; 2746ff), his prayer on the Cross summed up and drew together all the prayers, all the intercessions that have ever been expressed in human history –those offered before he died, and even those offered afterwards, like those we offer now (because God is beyond our limits of time).
But that perfect prayer on the Cross, that perfect act of worship, isn’t just a dead thing in the past –it’s a living thing in the Church today. When we pray, we are praying through it. And Christ has given us a way to unite ourselves to it, and that’s the Mass. The Mass isn’t a prayer separate from the Cross, it is not a different prayer that Christ left us. The sacrifice of the Mass is the very same as the sacrifice of the Cross. It is, in fact, the sacrifice of Jesus made present again on our altars, and offered up again to the Father on our behalf. This is his great gift to us in the Mass.
Any sacrifice involves death, and as St. Paul said, each time we do this, we proclaim his death (1Cor 11:26). On the Cross, the sign of Christ’s death was his blood separating from his body, draining out of the wound in his side. The sign of that separation is renewed in every Mass when the priest says, “This is my Body”; “This is my Blood”. And this isn’t just a sign –it’s the reality too. The bread totally becomes his Body, the wine becomes his Blood.
And this isn’t a dead sacrifice. Because of the resurrection, it is a living sacrifice. When his Body + Blood are made present, they are the sacrifice of Calvary, offered again on our altar.
There are many things that link the Last Supper with the Cross. It was at the Last Supper that Jesus predicted Judas would betray him, and it was from the Last Supper table that Judas went to do his dirty deed. What happened that night was looking ahead and anticipating the events of Good Friday. And what he gave us in the Last Supper, what he gave us in the Mass, is the memorial of his death on the Cross.
There is a desire in us, as human beings, to offer a suitable prayer to God. And this most perfect and most suitable of all prayers is what he has given us in the Mass:
“Do THIS in memory of me
I spent many of the earlier years not knowing why it is that Catholics always have Mass when we gather. Is it because we can’t think of anything better to do? Catholics say Mass because this is the thing that Christ commanded us to do: “Do THIS in memory of me” he said at the Last Supper. He commanded us to do this because this is where he gives himself to us. And this is also where he gives us the perfect prayer.
One of the things that makes us human is our need to pray. All through human history, humans have tried to find a suitable way to pray. We can see this in the pagan temples of so many ancient ruins. But humans have struggled to find an act of worship that is worthy of God. They’ve offered crop sacrifices, animal sacrifices, even human sacrifices. All trying to find something that is worthy of an infinite and all-powerful God.
The perfect prayer could only be offered by Jesus Christ himself. As perfect God his prayer has infinite value. As perfect man he can offer his prayer on behalf of all mankind. This perfect prayer is what he offered on the Cross. All prayer is a gift of self, and he offered his whole self in his life on the Cross. So, as the Catechism says(CCC2606; 2746ff), his prayer on the Cross summed up and drew together all the prayers, all the intercessions that have ever been expressed in human history –those offered before he died, and even those offered afterwards, like those we offer now (because God is beyond our limits of time).
But that perfect prayer on the Cross, that perfect act of worship, isn’t just a dead thing in the past –it’s a living thing in the Church today. When we pray, we are praying through it. And Christ has given us a way to unite ourselves to it, and that’s the Mass. The Mass isn’t a prayer separate from the Cross, it is not a different prayer that Christ left us. The sacrifice of the Mass is the very same as the sacrifice of the Cross. It is, in fact, the sacrifice of Jesus made present again on our altars, and offered up again to the Father on our behalf. This is his great gift to us in the Mass.
Any sacrifice involves death, and as St. Paul said, each time we do this, we proclaim his death (1Cor 11:26). On the Cross, the sign of Christ’s death was his blood separating from his body, draining out of the wound in his side. The sign of that separation is renewed in every Mass when the priest says, “This is my Body”; “This is my Blood”. And this isn’t just a sign –it’s the reality too. The bread totally becomes his Body, the wine becomes his Blood.
And this isn’t a dead sacrifice. Because of the resurrection, it is a living sacrifice. When his Body + Blood are made present, they are the sacrifice of Calvary, offered again on our altar.
There are many things that link the Last Supper with the Cross. It was at the Last Supper that Jesus predicted Judas would betray him, and it was from the Last Supper table that Judas went to do his dirty deed. What happened that night was looking ahead and anticipating the events of Good Friday. And what he gave us in the Last Supper, what he gave us in the Mass, is the memorial of his death on the Cross.
There is a desire in us, as human beings, to offer a suitable prayer to God. And this most perfect and most suitable of all prayers is what he has given us in the Mass:
“Do THIS in memory of me
Sunday, 10 February 2008
1st Sunday of Lent, Year A, Shaftesbury
Gen 2:7-3:7; Rom 5:12-19; Mt 4:1-11.
I’m a Catholic priest, but not all my family are Catholic, and not all my friends are Catholic, and they find some things strange. One of the things they find most strange is us giving things up for Lent –I’ve been giving up chocolate for years, and a friend of mine always sends me a chocolate bar, Dairy Milk, for Easter Sunday. And he does so, I think, because the whole thing baffles him. ‘But you LIKE chocolate’, he says, ‘why not eat it?’ He can understand dieting for the body, but fasting for the soul seems beyond him.
So, why do we do it? Well, if we want an answer why, it’s nicely laid out for us in the readings for the First Sunday of Lent:
Jesus went out into the desert and fasted and prayed for 40 days, and our Lent of 40 days unites us with that time of Our Lord. To be a follower of Christ, is to see in the life of God-made-man the perfect pattern and meaning of our life -and so to desire to imitate him, including his fasting. And Jesus also taught us to fast, which is why Christians have fasted, even in giving small pleasures.
But this might just raise another question: WHY did Christ go to fast in the desert in the first place?
The answer lies in our first reading with the account of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. Our First Parents lived in happiness and harmony, but Sin shattered that. And Sin disrupts OUR human existence and damages our hope of happiness. That damage of sin had to be undone, and that is what Christ went into the desert to start.
The symbolism of the desert, and of references to things like bread, show us that Jesus was re-living the temptation of the people of Israel when they were wandering in the desert. They were tried and failed, but Christ was tried and purified. Not purified on his own behalf (he was perfect God), but on our behalf. Christ, the new Adam, faced and overcame the temptations that the first Adam failed. And in our Lent we are also tested and tempted, and can overcome sin, using the threefold means that Lent gives us: Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
When we fast, or do any form of penance, we are denying ourselves some form of pleasure, and so we help to detach ourselves from it. We help to orient ourselves more on God and less on earthly things.
Our Christian Faith teaches us that the good things of this world are given to us by God to enjoy –they are good, and that’s why we only deny ourselves at certain times –I eat chocolate the rest of the year, and I enjoy it, we have feasts as well as fasts.
But our desires are frequently disordered, we want things in a way that isn’t always good for us, in the extreme, we can get addicted.
Fasting disciplines our desires.
But true fasting isn’t just a good human discipline, like dieting. Fasting must go with the other two things that make up Lent: prayer and almsgiving. By praying, we not only make sure our fasting is oriented to God, but we also make it a more direct imitation of Christ –who both prayed and fasted in the desert. Fasting without prayer can just make us grumpy and disagreeable.
Fasting also changes the way we act towards others. If we’re purifying and detaching ourselves, then we should be more free to love. One way we do this is by giving to the poor.
I sometimes hear people say, ‘Oh, I’m not giving up things, I’m doing something positive!’ Well, it would be better to do both, actually to do all three: pray, fast, alms. Choose a small thing to give up, a small daily prayer to add, or weekday Mass, or Stations, and a small work of generosity for Lent.
If you haven’t yet decided what you’re giving up for Lent, decide now. Make the most of what the Church calls “This joyful season” –joyful because we have union with Christ.
We Catholics do things the world counts odd, but I’m not afraid of that –I think the modern world is more that a bit odd! I’m more than happy to stand with 2000 years of Christian tradition, and to stand with Christ who, for me and for you, went into the desert and fasted 40 days.
I’m a Catholic priest, but not all my family are Catholic, and not all my friends are Catholic, and they find some things strange. One of the things they find most strange is us giving things up for Lent –I’ve been giving up chocolate for years, and a friend of mine always sends me a chocolate bar, Dairy Milk, for Easter Sunday. And he does so, I think, because the whole thing baffles him. ‘But you LIKE chocolate’, he says, ‘why not eat it?’ He can understand dieting for the body, but fasting for the soul seems beyond him.
So, why do we do it? Well, if we want an answer why, it’s nicely laid out for us in the readings for the First Sunday of Lent:
Jesus went out into the desert and fasted and prayed for 40 days, and our Lent of 40 days unites us with that time of Our Lord. To be a follower of Christ, is to see in the life of God-made-man the perfect pattern and meaning of our life -and so to desire to imitate him, including his fasting. And Jesus also taught us to fast, which is why Christians have fasted, even in giving small pleasures.
But this might just raise another question: WHY did Christ go to fast in the desert in the first place?
The answer lies in our first reading with the account of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. Our First Parents lived in happiness and harmony, but Sin shattered that. And Sin disrupts OUR human existence and damages our hope of happiness. That damage of sin had to be undone, and that is what Christ went into the desert to start.
The symbolism of the desert, and of references to things like bread, show us that Jesus was re-living the temptation of the people of Israel when they were wandering in the desert. They were tried and failed, but Christ was tried and purified. Not purified on his own behalf (he was perfect God), but on our behalf. Christ, the new Adam, faced and overcame the temptations that the first Adam failed. And in our Lent we are also tested and tempted, and can overcome sin, using the threefold means that Lent gives us: Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
When we fast, or do any form of penance, we are denying ourselves some form of pleasure, and so we help to detach ourselves from it. We help to orient ourselves more on God and less on earthly things.
Our Christian Faith teaches us that the good things of this world are given to us by God to enjoy –they are good, and that’s why we only deny ourselves at certain times –I eat chocolate the rest of the year, and I enjoy it, we have feasts as well as fasts.
But our desires are frequently disordered, we want things in a way that isn’t always good for us, in the extreme, we can get addicted.
Fasting disciplines our desires.
But true fasting isn’t just a good human discipline, like dieting. Fasting must go with the other two things that make up Lent: prayer and almsgiving. By praying, we not only make sure our fasting is oriented to God, but we also make it a more direct imitation of Christ –who both prayed and fasted in the desert. Fasting without prayer can just make us grumpy and disagreeable.
Fasting also changes the way we act towards others. If we’re purifying and detaching ourselves, then we should be more free to love. One way we do this is by giving to the poor.
I sometimes hear people say, ‘Oh, I’m not giving up things, I’m doing something positive!’ Well, it would be better to do both, actually to do all three: pray, fast, alms. Choose a small thing to give up, a small daily prayer to add, or weekday Mass, or Stations, and a small work of generosity for Lent.
If you haven’t yet decided what you’re giving up for Lent, decide now. Make the most of what the Church calls “This joyful season” –joyful because we have union with Christ.
We Catholics do things the world counts odd, but I’m not afraid of that –I think the modern world is more that a bit odd! I’m more than happy to stand with 2000 years of Christian tradition, and to stand with Christ who, for me and for you, went into the desert and fasted 40 days.
Sunday, 19 August 2007
An Examination of Conscience for Teenagers
An Examination of Conscience for Teenagers
based on the Seven Deadly Sins
by Fr. Dylan James, 8-8-08
This examination of conscience is also available as a 2-sided Word document to either view or download at a Google Drive in American page size here or A4 page size here.
All references in the text below are to the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas.
5 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience -recall the sins that you have 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 confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O 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 all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Sins of omission: “In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do” -sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
e.g.Have I omitted to say my prayers?
Have I omitted to look for and respond to the needs of my friends?
Thought: “In thought, word, and deed”
e.g. Even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in thought?
Each area of my life should be considered:
e.g. My family, my friends, school life, study
Each area of my life should be considered: my family, my friends, my study, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Anagram: PLACES-G (the seven deadly sins):
Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony
We can usually assume that each of these capital sins is at work in us in some manner and degree, an examination of conscience should help us see how.
Note: The following examination of conscience groups sins according to the capital sins, the seven deadly sins from which other sins typically flow. The same material act may be sinful for different reasons, therefore each person needs to apply this examination to himself carefully. E.g. An act of lying is wrong, but it might be motivated by the capital sin of vanity (to make you look good), or from the capital sin of sloth/laziness (to avoid work), or from envy (to damage the reputation of another), or from a mixture of all three.
E.g. The material act of giving to the poor can be motivated by charity (virtue) or by vanity (vice). Hence this examination uses the vices to specify our sins.
Pride (ST II-II q162)
Pride is the mother of all sin (St. Gregory the Great, c.f. St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-II q162 a8).
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others, in my thoughts or words?
Have I ranked myself better than others?
Have I borne hated for others?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I been arrogant?
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I held others in contempt?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride:
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride. False-humility fails to use our gifts.
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Vanity (ST II-II q132)
Vanity is excessive concern about what others think of me –not just what they think of my appearance
Have I been overly concerned about what others think of me? Have I allowed this to motivate my actions?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
Have I exercised in a vain manner, or with an excessive concern to make my body perfect?
Have I been content with my lowly position?
Lust (ST II-II q.153; CCC 2351)
“Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”(CCC 2351).
Custody of the Eyes: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: On internet? or TV? or books?
Impure Thoughts:
Have I entertained impure thoughts?
Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Impure Words:
Conversation? Jokes?
Impure Acts:
Alone: Impure touches?
Incomplete or complete impure acts?
Impure touches with boy/girlfriend?
Have I flirted/toyed with the feelings of another?
Thoughtlessness: Have I thoughtfully considered and planned my actions?
Have I applied the standards of Christ to my actions?
Have I sought to avoid situations of sin?
Intemperance:
Have I driven recklessly, broken the speed limit (excessively)?
Have I respected the traffic laws enacted by the legitimate authority? (‘Fear God and honour the emperor’ 1 Pet 2:17)
Have I driven while under the influence of alcohol?
Anger/Wrath (ST II-II q158)
Anger is undue desire for vengeance –undue in cause or in amount.
Note the just anger of Christ cleansing the Temple: 'Zeal for thy house will consume me.' (Ps. 68:10): “How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:15-16)
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I nurtured imaginary angry conversations?
Have I been slow to forgive?
Have I lost my temper?
Impatience:
How have I carried my cross?
How have I carried my cross?
Have I been impatient with people, family, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Covetousness/Avarice (ST II-II q118 a1)
Avarice is the excessive love of possessing things
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to return things that I borrowed?
Did I borrow things without permission?
Have I been generous and cheerful in giving?
Have I wasted money?
Envy (ST II-II q36)
Envy/Jealousy –is sadness at the happiness or good of another
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, plans, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, car, possessions, friends etc of another person?
Have I taken pleasure in the failure or misfortune of another?
Have I rejoiced in the talents and good fortune of others?
Gossip and Sins of Speech:
Gossip: Have I judged others in my thoughts?
Have I damaged the reputation of another person by my words, attitude, or looks?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true? Have I exaggerated?
Have I said things that were true but that I nonetheless should have kept private?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Do I despise others of different race or class?
Lies: Have I lied or exaggerated?
Sloth/Apathy (ST II-II q35)
Laziness, especially in the things of God. Sloth is a sorrow in the face of spiritual good -it makes you lethargic and want to do nothing.
Have I sought God above all else, or have I put other priorities ahead of him? (e.g. friendships, ambition, comfort and ease)
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I attended Mass each and every Sunday?
Have I neglected to say my daily prayers?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer, or failed to give God due concentration in prayer or Mass? (Note: Not giving God the effort He deserves in prayer is a sin, but it is not the same thing as involuntary weakness in mental distractions.)
Have I made a prayerful preparation before Mass and a good thanksgiving after Mass?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Have I trusted God, especially in difficulty?
Have I received Holy Communion while in a state of serious sin? Have I neglected to seek Confession before Holy Communion?
Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain? Or used other foul language?
My Neighbour:
Have I been lazy in helping others?
Have I been attentive to the needs of my friends?
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive to others?
My Family:
Have I been more focussed on myself than on the needs of others in my family?
Have I neglected to help at home?
I have quarrelled needlessly?
Have I been pointlessly stubborn?
Have I given a bad or lazy example to younger family members?
Punctuality and Discipline:
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late?
Have I made good use of my time, or have I wasted time needlessly? E.g. TV or social media or the internet?
Have I gone to sleep on time?
Have I planned good use of relaxation and recreation, knowing that I need to rest well?
Have I studied as much as I should?
Gluttony (ST II-II q148)
Gluttony is the inordinate desire for food
Have I eaten more than I need?
To how serious an extent?
Have I drunk alcohol excessively?
Have driven after drinking?
Have I eaten greedily and with little consideration for those at table with me?
Have I regularly practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays?
Have I eaten meat on Fridays?
Have I always fasted an hour before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
The Ten Commandments:
(1) I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
(2) You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
(3) Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
(4) Honour your father and your mother.
(5) You shall not kill.
(6) You shall not commit adultery.
(7) You shall not steal.
(8) You shall not bear false witness.
(9) You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
(10) You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
based on the Seven Deadly Sins
by Fr. Dylan James, 8-8-08
This examination of conscience is also available as a 2-sided Word document to either view or download at a Google Drive in American page size here or A4 page size here.
All references in the text below are to the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas.
5 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience -recall the sins that you have 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 confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O 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 all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Sins of omission: “In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do” -sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
e.g.Have I omitted to say my prayers?
Have I omitted to look for and respond to the needs of my friends?
Thought: “In thought, word, and deed”
e.g. Even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in thought?
Each area of my life should be considered:
e.g. My family, my friends, school life, study
Each area of my life should be considered: my family, my friends, my study, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Anagram: PLACES-G (the seven deadly sins):
Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony
We can usually assume that each of these capital sins is at work in us in some manner and degree, an examination of conscience should help us see how.
Note: The following examination of conscience groups sins according to the capital sins, the seven deadly sins from which other sins typically flow. The same material act may be sinful for different reasons, therefore each person needs to apply this examination to himself carefully. E.g. An act of lying is wrong, but it might be motivated by the capital sin of vanity (to make you look good), or from the capital sin of sloth/laziness (to avoid work), or from envy (to damage the reputation of another), or from a mixture of all three.
E.g. The material act of giving to the poor can be motivated by charity (virtue) or by vanity (vice). Hence this examination uses the vices to specify our sins.
Pride (ST II-II q162)
Pride is the mother of all sin (St. Gregory the Great, c.f. St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-II q162 a8).
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others, in my thoughts or words?
Have I ranked myself better than others?
Have I borne hated for others?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I been arrogant?
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I held others in contempt?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride:
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride. False-humility fails to use our gifts.
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Vanity (ST II-II q132)
Vanity is excessive concern about what others think of me –not just what they think of my appearance
Have I been overly concerned about what others think of me? Have I allowed this to motivate my actions?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
Have I exercised in a vain manner, or with an excessive concern to make my body perfect?
Have I been content with my lowly position?
Lust (ST II-II q.153; CCC 2351)
“Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”(CCC 2351).
Custody of the Eyes: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: On internet? or TV? or books?
Impure Thoughts:
Have I entertained impure thoughts?
Have I consented to impure thoughts?
Impure Words:
Conversation? Jokes?
Impure Acts:
Alone: Impure touches?
Incomplete or complete impure acts?
Impure touches with boy/girlfriend?
Have I flirted/toyed with the feelings of another?
Thoughtlessness: Have I thoughtfully considered and planned my actions?
Have I applied the standards of Christ to my actions?
Have I sought to avoid situations of sin?
Intemperance:
Have I driven recklessly, broken the speed limit (excessively)?
Have I respected the traffic laws enacted by the legitimate authority? (‘Fear God and honour the emperor’ 1 Pet 2:17)
Have I driven while under the influence of alcohol?
Anger/Wrath (ST II-II q158)
Anger is undue desire for vengeance –undue in cause or in amount.
Note the just anger of Christ cleansing the Temple: 'Zeal for thy house will consume me.' (Ps. 68:10): “How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:15-16)
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I nurtured imaginary angry conversations?
Have I been slow to forgive?
Have I lost my temper?
Impatience:
How have I carried my cross?
How have I carried my cross?
Have I been impatient with people, family, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Covetousness/Avarice (ST II-II q118 a1)
Avarice is the excessive love of possessing things
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to return things that I borrowed?
Did I borrow things without permission?
Have I been generous and cheerful in giving?
Have I wasted money?
Envy (ST II-II q36)
Envy/Jealousy –is sadness at the happiness or good of another
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, plans, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, car, possessions, friends etc of another person?
Have I taken pleasure in the failure or misfortune of another?
Have I rejoiced in the talents and good fortune of others?
Gossip and Sins of Speech:
Gossip: Have I judged others in my thoughts?
Have I damaged the reputation of another person by my words, attitude, or looks?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true? Have I exaggerated?
Have I said things that were true but that I nonetheless should have kept private?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Do I despise others of different race or class?
Lies: Have I lied or exaggerated?
Sloth/Apathy (ST II-II q35)
Laziness, especially in the things of God. Sloth is a sorrow in the face of spiritual good -it makes you lethargic and want to do nothing.
Have I sought God above all else, or have I put other priorities ahead of him? (e.g. friendships, ambition, comfort and ease)
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I attended Mass each and every Sunday?
Have I neglected to say my daily prayers?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer, or failed to give God due concentration in prayer or Mass? (Note: Not giving God the effort He deserves in prayer is a sin, but it is not the same thing as involuntary weakness in mental distractions.)
Have I made a prayerful preparation before Mass and a good thanksgiving after Mass?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Have I trusted God, especially in difficulty?
Have I received Holy Communion while in a state of serious sin? Have I neglected to seek Confession before Holy Communion?
Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain? Or used other foul language?
My Neighbour:
Have I been lazy in helping others?
Have I been attentive to the needs of my friends?
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive to others?
My Family:
Have I been more focussed on myself than on the needs of others in my family?
Have I neglected to help at home?
I have quarrelled needlessly?
Have I been pointlessly stubborn?
Have I given a bad or lazy example to younger family members?
Punctuality and Discipline:
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late?
Have I made good use of my time, or have I wasted time needlessly? E.g. TV or social media or the internet?
Have I gone to sleep on time?
Have I planned good use of relaxation and recreation, knowing that I need to rest well?
Have I studied as much as I should?
Gluttony (ST II-II q148)
Gluttony is the inordinate desire for food
Have I eaten more than I need?
To how serious an extent?
Have I drunk alcohol excessively?
Have driven after drinking?
Have I eaten greedily and with little consideration for those at table with me?
Have I regularly practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays?
Have I eaten meat on Fridays?
Have I always fasted an hour before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
The Ten Commandments:
(1) I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
(2) You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
(3) Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
(4) Honour your father and your mother.
(5) You shall not kill.
(6) You shall not commit adultery.
(7) You shall not steal.
(8) You shall not bear false witness.
(9) You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
(10) You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
Friday, 10 August 2007
A detailed Examination of Conscience for Priests
A detailed Examination of Conscience for Priests
based on the Seven Deadly Sins
by Fr. Dylan James, 8-8-08
This examination of conscience is also available as a 2-sided Word document, in both A4 page size here and USA letter sized paper here.
All references in the text below are to the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas.
“In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do”
-sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
Our confession should specify our sins of omission,
e.g. Have I omitted to say my prayers? Omitted to look for and respond to the needs of my fellow priests?
In thought, word, and deed
-even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in thought?
Each area of my life should be considered: my apostolate, my family, my friends, my study, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Anagram: PLACES-G, Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony
We can usually assume that each of these capital sins is at work in us in some manner and degree, an examination of conscience should help us see how.
Note: The following examination of conscience groups sins according to the capital sins, the seven deadly sins from which other sins typically flow. The same material act may be sinful for different reasons, therefore each person needs to apply this examination to himself carefully. E.g. An act of lying is wrong, but it might be motivated by the capital sin of vanity (to make you look good), or from the capital sin of sloth/laziness (to avoid work), or from envy (to damage the reputation of another), or from a mixture of all three.
E.g. The material act of giving to the poor can be motivated by charity (virtue) or by vanity (vice). Hence this examination uses the vices to specify our sins.
Pride (ST II-II q162)
Pride is the mother of all sin (St. Gregory the Great, c.f. St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-II q162 a8). It is a craving for excellence beyond what is reasonable, an inordinate desire for one’s own superiority (ST II-II q162 a2). Reason requires that a man reach up for what is proportionate to him, and proportionate to his abilities. In pride a man seeks to be more than he should be. It makes a man hate being equal to men, and hate being less than God.
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I humbly admitted them to my spiritual director?
Have I sought things beyond me?
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others? Ranked myself better than others?
Judging: In thought, word, or deed?
Have I borne hated for another?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I abused my power by imposing my will/preferences/opinions
on parishioners, others in my care, or on friends?
Have I been insensitive in how I have proclaimed Christ’s truths?
Have I been arrogant? Have I held others in contempt?
Have I failed to show respect and obedience to those in authority?
To my Bishop, superior, spiritual director, professors?
In my inner judgements, and external words, or gossip?
Am I willing to go wherever the Bishop sends me? Cheerfully?
In my daily activity: Do I seek God’s will or my own will?
Have I failed to do my duties to my family/parents? E.g. return phone calls, visit, stay in touch? Have I been self-seeking in my time with family at home? Do I consider what I owe them? Have I spent time with them? How have I manifested my concern for them? Have I been forgiving and tolerant of them? Have I scandalized them by bad example?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride. False-humility fails to use our gifts.
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Have I avoided my duty to deal with difficult people and situations?
Have I failed to preach the harder teachings of Christ? In morals?
Vanity (ST II-II q132)
Concerns external glory. ‘Glory’ –the good of a person manifested to others. The proper end of glory is: God’s glory, and, our neighbour’s salvation -these two criteria can test whether our desire for glory is virtuous. Vanity flows from pride and looks like pride. Glory can be vain/empty in three ways (a1): The honour/thing sought is itself unworthy; The person from whom you seek it is unworthy; The glory sought is not referred to God.
The 7 daughters of vainglory: Boasting, Deceit (when we do not deserve the praise), A passion for innovation (so that something ‘new’ makes us look good), Stubbornness of opinion, Quarrelling, Contention, Disobedience.
Have I acted/joked/given talks more to impress others than to do God’s will or to help others?
Has my humour and conversation been self-seeking? Have my jokes been unkind? Have I listened to others?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
Is my physical exercise motivated by vanity or by health?
Ambition –have I sought recognition and advancement for my own glory, rather than to do God’s will?
Have I been content with my lowly position, or have I resented the role that Christ is asking me to fulfil?
Lust (ST II-II q.153; CCC 2351)
“Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”(CCC 2351). It is a sin of excess.
“Lust is about the greatest of pleasures, and these absorb the mind more than others” (St. Thomas), so when this goes wrong much goes wrong! But Lust is not the most serious sin –pride is.
The 8 daughters of lust (II-II q.153 a5): Blindness of the mind (because the passions cloud thinking), Rashness, Thoughtlessness, Inconstancy, Self-love, Hatred of God for forbidding lust, Love of the pleasures of this world, Despair of the future world.
Custody of the Eyes: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I looked at others impurely? With what frequency? Has this led to impure thoughts? What frequency and duration? Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: Have I used the internet, or TV?
Have I flirted/danced/toyed with the feelings of another?
Have I guarded my heart and thoughts against developing affections for particular women? Have I behaved in a way that might tempt romantic affections from women? Have I imprudently spent time alone with a woman? Have I paid excessive attention to more attractive women?
Impure Thoughts: Have I entertained impure thoughts? Briefly, or at length?
With what frequency? On what occasions? (e.g. at night when half-asleep and less culpable, or when fully awake?)
Impure acts: Alone, or with another? What frequency and on what occasions?
Impure touches? Impurity in hugs with others?
Words: Have my jokes, conversation, and flattery been pure?
Have I listened to or told impure jokes, tolerated foul conversation?
Have I encouraged/approved/aided the unchaste acts of others?
Have I failed to preach about Christ’s teachings on holy purity?
Have I celebrated Holy Mass while in a state of serious sin?
Have I neglected to seek Confession before celebrating Mass?
Modesty –has my dress been an occasion of sin for others?
Have I sought to flatter myself by drawing improper attention to my body?
Play –Have I been guilty of an excess or deficiency in resting myself in ‘play’ or relaxation?
The soul’s rest is in pleasure (ST II-II q168 a2).
Have I refused to express mirth at another’s humour? (A man who has no humour is an unreasonable burden to his fellow man. ST II-II q168 a4)
Thoughtlessness: Have I thoughtfully considered and planned my actions?
Have I applied the standards of Christ to my actions?
Have I sought to avoid situations of sin?
Intemperance: Have I driven recklessly, broken the speed limit (excessively)?
Have I respected the traffic laws enacted by the legitimate authority? (‘Fear God and honour the emperor’ 1 Pet 2:17)
Have I driven while under the influence of alcohol?
Anger/Wrath (ST II-II q158)
Anger is undue desire for vengeance –undue in cause or in amount. Anger can be just or unjust: punishment can be too much or too little, it can even not be deserved at all; it can be measured out by someone who does not have the authority to give it. Anger through zeal can be dangerous, and cloud later judgments. Lack of due anger: “unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices, it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but even the good to do wrong” (II-II q158 a8).
Note the just anger of Christ cleansing the Temple: 'Zeal for thy house will consume me.' (Ps. 68:10): “How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:15-16)
The 6 daughters of wrath: Indignation (we deem the one we are angry with to be unworthy), Swelling of the mind (as it fills with plots of revenge), Injurious words against our neighbour, Excessive manner of words against someone, Blasphemy, Quarrelling.
Have I tolerated abuses against others or against God? (lack of anger)
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I imagined bad conversations to nurture my anger?
Have I judged rashly?
Have I plotted revenge?
Have I sought to be a peace-maker? Have I been physically violent?
Have I refused or been slow or ungracious in forgiving?
Have I insulted people? Quarrelled with people?
Lost my temper?
Have I been disagreeable, rude, or abrupt to parishioners?
Impatience: How have I carried my cross?
Have I been impatient with people, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Do I accept the inconvenience of parishioners interrupting my plans?
Have I been angry with God rather than accepting of His will?
Covetousness/Avarice (ST II-II q118)
Avarice is the excessive love of possessing things (a1). It is contrary to reason and due measure. Material goods are only useful in helping us towards an end; to desire them in themselves in an evil. ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Tim 6:10) –i.e. it is a capital sin.
The 7 daughters of avarice: Hard-heartedness to the poor, Insensitivity to mercy, Dissatisfaction in thoughts, Restlessness in deeds, Violence (to acquire things), Falsehood (in words, including perjury), Fraud (in transactions), Treachery (as in the case of Judas).
Diocesan priestly living demands ‘simplicity of life’, the avoidance of ‘anything which could have an air of vanity’(Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, n.67), and a particular configuration to ‘imitate the mystery you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross’(Ordination Rite).
Have I sought to be poor, as Christ became poor for us (2 Cor 8:9)?
Have I been overly concerned about my own comfort and well-being?
Have I sought to have the Lord as my priestly inheritance (Num18:20)
or have I looked for earthly satisfactions?
Have I lived inner detachment from the world and its fading glories?
Have I been resentful of my lack of money?
Have I been generous in giving, even out of my own poverty,
especially to the poor? Have I given with a cheerful heart?
Have I sought to deny myself those worldly activities that are
unbecoming of a priest? Have I considered what these are?
Has my dining out, living quarters, transportation, car, vacations etc
eliminated ‘any kind of affectation and luxury’?
Have I bought myself an excessive amount of gadgets, ‘toys’, etc?
Have I unreasonably got the parish to buy these for me?
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to pay my bills on time?
Have I found little ways to cheat the parish of money?
Have I borrowed without permission?
Have I been honest in my dealings with others?
Have I used people for my own ends and advantage?
Have I paid excessive attention to people because they were rich
or because they might give me money?
Have I been guilty of favouritism in other ways?
Have I wasted money on unnecessary expenses or gambling?
Various other sins against justice:
Lies: Have I told lies out of envy (to damage another’s reputation), laziness (to avoid work), or vanity (to make me look good)?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Murder, Theft, Cheating, Contempt for others, Backbiting, Tale-bearing, Derision, Cursing, Boasting, Flattery, Quarrelling.
Envy (ST II-II q36)
Envy/Jealousy –is sadness at the happiness or good of another
The 5 Daughters of envy: Hatred (love desires the good of another), Tale-bearing (to lower a man’s reputation), Detraction, Joy at our neighbour’s misfortunes, Grief at our neighbour’s prosperity.
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, plans, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, car, possessions, friends etc of another person?
Have I taken pleasure in the failure or misfortune of a brother priest?
Have I rejoiced in the talents and good fortune of my brother priests?
Have I resented the promotion or recognition given to others?
Gossip and Sins of Speech:
Every man has a right to a good name. A man’s good name is his most precious social possession. Without it he cannot function in society: people will not trust him, will not talk to him, will despise him etc. Every man thus has a right to a good name and we do not have a right to take this away from someone. Even when we are accurately describing someone’s bad characteristics we are still depriving him of the good name that he has a right to.
Slander/Calumny –telling an untruth about someone
Detraction –telling a truth about someone that lessens his reputation/good name.
Detraction: Have I damaged the reputation of another?
By deeds/looks/words have I caused others to have a lower opinion of someone else?
Slander: Have I exaggerated/lied about the faults of others?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true?
Gossip: Have I led others to gossip?
Have I neglected to change the conversation/avoid conversation with others who are gossiping? Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Thoughts: Have I mentally judged others?
i.e. internal detraction/slander/gossip of the mind.
Have I been guilty of deception?
Do I despise others of different race, class or culture?
Sloth/Apathy (ST II-II q35)
Sloth is spiritual sorrow in the face of spiritual good, it is an oppressive sorrow that weighs on a man’s mind and makes him want to do nothing (a1). To not take joy in a good is a bad thing!
It is laziness in the things of God.
The 6 Daughter of sloth: Despair (by avoiding our ultimate end of God), Faint-heartedness (in the quest for sanctity), Sluggishness about the commandments, Spite (as in indignation –against other men who do seek sanctity), Malice (as a consequence of spite), Wandering after unlawful things (“Those who find no joy in spiritual pleasures have recourse to pleasures of the body” (a4)). Isidore adds: Idleness, drowsiness, uneasiness of mind, restlessness of body, instability, loquaciousness (talking too much), curiosity.
Have I sought God above all else, or have I put other priorities (e.g. friendships, clerical ambition, comfort and ease) ahead of him?
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Have I trusted God, especially in times of difficulty?
Have I kept the Lord’s Day holy?
Have I worked needlessly on Sunday?
Have I omitted some part of my plan of life: daily Mass, Breviary, daily Holy Hour, mental prayer, daily Rosary, spiritual reading etc?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer, or failed to give God due concentration in prayer, or rushed my Rosary, Office, or Holy Mass?
(Note: Not giving God the effort he deserves in prayer is a sin, but it is not the same thing as involuntary weakness in mental distractions.)
Have I fallen asleep in prayer due to lack of effort and discipline in getting to sleep on time? Have I gone to sleep on time?
Have I, due to lack of effort and discipline, lacked the sleep I need to study, engage in apostolate, and live charity to my neighbour?
Liturgy: Have I celebrated Mass every day (even when alone), reverently,
or have I been negligent and distracted in my approach?
Have I made priestly intercession for others, or only prayed for self?
Have I been faithful and observant of the rubrics at Mass?
Have I received Holy Communion reverently?
Have I made a due preparation before Mass begins?
Have I made an appropriate thanksgiving after Mass?
Laziness: Have I neglected the duties of my apostolate?
Have I returned phone calls?
Have I visited the sick and housebound?
Have I been negligent/sloppy/half-hearted in my apostolate?
Have I procrastinated (e.g. with email), avoiding more serious priorities? Have I wasted time watching useless TV, or social media, or the internet?
Have I given serious time to study, knowing is necessary for a priest?
Words:
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive/offensive to others?
Have I sinned against God by taking his name in vain?
Have I caused scandal to others by using foul language?
Example: Have I given scandal by setting a bad example to others by my sloth?
Has my behaviour or words led others to sin?
Have I set the good example Christ expects of a priest?
Punctuality: Have I sinned against my neighbour by being late for meetings?
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late or unprepared?
Have I sinned against God by being late for Mass or prayers?
Have I sought to help my fellow priests? Have I been attentive to their needs?
Gluttony (ST II-II q148)
Gluttony is the inordinate desire for food, unregulated by reason, knowingly exceeding need, for the sake of pleasure.
Gluttony tempts us in 5 ways: To seek food that is too much, too fancy, too expensive, to eat at improper/excessive times, or in hasty manner, or in a manner lacking manners & social consideration.
The 5 daughters of gluttony: Dullness of mind (whereas abstinence sharpens wits), Unseemly joy (the appetites get disordered), Idle talk, Scurrilous behaviour (because reason is dulled and bad behaviour follows), Bodily uncleanness.
Have I eaten more than I need? To how serious an extent?
Have I sought food with undue concentration?
Have I eaten with undue haste and lack of consideration of others?
Have I neglected the food needs of others at the table? (e.g. do I always take the last portion of food?)
Have I spent undue amounts of money of food?
Have I practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays and other fast days?
Have I fasted before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
Is my heart set on pleasure and amusement?
Drunkenness: Drunkenness impairs our use of reason. Reason is a gift of God, and is thus rejected in drunkenness. Drunkenness lowers us to the level of the animals, it makes us incapable of virtuous acts, incapable of charity to others, it makes us incapable of knowing right from wrong.
Have I drunk alcohol to excess? Repeatedly? Scandalously?
Have I used prudence to plan the quantity of my drinking?
The Ten Commandments:
I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day. Honour your father and your mother. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
based on the Seven Deadly Sins
by Fr. Dylan James, 8-8-08
This examination of conscience is also available as a 2-sided Word document, in both A4 page size here and USA letter sized paper here.
All references in the text below are to the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas.
“In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do”
-sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
Our confession should specify our sins of omission,
e.g. Have I omitted to say my prayers? Omitted to look for and respond to the needs of my fellow priests?
In thought, word, and deed
-even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in thought?
Each area of my life should be considered: my apostolate, my family, my friends, my study, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Anagram: PLACES-G, Pride, Lust, Anger, Covetousness, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony
We can usually assume that each of these capital sins is at work in us in some manner and degree, an examination of conscience should help us see how.
Note: The following examination of conscience groups sins according to the capital sins, the seven deadly sins from which other sins typically flow. The same material act may be sinful for different reasons, therefore each person needs to apply this examination to himself carefully. E.g. An act of lying is wrong, but it might be motivated by the capital sin of vanity (to make you look good), or from the capital sin of sloth/laziness (to avoid work), or from envy (to damage the reputation of another), or from a mixture of all three.
E.g. The material act of giving to the poor can be motivated by charity (virtue) or by vanity (vice). Hence this examination uses the vices to specify our sins.
Pride (ST II-II q162)
Pride is the mother of all sin (St. Gregory the Great, c.f. St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica II-II q162 a8). It is a craving for excellence beyond what is reasonable, an inordinate desire for one’s own superiority (ST II-II q162 a2). Reason requires that a man reach up for what is proportionate to him, and proportionate to his abilities. In pride a man seeks to be more than he should be. It makes a man hate being equal to men, and hate being less than God.
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I humbly admitted them to my spiritual director?
Have I sought things beyond me?
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others? Ranked myself better than others?
Judging: In thought, word, or deed?
Have I borne hated for another?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I abused my power by imposing my will/preferences/opinions
on parishioners, others in my care, or on friends?
Have I been insensitive in how I have proclaimed Christ’s truths?
Have I been arrogant? Have I held others in contempt?
Have I failed to show respect and obedience to those in authority?
To my Bishop, superior, spiritual director, professors?
In my inner judgements, and external words, or gossip?
Am I willing to go wherever the Bishop sends me? Cheerfully?
In my daily activity: Do I seek God’s will or my own will?
Have I failed to do my duties to my family/parents? E.g. return phone calls, visit, stay in touch? Have I been self-seeking in my time with family at home? Do I consider what I owe them? Have I spent time with them? How have I manifested my concern for them? Have I been forgiving and tolerant of them? Have I scandalized them by bad example?
Pusillanimity –the opposite of pride. False-humility fails to use our gifts.
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Have I avoided my duty to deal with difficult people and situations?
Have I failed to preach the harder teachings of Christ? In morals?
Vanity (ST II-II q132)
Concerns external glory. ‘Glory’ –the good of a person manifested to others. The proper end of glory is: God’s glory, and, our neighbour’s salvation -these two criteria can test whether our desire for glory is virtuous. Vanity flows from pride and looks like pride. Glory can be vain/empty in three ways (a1): The honour/thing sought is itself unworthy; The person from whom you seek it is unworthy; The glory sought is not referred to God.
The 7 daughters of vainglory: Boasting, Deceit (when we do not deserve the praise), A passion for innovation (so that something ‘new’ makes us look good), Stubbornness of opinion, Quarrelling, Contention, Disobedience.
Have I acted/joked/given talks more to impress others than to do God’s will or to help others?
Has my humour and conversation been self-seeking? Have my jokes been unkind? Have I listened to others?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
Is my physical exercise motivated by vanity or by health?
Ambition –have I sought recognition and advancement for my own glory, rather than to do God’s will?
Have I been content with my lowly position, or have I resented the role that Christ is asking me to fulfil?
Lust (ST II-II q.153; CCC 2351)
“Lust is disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure is morally disordered when sought for itself, isolated from its procreative and unitive purposes.”(CCC 2351). It is a sin of excess.
“Lust is about the greatest of pleasures, and these absorb the mind more than others” (St. Thomas), so when this goes wrong much goes wrong! But Lust is not the most serious sin –pride is.
The 8 daughters of lust (II-II q.153 a5): Blindness of the mind (because the passions cloud thinking), Rashness, Thoughtlessness, Inconstancy, Self-love, Hatred of God for forbidding lust, Love of the pleasures of this world, Despair of the future world.
Custody of the Eyes: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I looked at others impurely? With what frequency? Has this led to impure thoughts? What frequency and duration? Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: Have I used the internet, or TV?
Have I flirted/danced/toyed with the feelings of another?
Have I guarded my heart and thoughts against developing affections for particular women? Have I behaved in a way that might tempt romantic affections from women? Have I imprudently spent time alone with a woman? Have I paid excessive attention to more attractive women?
Impure Thoughts: Have I entertained impure thoughts? Briefly, or at length?
With what frequency? On what occasions? (e.g. at night when half-asleep and less culpable, or when fully awake?)
Impure acts: Alone, or with another? What frequency and on what occasions?
Impure touches? Impurity in hugs with others?
Words: Have my jokes, conversation, and flattery been pure?
Have I listened to or told impure jokes, tolerated foul conversation?
Have I encouraged/approved/aided the unchaste acts of others?
Have I failed to preach about Christ’s teachings on holy purity?
Have I celebrated Holy Mass while in a state of serious sin?
Have I neglected to seek Confession before celebrating Mass?
Modesty –has my dress been an occasion of sin for others?
Have I sought to flatter myself by drawing improper attention to my body?
Play –Have I been guilty of an excess or deficiency in resting myself in ‘play’ or relaxation?
The soul’s rest is in pleasure (ST II-II q168 a2).
Have I refused to express mirth at another’s humour? (A man who has no humour is an unreasonable burden to his fellow man. ST II-II q168 a4)
Thoughtlessness: Have I thoughtfully considered and planned my actions?
Have I applied the standards of Christ to my actions?
Have I sought to avoid situations of sin?
Intemperance: Have I driven recklessly, broken the speed limit (excessively)?
Have I respected the traffic laws enacted by the legitimate authority? (‘Fear God and honour the emperor’ 1 Pet 2:17)
Have I driven while under the influence of alcohol?
Anger/Wrath (ST II-II q158)
Anger is undue desire for vengeance –undue in cause or in amount. Anger can be just or unjust: punishment can be too much or too little, it can even not be deserved at all; it can be measured out by someone who does not have the authority to give it. Anger through zeal can be dangerous, and cloud later judgments. Lack of due anger: “unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices, it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but even the good to do wrong” (II-II q158 a8).
Note the just anger of Christ cleansing the Temple: 'Zeal for thy house will consume me.' (Ps. 68:10): “How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:15-16)
The 6 daughters of wrath: Indignation (we deem the one we are angry with to be unworthy), Swelling of the mind (as it fills with plots of revenge), Injurious words against our neighbour, Excessive manner of words against someone, Blasphemy, Quarrelling.
Have I tolerated abuses against others or against God? (lack of anger)
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I imagined bad conversations to nurture my anger?
Have I judged rashly?
Have I plotted revenge?
Have I sought to be a peace-maker? Have I been physically violent?
Have I refused or been slow or ungracious in forgiving?
Have I insulted people? Quarrelled with people?
Lost my temper?
Have I been disagreeable, rude, or abrupt to parishioners?
Impatience: How have I carried my cross?
Have I been impatient with people, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Do I accept the inconvenience of parishioners interrupting my plans?
Have I been angry with God rather than accepting of His will?
Covetousness/Avarice (ST II-II q118)
Avarice is the excessive love of possessing things (a1). It is contrary to reason and due measure. Material goods are only useful in helping us towards an end; to desire them in themselves in an evil. ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Tim 6:10) –i.e. it is a capital sin.
The 7 daughters of avarice: Hard-heartedness to the poor, Insensitivity to mercy, Dissatisfaction in thoughts, Restlessness in deeds, Violence (to acquire things), Falsehood (in words, including perjury), Fraud (in transactions), Treachery (as in the case of Judas).
Diocesan priestly living demands ‘simplicity of life’, the avoidance of ‘anything which could have an air of vanity’(Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests, n.67), and a particular configuration to ‘imitate the mystery you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross’(Ordination Rite).
Have I sought to be poor, as Christ became poor for us (2 Cor 8:9)?
Have I been overly concerned about my own comfort and well-being?
Have I sought to have the Lord as my priestly inheritance (Num18:20)
or have I looked for earthly satisfactions?
Have I lived inner detachment from the world and its fading glories?
Have I been resentful of my lack of money?
Have I been generous in giving, even out of my own poverty,
especially to the poor? Have I given with a cheerful heart?
Have I sought to deny myself those worldly activities that are
unbecoming of a priest? Have I considered what these are?
Has my dining out, living quarters, transportation, car, vacations etc
eliminated ‘any kind of affectation and luxury’?
Have I bought myself an excessive amount of gadgets, ‘toys’, etc?
Have I unreasonably got the parish to buy these for me?
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to pay my bills on time?
Have I found little ways to cheat the parish of money?
Have I borrowed without permission?
Have I been honest in my dealings with others?
Have I used people for my own ends and advantage?
Have I paid excessive attention to people because they were rich
or because they might give me money?
Have I been guilty of favouritism in other ways?
Have I wasted money on unnecessary expenses or gambling?
Various other sins against justice:
Lies: Have I told lies out of envy (to damage another’s reputation), laziness (to avoid work), or vanity (to make me look good)?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Murder, Theft, Cheating, Contempt for others, Backbiting, Tale-bearing, Derision, Cursing, Boasting, Flattery, Quarrelling.
Envy (ST II-II q36)
Envy/Jealousy –is sadness at the happiness or good of another
The 5 Daughters of envy: Hatred (love desires the good of another), Tale-bearing (to lower a man’s reputation), Detraction, Joy at our neighbour’s misfortunes, Grief at our neighbour’s prosperity.
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, plans, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, car, possessions, friends etc of another person?
Have I taken pleasure in the failure or misfortune of a brother priest?
Have I rejoiced in the talents and good fortune of my brother priests?
Have I resented the promotion or recognition given to others?
Gossip and Sins of Speech:
Every man has a right to a good name. A man’s good name is his most precious social possession. Without it he cannot function in society: people will not trust him, will not talk to him, will despise him etc. Every man thus has a right to a good name and we do not have a right to take this away from someone. Even when we are accurately describing someone’s bad characteristics we are still depriving him of the good name that he has a right to.
Slander/Calumny –telling an untruth about someone
Detraction –telling a truth about someone that lessens his reputation/good name.
Detraction: Have I damaged the reputation of another?
By deeds/looks/words have I caused others to have a lower opinion of someone else?
Slander: Have I exaggerated/lied about the faults of others?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true?
Gossip: Have I led others to gossip?
Have I neglected to change the conversation/avoid conversation with others who are gossiping? Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Thoughts: Have I mentally judged others?
i.e. internal detraction/slander/gossip of the mind.
Have I been guilty of deception?
Do I despise others of different race, class or culture?
Sloth/Apathy (ST II-II q35)
Sloth is spiritual sorrow in the face of spiritual good, it is an oppressive sorrow that weighs on a man’s mind and makes him want to do nothing (a1). To not take joy in a good is a bad thing!
It is laziness in the things of God.
The 6 Daughter of sloth: Despair (by avoiding our ultimate end of God), Faint-heartedness (in the quest for sanctity), Sluggishness about the commandments, Spite (as in indignation –against other men who do seek sanctity), Malice (as a consequence of spite), Wandering after unlawful things (“Those who find no joy in spiritual pleasures have recourse to pleasures of the body” (a4)). Isidore adds: Idleness, drowsiness, uneasiness of mind, restlessness of body, instability, loquaciousness (talking too much), curiosity.
Have I sought God above all else, or have I put other priorities (e.g. friendships, clerical ambition, comfort and ease) ahead of him?
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Have I trusted God, especially in times of difficulty?
Have I kept the Lord’s Day holy?
Have I worked needlessly on Sunday?
Have I omitted some part of my plan of life: daily Mass, Breviary, daily Holy Hour, mental prayer, daily Rosary, spiritual reading etc?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer, or failed to give God due concentration in prayer, or rushed my Rosary, Office, or Holy Mass?
(Note: Not giving God the effort he deserves in prayer is a sin, but it is not the same thing as involuntary weakness in mental distractions.)
Have I fallen asleep in prayer due to lack of effort and discipline in getting to sleep on time? Have I gone to sleep on time?
Have I, due to lack of effort and discipline, lacked the sleep I need to study, engage in apostolate, and live charity to my neighbour?
Liturgy: Have I celebrated Mass every day (even when alone), reverently,
or have I been negligent and distracted in my approach?
Have I made priestly intercession for others, or only prayed for self?
Have I been faithful and observant of the rubrics at Mass?
Have I received Holy Communion reverently?
Have I made a due preparation before Mass begins?
Have I made an appropriate thanksgiving after Mass?
Laziness: Have I neglected the duties of my apostolate?
Have I returned phone calls?
Have I visited the sick and housebound?
Have I been negligent/sloppy/half-hearted in my apostolate?
Have I procrastinated (e.g. with email), avoiding more serious priorities? Have I wasted time watching useless TV, or social media, or the internet?
Have I given serious time to study, knowing is necessary for a priest?
Words:
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive/offensive to others?
Have I sinned against God by taking his name in vain?
Have I caused scandal to others by using foul language?
Example: Have I given scandal by setting a bad example to others by my sloth?
Has my behaviour or words led others to sin?
Have I set the good example Christ expects of a priest?
Punctuality: Have I sinned against my neighbour by being late for meetings?
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late or unprepared?
Have I sinned against God by being late for Mass or prayers?
Have I sought to help my fellow priests? Have I been attentive to their needs?
Gluttony (ST II-II q148)
Gluttony is the inordinate desire for food, unregulated by reason, knowingly exceeding need, for the sake of pleasure.
Gluttony tempts us in 5 ways: To seek food that is too much, too fancy, too expensive, to eat at improper/excessive times, or in hasty manner, or in a manner lacking manners & social consideration.
The 5 daughters of gluttony: Dullness of mind (whereas abstinence sharpens wits), Unseemly joy (the appetites get disordered), Idle talk, Scurrilous behaviour (because reason is dulled and bad behaviour follows), Bodily uncleanness.
Have I eaten more than I need? To how serious an extent?
Have I sought food with undue concentration?
Have I eaten with undue haste and lack of consideration of others?
Have I neglected the food needs of others at the table? (e.g. do I always take the last portion of food?)
Have I spent undue amounts of money of food?
Have I practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays and other fast days?
Have I fasted before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
Is my heart set on pleasure and amusement?
Drunkenness: Drunkenness impairs our use of reason. Reason is a gift of God, and is thus rejected in drunkenness. Drunkenness lowers us to the level of the animals, it makes us incapable of virtuous acts, incapable of charity to others, it makes us incapable of knowing right from wrong.
Have I drunk alcohol to excess? Repeatedly? Scandalously?
Have I used prudence to plan the quantity of my drinking?
The Ten Commandments:
I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day. Honour your father and your mother. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife. You shall not covet your neighbour's goods.
Sunday, 1 July 2007
An Examination of Conscience for Lent, reflecting on Christ’s Suffering and Passion on the Cross
“The Cross exemplifies every virtue” (St Thomas Aquinas)
How do our lives compare with what Christ has shown us?
5 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience -recall the sins that you have 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 confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O 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 all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Sins of omission:
“In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do”-sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
e.g.Have I omitted to say my prayers?
or, Have I omitted to look for and respond to the needs of family?
Thought: “In thought, word, and deed”
e.g. Even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in my thoughts?
Each area of my life should be considered:
e.g. My family, my friends, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Christ loved us on the Cross: “Greater love than this has no one than to lay down his life for his friends”(Jn 15:13)
How have I failed to love?
Christ put our needs before His own, that we might be saved
“Each of you must think of others’ needs before your own”(Phil 2:4)
Have I been attentive to the needs of my neighbour, and the needs of my family?
Have I been lazy in helping others?
Have I been generous in giving to others?
Have I used people for my own ends and advantage?
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive to others?
My Family:
Have I been more focussed on myself than on the needs of others?
Have I spent time with my family? How have I manifested my concern for them? Have I been forgiving and tolerant of them? Have I scandalized them by a bad or lazy example?
Punctuality and Discipline:
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late?
Have I sinned against God and the congregation by being late for Mass?
Christ forgave His murderers, even as He hung on the Cross, saying, “Father, forgive them”(Lk 23:34)
Have I been slow to forgive others?
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I nurtured imaginary angry conversations?
Have I lost my temper?
Have I borne hated for another?
Gossip:
Have I judged others in my thoughts?
Have I damaged the reputation of another person by my words, attitude, or looks?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true? Have I exaggerated?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Lies: Have I lied or exaggerated?
Christ did the will of the Father, saying, “Not my will by Yours be done”(Lk 22:42)
Have I sought God and His will above all else, or have I put other priorities ahead of him? (e.g. friendships, ambition, comfort and ease)
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Christ was patient on the Cross, bearing it for our sakes
How have I carried my cross?
Have I been willing to suffer in my service of others?
Have I grumbled and complained? C.f. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing”(Phil 2:14)
Have I been impatient with people, family, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Christ trusted in the Father, even as He died on the Cross, saying, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit”(Lk 23:46)
Have I trusted God, especially in times of difficulty?
Christ “despised earthly riches”, becoming “poor for our sake” (2 Cor 8 :9)
Have I ranked money and riches too highly?
Have I been overly concerned about my own comfort and well-being?
Have I been resentful of my lack of money?
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to pay my bills on time?
Have I wasted money?
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, possessions, money, friends, family, of others?
Christ “despised earthly pleasures” that He might give Himself in love for us
Have I been overly attached to pleasures of food or sex?
Have I eaten more than I need?
To how serious an extent?
Have I spent excessive money on food?
Have I drunk alcohol excessively?
Have driven after drinking?
Have I eaten greedily and with little consideration for those at table with me?
Have I given money to help the hungry?
Have I regularly practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays?
Have I abstained from meat on Fridays?
Have I always fasted an hour before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
“Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: On internet? or TV?
Have I entertained impure thoughts?
Impure Acts: Alone, or with another?
Christ prayed, even as He hung on the Cross
Have I neglected to say my daily prayers?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer?
Have I attended Mass each and every Sunday?
Have I done unnecessary servile work on a Sunday, or bought or sold things on a Sunday?
Have I made a prayerful preparation before Mass and a good thanksgiving after Mass?
Have I received Holy Communion while in a state of serious sin?
Have I neglected to seek Confession before Holy Communion?
Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain? Or used other foul language?
Christ allowed Himself to be mocked by the soldiers, spat upon, and publically striped of his clothes
Have I been overly concerned about what others think of me? Have I allowed this to motivate my actions?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
“Christ was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross”(Phil 2:8)
Have I been content with my lowly position, or have I resented the role that Christ asks of me?
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others, in my thoughts or words?
Have I ranked myself better than others?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Do I despise others of different race, class or culture?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I been arrogant?
Have I held others in contempt?
Pusillanimity –false humility:
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Christ endured all things upon the Cross,
Have I persevered in the work God asks of me?
Have I made good use of my time, or have I wasted time needlessly? E.g. TV or internet?
Have I planned good use of relaxation and recreation, knowing that I need to rest well?
Have I gone to sleep on time?
How do our lives compare with what Christ has shown us?
5 STEPS FOR A GOOD CONFESSION
1. Examine your conscience -recall the sins that you have 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 confession, do the penance the priest gives to you.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O 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 all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
Sins of omission:
“In what I have done, and in what I have failed to do”-sins of omission may be more serious than sins of commission
e.g.Have I omitted to say my prayers?
or, Have I omitted to look for and respond to the needs of family?
Thought: “In thought, word, and deed”
e.g. Even if I did not gossip in word, did I judge someone in my thoughts?
Each area of my life should be considered:
e.g. My family, my friends, my work, my prayer, those I work and live with etc.
Christ loved us on the Cross: “Greater love than this has no one than to lay down his life for his friends”(Jn 15:13)
How have I failed to love?
Christ put our needs before His own, that we might be saved
“Each of you must think of others’ needs before your own”(Phil 2:4)
Have I been attentive to the needs of my neighbour, and the needs of my family?
Have I been lazy in helping others?
Have I been generous in giving to others?
Have I used people for my own ends and advantage?
Has my conversation been focussed on my own pleasure, or on others?
Has my humour been insensitive to others?
My Family:
Have I been more focussed on myself than on the needs of others?
Have I spent time with my family? How have I manifested my concern for them? Have I been forgiving and tolerant of them? Have I scandalized them by a bad or lazy example?
Punctuality and Discipline:
Have I wasted other people’s time by being late?
Have I sinned against God and the congregation by being late for Mass?
Christ forgave His murderers, even as He hung on the Cross, saying, “Father, forgive them”(Lk 23:34)
Have I been slow to forgive others?
Have I harboured resentment, grudges, and hatred in my thoughts?
Have I nurtured imaginary angry conversations?
Have I lost my temper?
Have I borne hated for another?
Gossip:
Have I judged others in my thoughts?
Have I damaged the reputation of another person by my words, attitude, or looks?
Have I repeated accusations that might not be true? Have I exaggerated?
Have I failed to defend the reputation of others?
Have I failed to keep secrets?
Lies: Have I lied or exaggerated?
Christ did the will of the Father, saying, “Not my will by Yours be done”(Lk 22:42)
Have I sought God and His will above all else, or have I put other priorities ahead of him? (e.g. friendships, ambition, comfort and ease)
Have I got so caught up in the things of this world that I’ve forgotten God?
Have I risked losing my faith/piety by bad company, bad reading, cowardice, or pride?
Christ was patient on the Cross, bearing it for our sakes
How have I carried my cross?
Have I been willing to suffer in my service of others?
Have I grumbled and complained? C.f. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing”(Phil 2:14)
Have I been impatient with people, family, events, sufferings, sicknesses?
Christ trusted in the Father, even as He died on the Cross, saying, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit”(Lk 23:46)
Have I trusted God, especially in times of difficulty?
Christ “despised earthly riches”, becoming “poor for our sake” (2 Cor 8 :9)
Have I ranked money and riches too highly?
Have I been overly concerned about my own comfort and well-being?
Have I been resentful of my lack of money?
Have I cheated, stolen, or failed to pay my bills on time?
Have I wasted money?
Have I envied or been jealous of the abilities, talents, ideas, good-looks, intelligence, clothes, possessions, money, friends, family, of others?
Christ “despised earthly pleasures” that He might give Himself in love for us
Have I been overly attached to pleasures of food or sex?
Have I eaten more than I need?
To how serious an extent?
Have I spent excessive money on food?
Have I drunk alcohol excessively?
Have driven after drinking?
Have I eaten greedily and with little consideration for those at table with me?
Have I given money to help the hungry?
Have I regularly practiced fasting and self-denial, especially on Fridays?
Have I abstained from meat on Fridays?
Have I always fasted an hour before receiving Holy Communion at Mass?
“Whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28)
Have I viewed other people as mere sexual objects rather than as persons to be loved?
Pornography: On internet? or TV?
Have I entertained impure thoughts?
Impure Acts: Alone, or with another?
Christ prayed, even as He hung on the Cross
Have I neglected to say my daily prayers?
Have I entertained distractions in prayer?
Have I attended Mass each and every Sunday?
Have I done unnecessary servile work on a Sunday, or bought or sold things on a Sunday?
Have I made a prayerful preparation before Mass and a good thanksgiving after Mass?
Have I received Holy Communion while in a state of serious sin?
Have I neglected to seek Confession before Holy Communion?
Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain? Or used other foul language?
Christ allowed Himself to be mocked by the soldiers, spat upon, and publically striped of his clothes
Have I been overly concerned about what others think of me? Have I allowed this to motivate my actions?
Have I lied or exaggerated to make myself look good?
Have I wasted undue time and money on clothes and appearance?
“Christ was humbler yet, even to accepting death on a cross”(Phil 2:8)
Have I been content with my lowly position, or have I resented the role that Christ asks of me?
Have I refused to admit my own weaknesses?
Have I dwelt on the failings of others?
Have I judged others, in my thoughts or words?
Have I ranked myself better than others?
Have I refused to learn from others?
Do I despise others of different race, class or culture?
Have I been stubborn? Refused to admit I was wrong? Refused to accept that another person had a better idea?
Have I been arrogant?
Have I held others in contempt?
Pusillanimity –false humility:
Have I neglected to use the talents that God has given me?
Christ endured all things upon the Cross,
Have I persevered in the work God asks of me?
Have I made good use of my time, or have I wasted time needlessly? E.g. TV or internet?
Have I planned good use of relaxation and recreation, knowing that I need to rest well?
Have I gone to sleep on time?
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Chastity Cord of St Joseph
St. Joseph’s Cord
The devotion of wearing this cord in honour of St Joseph was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on September 19, 1859, and it was also blessed and approved by Pope Pius IX. Graces obtained by the wearing of this Cord are as follows:
Saint Joseph’s special protection;
Purity of soul,
The grace of chastity,
Final perseverance,
Particular assistance at the hour of death.
The Cord should be of thread or cotton, with seven knots at one end, and should be worn around the waist. It should be blessed by a priest (see blessing prayers below). One who wears the Cord should recite the Glory be to the Father seven times daily in honour of St. Joseph, together with the prayer for purity below (From book: ‘Favorite prayers to St. Joseph’, p. 6)
Prayer For Purity
O Guardian of Virgins and holy Father Saint Joseph, into whose faithful keeping were entrusted Christ Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges Jesus and Mary, that, being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the days of my life. Amen.
Words of Saint Thomas Aquinas on St Joseph:
“Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron Saint Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.”
Why a Chastity Cord?
The cincture, like the one priests wear at Mass, is a sign of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -and before. Old Testament priests wore cinctures, consecrated Virgins and religious wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honour of a particular Saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities (groups of faithful devoted to a religious cause) also wear cinctures as signs of their affiliation and chastity.
The Cord itself is simply a white cord of thread or cotton, knotted in 7 places (one knot for each of the 7 Sorrows of St. Joseph and their related Joys) and should be blessed by a priest..
The cincture or Cord of St. Joseph originated in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1657 with the miraculous cure of a devout Augustinian nun named Sister Elizabeth. After a severe and painful illness of three years’ duration, the physicians had given up hope of curing her and expected her soon to die. But Sister Elizabeth, having always been devoted to St. Joseph, made a cord, had it blessed in the Saint’s honor and put it around her waist. A few days later, when praying before his statue, she was suddenly freed from pain. Her recovery was considered miraculous. Eventually the devotion of the cord spread, and numerous special graces were obtained through its devout use. The cord was used not merely as a remedy against bodily ailments, but also as a spiritual aid to preserve the virtue of purity. The devotion was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on September 19, 1859, and it was also blessed and approved by Pope Pius IX.
Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph
1. The doubt of St. Joseph (Matt. 1:19).......... The message of the Angel (Matt. 1:20)
2. The poverty of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7)......... The birth of the Saviour (Luke 2:10-11)
3. The Circumcision (Luke 2:21)..................... The Holy Name of Jesus (Matt. 1:25)
4. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34).......... The effects of the Redemption (Luke 2:38)
5. The flight into Egypt (Matt. 2:14)................. The overthrow of the idols of Egypt (Is. 19:1)
6. The return from Egypt (Matt. 2:22).............. Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth (Luke 2:39)
7. The loss of the Child Jesus (Luke 2:45)........ The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:46)
Priest's Blessing of Chastity Cord
V: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R: Who made heaven and earth.
V: The Lord be with you.
R: And with your spirit
V: Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us the counsel and love of virginity, and gave the precept of chastity, we appeal to Thy kindness, asking that You bless and hallow this cincture as a token of purity. Let he who girds himself with it as a safeguard of chastity be enabled, by the prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Your holy Mother, to practice that continence which is so pleasing to You, and to live in obedience to Your commandments. May he also obtain pardon of his sins, health in mind and body, and finally attain everlasting life. We ask this of You who live and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
R: Amen.
V:Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, grant, we pray, that those who revere the inviolate virginity of the most pure Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph, her spouse, may by their prayers be pure in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who committed the boy Jesus and the most pure Mary, ever a Virgin, to the care of the chaste man Saint Joseph, we humbly entreat Thee that those who are girded with this cincture in honour of Saint Joseph and under his patronage may, by Your help and his prayers, persevere in holy chastity for all time; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
Let us pray.
God, the lover and restorer of innocence, we pray that Your faithful who are to wear this cincture may, by the prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Your holy Mother, have his loins girded and hold burning lamps in his hands, and thus be likened to men who wait for their Lord when He shall return for a wedding, that when He comes and knocks he may open to Him, and be found worthy of being taken into everlasting joys; through You who live and reign forever and ever.
R: Amen
Then the priest sprinkles the cincture with holy water, and says:
Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
V: Save Your servants.
R: Who trust in You, my God.
V: Lord, send them aid from Your holy place.
R: And watch over them from Sion.
V: Lord, heed my prayer. R: And let my cry be heard by You.
V: The Lord be with you. R: And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God of mercy, God of goodness, You are pleased with all good things, and without whom no good work is begun, no good work is finished; kindly hear our prayers, and defend Your faithful, who is to wear this blessed cincture in honour of Saint Joseph and under his protection, from the snares of this world and all its lusts. Help him to persist in his holy resolution and to obtain pardon of his sins, and thus merit to be numbered among Your elect; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
The devotion of wearing this cord in honour of St Joseph was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on September 19, 1859, and it was also blessed and approved by Pope Pius IX. Graces obtained by the wearing of this Cord are as follows:
Saint Joseph’s special protection;
Purity of soul,
The grace of chastity,
Final perseverance,
Particular assistance at the hour of death.
The Cord should be of thread or cotton, with seven knots at one end, and should be worn around the waist. It should be blessed by a priest (see blessing prayers below). One who wears the Cord should recite the Glory be to the Father seven times daily in honour of St. Joseph, together with the prayer for purity below (From book: ‘Favorite prayers to St. Joseph’, p. 6)
Prayer For Purity
O Guardian of Virgins and holy Father Saint Joseph, into whose faithful keeping were entrusted Christ Jesus, Innocence itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, I pray and beseech thee by these dear pledges Jesus and Mary, that, being preserved from all uncleanness, I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the days of my life. Amen.
Words of Saint Thomas Aquinas on St Joseph:
“Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron Saint Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.”
The cincture, like the one priests wear at Mass, is a sign of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -and before. Old Testament priests wore cinctures, consecrated Virgins and religious wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honour of a particular Saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities (groups of faithful devoted to a religious cause) also wear cinctures as signs of their affiliation and chastity.
The Cord itself is simply a white cord of thread or cotton, knotted in 7 places (one knot for each of the 7 Sorrows of St. Joseph and their related Joys) and should be blessed by a priest..
The cincture or Cord of St. Joseph originated in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1657 with the miraculous cure of a devout Augustinian nun named Sister Elizabeth. After a severe and painful illness of three years’ duration, the physicians had given up hope of curing her and expected her soon to die. But Sister Elizabeth, having always been devoted to St. Joseph, made a cord, had it blessed in the Saint’s honor and put it around her waist. A few days later, when praying before his statue, she was suddenly freed from pain. Her recovery was considered miraculous. Eventually the devotion of the cord spread, and numerous special graces were obtained through its devout use. The cord was used not merely as a remedy against bodily ailments, but also as a spiritual aid to preserve the virtue of purity. The devotion was approved by the Sacred Congregation of Rites on September 19, 1859, and it was also blessed and approved by Pope Pius IX.
Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph
1. The doubt of St. Joseph (Matt. 1:19).......... The message of the Angel (Matt. 1:20)
2. The poverty of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:7)......... The birth of the Saviour (Luke 2:10-11)
3. The Circumcision (Luke 2:21)..................... The Holy Name of Jesus (Matt. 1:25)
4. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34).......... The effects of the Redemption (Luke 2:38)
5. The flight into Egypt (Matt. 2:14)................. The overthrow of the idols of Egypt (Is. 19:1)
6. The return from Egypt (Matt. 2:22).............. Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth (Luke 2:39)
7. The loss of the Child Jesus (Luke 2:45)........ The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:46)
Priest's Blessing of Chastity Cord
V: Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R: Who made heaven and earth.
V: The Lord be with you.
R: And with your spirit
V: Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us the counsel and love of virginity, and gave the precept of chastity, we appeal to Thy kindness, asking that You bless and hallow this cincture as a token of purity. Let he who girds himself with it as a safeguard of chastity be enabled, by the prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Your holy Mother, to practice that continence which is so pleasing to You, and to live in obedience to Your commandments. May he also obtain pardon of his sins, health in mind and body, and finally attain everlasting life. We ask this of You who live and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
R: Amen.
V:Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, grant, we pray, that those who revere the inviolate virginity of the most pure Virgin Mary and of Saint Joseph, her spouse, may by their prayers be pure in mind and body; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who committed the boy Jesus and the most pure Mary, ever a Virgin, to the care of the chaste man Saint Joseph, we humbly entreat Thee that those who are girded with this cincture in honour of Saint Joseph and under his patronage may, by Your help and his prayers, persevere in holy chastity for all time; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
Let us pray.
God, the lover and restorer of innocence, we pray that Your faithful who are to wear this cincture may, by the prayers of Saint Joseph, spouse of Your holy Mother, have his loins girded and hold burning lamps in his hands, and thus be likened to men who wait for their Lord when He shall return for a wedding, that when He comes and knocks he may open to Him, and be found worthy of being taken into everlasting joys; through You who live and reign forever and ever.
R: Amen
Then the priest sprinkles the cincture with holy water, and says:
Sprinkle me with hyssop, Lord, and I shall be clean of sin. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
V: Save Your servants.
R: Who trust in You, my God.
V: Lord, send them aid from Your holy place.
R: And watch over them from Sion.
V: Lord, heed my prayer. R: And let my cry be heard by You.
V: The Lord be with you. R: And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
O God of mercy, God of goodness, You are pleased with all good things, and without whom no good work is begun, no good work is finished; kindly hear our prayers, and defend Your faithful, who is to wear this blessed cincture in honour of Saint Joseph and under his protection, from the snares of this world and all its lusts. Help him to persist in his holy resolution and to obtain pardon of his sins, and thus merit to be numbered among Your elect; through Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)