A Gift to the Holy Father on His Visit to California
September 1987
A GOOD CONFESSION
It was with great joy that I received the news that the Irish Bishops had
asked all the faithful to go to Confession as part of a great spiritual
preparation for my visit to Ireland. You could not have given me a greater
gift. And if today there is someone who is still hesitating, for one reason
or another, please remember this: the person who knows how to acknowledge the
truth of guilt, and asks Christ for forgiveness, enhances his own human
dignity and manifests spiritual greatness.
Because of Christ's love and mercy, there is no sin that is too great to
be forgiven; there is no sinner who will be rejected. Every person who
repents will be received by Jesus Christ with forgiveness and immense love.
1. Examine Our Conscience
2. Be Sorry For Our Sins
3. Make A Firm Purpose Of Amendment
4. Confess Our Sins To A Priest
5. Perform Our Penance
For an examination of conscience, go to main menu, select "F" and download
the file "CONFESS.1".
AN EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
(The following questions are adapted from "The Rites of the Catholic Church,
Rite of Penance, Appendix III")
(Begin by praying to God for his light and grace)
Some preliminary questions
* Am I determined to courageously call good and evil by their proper name?
Do I sincerely want to be set free from sin, to turn again to God, to
begin a new life, and to enter into a deeper friendship with God through
this confession?
* In past confessions, did I forget to mention, or deliberately conceal,
any grave sins?
* Have I received Holy Communion while conscious of having committed a
mortal sin but not having gone to confession?
* Did I perform the penance I was given in my last confession? Did I make
reparation for any injury to others? Have I been sincere in my efforts to
lead a better life in keeping with the Gospel?
Questions related to the greatest commandment:
"You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart."
* Is my heart set on God, so that I really love him above all things and am
faithful to his commandments, as a child loves and obeys its father? Or
am I more concerned about the things of this world? Have I a right
intention in what I do, seeking above all to fulfill the will of God?
* God spoke to us in his Son. Is my faith in God firm and secure? Am I
wholehearted in accepting the Church's teaching? Have I been careful to
grow in my understanding of the faith, to hear God's word, to study the
doctrine of the Church, to avoid dangers to faith? Have I been strong
and fearless in professing my faith in God and the Church? Am I
consistent with the faith in public and private life?
* Have I prayed morning and evening? When I pray, do I really raise my mind
and heart to God or is it a matter of words only? Do I offer God my
difficulties, my joys, and my sorrows? Do I turn to God in time of
temptation? Do I thank him often for his many favors?
* Do I have love and reverence for God's name? Have I offended him by
blasphemy, swearing falsely, or taking his name in vain? Have I shown
disrespect for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints?
* Have I missed Mass on Sundays or Holy Days--or caused others to do so--
through my own fault? Have I participated in Mass with attention and
devotion? Have I fulfilled the precept of annual confession and of
communion during the Easter season?
* Are there "false gods" in my life: superstition, spiritism or other
occult practices; money or other things, human ambitions or even persons
that mean more to me than God does?
Questions related to the commandment of
a right love of self and the love of neighbor:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
* Where is my life leading me? Is the hope of eternal life my
inspiration? Am I really trying to grow in a spiritual life through
prayer, reading the word of God and meditating on it, receiving the
sacraments, self-denial and acceptance of the sorrows and
disappointments of life for the love of Christ? Have I kept the
precept of fasting and abstinence? Have I strived to control my
vices, my bad inclinations and passions, e.g. envy, love of food and
drink? Have I fought especially against self-love or have I been
proud and boastful, thinking myself better in the sight of God and
despising others as less important than myself? Have I imposed my own
will on others, without respecting their freedom and rights?
* What use have I made of time, of health and strength, of the gifts God
has given me, like the talents of the Gospel? Do I use them for the
glory of God and the good of others and my true good? Do I use them
fully, or have I been lazy and too much given to leisure?
* Do I have a genuine love for my neighbors? Or do I use others for my own
ends, or do to them what I would not want done to myself? Have I given
grave scandal by my words or actions?
* In my family life, have I contributed to the well-being and
happiness of the others by patience and genuine love? Have I been
obedient to parents, showing them proper respect and giving them help
in their spiritual and material needs? Have I been careful to give a
Christian upbringing to my children, and to help them by good example
and by exercising authority as a parent? Have I been faithful to my
husband (wife) in my heart and in my relations with others?
* Do I share my possessions with the less fortunate? Do I do my best to
help the victims of oppression, misfortune, and poverty? Or do I look
down on my neighbor, especially the poor, the sick, the elderly,
strangers, and people of other races?
* Does my life reflect the mission I received in confirmation? Do I
share in the apostolic and charitable works of the Church and in the
life of my parish? Have I helped to meet the needs of the Church and
of the world and prayed for them: for unity in the Church, for the
spread of the Gospel among nations, for peace and justice, etc.?
* Am I concerned for the good and prosperity of the human community in
which I live, or do I spend my life caring only for myself? Do I
share to the best of my ability in the work of promoting justice,
morality, harmony, and love in human relations? Have I done my duty
as a citizen? Have I paid my taxes?
* In my work or profession am I just, hardworking, honest, serving society
out of love of others? Have I paid a fair wage to my employees? Have I
been faithful to my promises and contracts?
* Have I obeyed legitimate authority and given it due respect?
* If I am in a position of responsibility or authority, do I use this
for my own advantage or for the good of others, in a spirit of
service?
* Have I done violence to others by damage to life or limb, reputation,
honor or material possessions? Have I been responsible for advising an
abortion or procuring one? Have I been involved in permitting or
encouraging the breakdown of matrimony and its integrity through
artificial fertilization? Have I kept up hatred for others? Am I
estranged from others through quarrels, enmity, insults, anger? Have I
been guilty of refusing to testify to the innocence of another because of
selfishness?
* Have I kept my senses and my whole body pure and chaste as a temple
of the Holy Spirit, consecrated for resurrection and glory, and in
order to have the self-mastery and selfless love required to live out
my vocation in life? Have I dishonored my body by fornication,
impurity, unworthy conversation or thoughts, evil desires, or actions?
Have I given in to sensuality? Have I indulged in reading,
conversation, shows, and entertainments that offend against Christian
and human decency? Have I encouraged others to sin by my own failure
to maintain these standards? Have I been faithful to the moral law in
my married life? Am I guilty of the sin of contraception?
* Have I been truthful and fair, or have I injured others by deceit,
calumny, detraction, rash judgment, or violation of a secret?
* Have I stolen the property of others? Have I desired it unjustly and
inordinately? Have I damaged it? Have I made restitution of other
people's property and made good their loss?
* If I have been injured, have I been ready to make peace for the love of
Christ and to forgive, or do I harbor hatred and the desire for revenge?
OUR PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT
True sorrow for sins includes the firm resolve not to sin again and to
avoid the near occasions of sin. The Christian vocation, however, is
essentially a call to growth, in fact, to holiness itself. Our purpose of
amendment should include a resolve to advance, not only to avoid sin. It is
very appropriate to make resolutions to pray more, to study or work better, to
do more for others, God and the Church.
Some typical resolutions of spiritual growth:
- Make a daily examination of conscience.
- Read and reflect on Scripture for 5 minutes each day.
- Study a book of Christian Doctrine for one-half hour each week.
- Strive to have more order in the way I work or study.
- Smile more around the home.
- Get to know better the people I study, work and socialize with.
- Perform one act of self-denial each day for the love of God.
- Spend some time each week doing some act of service to those most in
need.
- Attend Mass one extra day during the week.
- Go to confession once a month.
SOME ACTS OF CONTRITION
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my
sins, because of Your just punishments, 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 sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of
sin.
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all
things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and
to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died
for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.
CALIFORNIA YOUTH GRATEFUL TO THE POPE
350 7th Avenue, Suite 116
San Francisco, CA 94118
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