Examination of Conscience for Adults
A comprehensive examination of conscience based on twelve virtues
By: REV. DONALD F. MILLER, C.SS.R.
Please save this blog for use before going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Introduction
Self-examination
has always been considered a necessary means of progress in virtue.
All Religious Orders and congregations have provision in their rules for
at least one daily examination of conscience. While the practice is
also necessary for lay people, there have been few booklets offered to
them whereby a systematic examination of conscience might be made at
definite times. Lists of sins may be found in prayer books and
pamphlets, but frequently they lack completeness, or they make no
clear-cut distinctions between mortal and venial sin, or they make no
reference to the helps and counsels that might build up virtue and
prevent sin.
The
object of this booklet is to initiate lay people into the practice of
concentrating their efforts at self-perfection on one virtue a month. It
provides a fairly complete list of mortal sins to be avoided, of venial
sins to be corrected, and of helps and counsels that may be practiced.
For each month a short explanation of the virtue to be practiced is
given, an aspiration is suggested for frequent use, and a prayer is
added containing sorrow for the past and resolve for the future.
The
division of the obligations of the Christian life into twelve virtues
is not one that can be made without some degree of arbitrary
arrangement of material. There will be overlapping, some repetition,
and not always a strictly logical inclusion of questions under a given
head. The practical purpose has been kept in mind, rather than the
theoretical; an effort has been made to bring into each month reminders
of some of the fundamental obligations every Christian has, as these
can be related to given virtues.
A
warning should be given to souls who are inclined to scrupulosity. Such
souls are frequently disturbed by reading lists of sins, because they
erroneously think themselves guilty where they are not guilty at all.
They should have permission of their confessor before they undertake to
make a minute examination of conscience, and in every doubt must obey
their confessor blindly. Aside from the scrupulous, some persons may
find doubts arising from certain questions because circumstances not
mentioned may confuse particular issues. It is to be remembered at all
times that a mortal sin is not committed unless three conditions are
present, viz:
1) sufficient reflection,
2) full consent of the will, and
3) a violation of God’s law in a serious matter.
The
mortal sins listed represent only objectively serious matter; if one
or both of the other conditions necessary for the commission of a mortal
sin be lacking in a particular case, the guilt would not be incurred.
In prudent doubt, a confessor should be asked for a solution.
It
is recommended that once a week during each month, the examen for that
month be read carefully and thoughtfully. On some occasions this would
be best done before confession. The ejaculatory prayer of the month
should be said frequently every day.
Bracketed numbers [] following prayers indicate the number of the indulgence according to the New Official List of Indulgences Preces et Pia Opera, dated December31, 1937, by The Sacred Penitentiary Apostolic in Rome.
FAITH
Faith
is the theological virtue, infused by God, by which we firmly assent to
all the truths that God has revealed to mankind because God cannot
deceive or be deceived. Faith is the foundation of all justification,
the beginning of all supernatural virtue, the starting point of
sanctification and perfection. “Without faith it is impossible to
please God.”
While
faith is infused as a free gift by God, it nevertheless is given in
strict accordance with the nature of man, and after it has been given it
requires intelligent cooperation lest it be weakened or lost. This
cooperation means three things:
1)
Every Catholic must pray for the preservation and increase of his
faith. Ordinarily, prayer is necessary for the attainment of any
grace
from God; since faith is the greatest grace, one who has received it
must pray throughout life for perseverance and strengthening in his
faith
2)
Every Catholic must strive to be faithful to the obligations imposed
through faith. To offend God deliberately and repeatedly is to run the
risk of some day finding that faith has been lost through failure to
cooperate with God’s grace.
3)
Every Catholic must use his mind both to understand the motives for
believing God’s word, which are perfectly satisfactory to human reason,
and to know the truths revealed by faith, in which nothing
contradictory, nothing inconsistent, nothing intellectually incredible
is to be found. On the negative side, this means that every Catholic is
bound to preserve himself, in so far as possible, from every influence
that would prove dangerous to his faith.
Therefore
all sins against faith centre about either the denial of one’s faith,
or the neglect of means to preserve and increase it, or the deliberate
entrance into occasions that might destroy it.
I. MORTAL SINS
1. Have I denied that I was a Catholic, or openly expressed my disbelief in any doctrine of the Catholic faith?
2. Have I affiliated myself, even for a short time, with a non-Catholic sect or religious body?
3. Have I suggested or encouraged doubts about the Catholic faith in the minds of others?
4. Have I seriously expressed the opinion that all religions are equally good or equally true or equally pleasing to God?
5.
Have I neglected to settle, by reading, studying, consulting, etc.,
serious doubts about my faith, when such neglect was evidently leading
to a loss of faith?
6.
Have I, without the necessary permission, read or kept or given to
others forbidden books, such as Protestant Bibles, books on the Index of Prohibited Publications,
books that pretend or profess to disprove the truth of the Catholic
faith or that profess to prove the truth of a religion contrary to my
faith?
7. Have I, without a serious reason, associated with persons who tried to destroy my faith?
8. Have I attended meetings or listened to speeches or sermons which I knew would destroy or seriously weaken my faith?
9. Have I joined a secret society forbidden by the laws of the Church, such as the Masons, the Odd fellows, etc?
10. Have I taken part in a Protestant church service?
11. Have I contributed to the advancement of a non-Catholic religious sect or movement as such?
12.
Have I consulted a fortune-teller in the serious belief that I could
learn something about the future, or made others think that I could tell
their future when I knew that there was no adequate natural means of
doing so?
13. Have I attended a spiritualistic séance?
14.
Have I planned to marry, or actually pretended to enter the state of
marriage, before a minister, or a judge, or a civil magistrate? Have I
approved of other Catholics doing this or stood up for them when they
did it?
15.
Have I, without the necessary permission or reason, sent my children
to a non-Catholic grade school, or approved of other Catholics doing so?
Or without serious reason approved by the diocesan authorities, to a
non-Catholic high school or university? Or have I done these things
without making any provision to safeguard the faith of my children?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I been irreverent in church and before the Blessed Sacrament?
2. Have I disturbed and distracted others in their prayers and devotions?
3. Have I kept others from prayer or devotions for some selfish reason?
4. Have I carefully avoided giving any sign that I was a Catholic because I might have been subjected to some ridicule if I did?
5.
Have I read only such books and magazines as might be called dangerous,
even though they are not strictly forbidden, e.g., books giving false
and worldly views of life, novels that are frothy and barren of any
principle?
6. Have I seldom, if ever, made an explicit act of faith?
7. Have I been slow in trying to banish or overcome doubts against faith?
8. Have I been careless and half-hearted in teaching my children to love their faith and to
make acts of faith?
9.
Have I deliberately passed up direct opportunities of informing others
about the Catholic faith by going out of my way to avoid speaking of
it?
10. Have I accepted the will of God and believed firmly in His providence in the sorrows of life?
11. Have I been irreverent in the use of sacramentals, such as holy water, the Sign of the Cross, etc.?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I frequently thanked God for my faith?
2. Have I prayed for stronger faith every day?
3. Have I purchased or borrowed books that could enlighten me further about my faith?
4. Have I read any Catholic newspapers or magazines to gain a better knowledge of my faith?
5. Have I thought at all about the important truths of faith: death, judgment, heaven, hell?
6. Have I tipped my hat, or bowed my head, when passing a Catholic church?
7. Have I greeted a priest, as a representative of Christ, when meeting one on the street?
8. Have I visited the Blessed Sacrament when opportunities presented themselves?
9. Have I sacrificed any time or self-interest to attend devotions or sermons not commanded?
10. Have I invited non-Catholics to attend a Catholic service with me, or to read any Catholic literature?
11. Have I placed signs of my faith in my home, such as a crucifix, pictures of the Blessed Mother or the saints?
12. Have I carried a rosary, or worn a medal, or had anything on my person showing my faith?
13.
Have I contributed prayers, services, or money to Catholic missionary
organizations or labourers for the spread of the faith?
14. Have I tried to see in others, not their faults and sins, but the image of God and the souls for which He shed His Blood?
15. Have I tried every day to recall at set intervals the presence of God near me and within me?
16.
Have I, after a serious sin, realized that so long as that sin remained
on my soul I was an enemy of God and deserving of being condemned to
hell?
EJACULATORY PRAYER: Lord, increase our faith! (500 days indulgence.) [28]
PRAYER:
0 Lord Jesus Christ, he who followeth Thee walketh not in darkness.
Remember that I am one of those to whom Thou hast said: “You are the
light of the world.” Remember that I must no longer live of myself, but
that Thou must live in me. This is impossible unless I first believe all
that Thou hast revealed. Therefore permit not that human folly should
ever obscure my mind and make me as the blind leading the blind. Grant
me a strong faith that I may never cease to think and speak and act
according to Thee and Thy holy Gospel. May I firmly believe with an
explicit and perfect faith; may I recognize God’s presence everywhere;
may I never forget, my Jesus, Thy love; may I be constantly mindful of
the mystery of Thy Incarnation and life and sufferings, the ineffable
grace of Thy Sacraments, the need I have of union with Thee, the
necessity of the help of Mary my Mother, the importance of prayer, the
value of humility, the strength and wisdom of Thy cross and the purpose
of my life for time and eternity. Grant that my faith may be so firm as
to be unmoved by the impulses of fallen human nature; so bright as not
to be obscured by the fascination of worthless things; so simple that I
may believe with a blind and obedient faith; so efficacious that I may
think and speak according to what I believe; so strong that I may resist
every temptation of the evil one. Through the intercession of the
Blessed Virgin Mary and all my patron saints grant these, my requests.
Amen.
“If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy
heart that God hath raised Him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
(Romans 10:9)
HOPE
Without
the virtue of hope, one not only falls into many sins, but finds it
very difficult to lead a cheerful, contented life and to bear the
crosses that are the inevitable lot of all mankind. Therefore this
examination shall be not only a test of one’s relationship to God,
but also a study of whether or not his attitude towards life is religiously right and psychologically sound.
Hope
is a theological virtue by which we confidently expect the help of God
in attaining our eternal happiness, and anything we need as a means to
that end. The virtue of hope demands therefore that we firmly believe
that God will provide us with sufficient grace to avoid sin, and with
sufficient strength to fulfil the obligations imposed upon us, and with
sufficient comfort to make every cross bearable, if we do our part. The virtue of hope, therefore, forbids two things and all that is connected with them, viz., presumption and despair.
Presumption
is the sin whereby we expect God’s help without doing our part, as when
we count on God’s forgiveness even when we are committing a sin, or put
off the renunciation of sin because we expect to have an opportunity
to confess just before we die Despair is the sin whereby we give up
trying because we do not believe that even God’s grace is sufficiently
strong to help us overcome our own weakness or to grant us forgiveness.
I. MORTAL SINS
1. Have I denied the necessity of God’s help to attain my salvation, believing that I could win heaven by my own efforts alone?
2.
Have I said or seriously thought that God was too merciful to condemn
anyone to hell, and that, therefore, despite my serious sins, I would
surely be saved?
3.
Have I continued in a habit of mortal sin because I believed that some
day I would certainly have the grace to repent and be forgiven?
4. Have I committed a mortal sin just because I expected God to forgive me in confession afterwards?
5. Have I said or thought that prayer was not necessary for one who made up his mind to be good?
6. Have I neglected saying any prayer whatsoever for as long as a month at a time?
7. Have I refused to pray in a grave temptation because I did not want God to help me overcome it?
8.
Have I deliberately entered a serious and unnecessary occasion of sin,
thinking that God would miraculously preserve me from sin or graciously
forgive me if I fell?
9. Have I induced others to commit a sin by telling them that God would forgive them afterward?
10. Have I said that I did not believe in eternal hell?
11. Have I said or thought that it was impossible for me to overcome a certain passion or sinful habit?
12. Have I believed that because my sins in the past were so numerous or so terrible, I could not expect God to forgive me?
13. Have I quit going to Mass or praying because of the thought, “It doesn’t do any good”?
14. Have I seriously complained that God sent me more trials than it was possible for me to bear?
15.
Have I stopped praying for the grace to avoid sin and save my soul
because God did not grant me a certain material favour for
which I prayed?
16. Have I given up trying to overcome interior temptation because God would not take the temptation away?
17. Have I encouraged others to commit sins of impurity because “they could not stop committing them anyway”?
18.
Have I used poverty as a reason for committing certain serious sins,
because I did not believe that God could give me any material aid?
19. Have I scoffed at the joys of heaven, saying I would prefer to have heaven here on earth?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I brooded over my past sins, giving in half-voluntarily to the fear that they might not be forgiven?
2.
Have I permitted discouragement to take possession of my heart because
of my frequent faults or my lack of progress in virtue?
3.
Have I permitted myself to worry excessively over material setbacks
and difficulties, as if God did not know them and could not help me?
4. Have I been morose, melancholy, gloomy, in the presence of others, thus making them uncomfortable and unhappy?
5. Have I been overanxious in regard to my health, overfearful lest some terrible disease might be contracted?
6. Have I complained against God for not preventing the sins of others which injured me in some way?
7. Have I deliberately neglected easy opportunities for prayer and devotion which would have made me stronger in virtue?
8. Have I neglected prayer entirely for days at a time?
9. Have I given in to unreasonable fear of death and of God’s judgment?
10. Have I said that I was content to avoid hell, but would not try to avoid or shorten my purgatory?
11. Have I been slothful about trying to acquire the habit of praying in serious temptation?
12.
Have I neglected practicing any devotion to the Mother of God, though
saints and theologians tell us her help is morally necessary for all?
13. Have I neglected receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion only because I could not feel any profit from them?
14. Have I given up prayer when prayer seemed difficult and uninviting?
15.
Have I become so preoccupied working for money or a reputation, or my
family, that I did not give myself time to pray or think of doing
anything for heaven?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I prayed for the grace of a firmer and stronger hope of eternal happiness?
2. Have I read or meditated about the happiness that God has in store for those who are faithful to Him?
3. Have I tried to increase my hope of heaven by thinking now and then of the pains of hell, and determining to escape them?
4.
Have I strengthened my hope of God’s help by gazing at or thinking of
the crucifix, which reminds us that, since Christ died for us, there is
nothing we need that He will refuse us?
5.
Have I prayed every morning and evening and during the day, knowing
that every prayer would be heard and would make easier my salvation?
6. Have I frequently received Holy Communion, which is called the pledge of immortality?
7. Have I willingly accepted sorrows and trials as reminders that we must suffer on earth to earn heaven?
8. Have I practiced daily devotion to the Mother of God, with childlike confidence that she would help me?
9.
Have I trusted in God’s grace and at the same time determined to work
for my salvation as if it depended on my efforts alone?
10. After a fault, have I joined an act of sorrow to an act of hope that God would give me the grace not to fall again?
EJACULATORY PRAYER: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee. (300 days indulgence.) [195]
PRAYER:
0 Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world, Thou who didst ask faith
and confidence from all the sick and sore distressed and didst grant to
each one according to his faith, grant me the grace of an unshakable
hope and confidence in Thee. Let me remember that since Thou didst die
for me, there is no good thing Thou wilt ever deny me if only I trust in
Thee always. Relying on Thy merits and the intercession of the Blessed
Virgin Mary I firmly hope for the pardon of my sins, the help of Thy
grace, and life everlasting. In difficulties, in desolations, in
anxieties and trials, make me content to be deprived of all human help
and consolation and to be dependent wholly on Thee. Make me remember my
weakness and distrust myself so that I shall ever seek Thy help in
prayer. Help me to learn that nothing in life is worth possessing if the
cost means separation from Thee. Permit me, in the hour of death, to
say with all the confidence of Thy saints and martyrs: “In Thee, 0 Lord,
have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever.”
LOVE OF GOD
The
love of God is the highest and strictest obligation binding on all men.
No one should ever forget the answer of Christ to the question: “Which
is the first and greatest commandment of the law?” His words were
simple, direct, forceful: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart and with thy whole soul, with thy whole mind and with all
thy strength.’ Without the fulfilment of this law, therefore, all
striving for other virtues and qualities would be without profit.
Every
sin ever committed is an action contrary to the love of God. But in
this examination of conscience, only those sins and faults shall be
included which in some way involve a direct slighting of the person of
God or of His authority, or a breaking of those commands which are
specifically directed towards the maintenance and strengthening of the
love of God in the soul, or an expression of disregard or contempt or
hatred of God. An exception shall be made here: all sins committed in speech against God shall be reserved for the examination of next month — on Reverence for God. Of course, the love of God as expressed in love of neighbour shall be reserved for later treatment.
The
love of God is the infused theological virtue by which we love God
above all other things because of His infinite perfection and
lovableness, and manifest that love in thought, word and deed. (Let it
be noted again that the love of neighbour is really a part of the love
of God, because it has the same motive, namely, God Himself, in whom all
one’s neighbours are to be loved. This will be shown in the examination
on the love of neighbour.) The love of God forbids. in general. the
neglect of duties and obligations that spring from love, as well as the
misuse or degrading of things given by God or dedicated to Him.
I. MORTAL SINS
1. Have I neglected to fulfil the precept of going to confession at least once a year?
2. Have I failed to observe the law which commands me to receive Holy Communion during the Paschal season?
3. Have I missed Mass on a Sunday or a holyday without a sufficient reason?
4.
Have I, as a mother or father or guardian, caused or permitted my
children who are above the age of reason, to miss Mass on Sundays or
holydays of obligation?
5. Have I induced others to miss Mass on Sundays, or approved of their so doing?
6. Have I without reason come late to Mass, missing the Offertory, or have I left before the Communion of the Mass?
7. Have I tried to do serious bodily injury to any person consecrated to God?
8.
Have I engaged in servile work, such as gardening, building, repairing,
sewing, laundering, etc., for more than two hours on the Lord’s Day,
when there was no urgent reason for so doing?
9. Have I made others work on Sunday when it was not necessary?
10. Have I broken a serious vow made to God, by which I had bound myself under pain of mortal sin?
11.
Have I committed a sacrilege by receiving the Sacrament of Communion,
Confirmation, or Matrimony while in the state of mortal sin?
12. Have I tried to lead a person bound to God by the vow of chastity into sin against his vow?
13.
Have I stolen something valuable from the House of God, whether an
article used in divine services or money given to the Church?
14. Have I deliberately mocked or made fun of the Sacraments or the Mass or any of the liturgical functions?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I been unconcerned and indifferent about acquiring a strong and faithful love of God?
2.
Have I performed my external duties to God, such as hearing Mass,
saying my prayers, receiving the Sacraments, in a distracted,
impersonal, half-hearted manner?
3. Have I seldom, if ever, made a real act of love of God, except such as were implicit in the fulfilment of other duties?
4. Have I been disrespectful to God’s very presence in church, by profane and useless talking and worldly actions?
5.
Have I failed to think of the passion and death of the Son of God in my
own suffering thus permitting myself to grumble and complain instead
of making an act of love and submission?
6. Have I been unfaithful to little promises made to God?
7. Have I never shown my love of God by means of gratitude for the many favours He has given me?
8. Have I given in to worldly desires, which I knew in the beginning to be inconsistent with the love of God?
9.
Have I been so fond of some venial sin like petty gossip, or vanity, or
exaggerating, that I have made no effort to overcome it?
10. Have I never made the good intention of doing everything for love of God?
11. Have I been disrespectful towards or concerning those whom God has placed over me and who represent God?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I made an effort to arouse strong desires of the love of God in my heart?
2.
Have I repeated a direct act of love of God in the morning, at
definitely proposed times during the day, in moments of suffering and
misery, at night before retiring?
3. Have I laboured to acquire the habit of frequently renewing my intention of doing all things for the love of God?
4.
Have I given any time to the thought of God’s goodness, in creating me
out of nothing, in redeeming me with His Blood, in raising me to the
supernatural state, and surrounding me with means to advance in
virtue?
5.
Have I trained myself to see God’s hand and God’s love in the natural
blessings I enjoy — blessings of family, friends, education,
surroundings, innocent enjoyments, etc., and then to thank Him by a
return of love?
6.
Have I frequently turned my mind to the greatest proof of God’s love —
His death on the Cross — that I might be inspired to stronger love?
7. Have I received Holy Communion frequently, realizing that the best proof of love is union with the one beloved’?
8. Have I made special acts of love of God at the time of Mass and Communion, realizing that these bring me closest to God?
9. After a venial sin, have I made an act of love of God and determined to become perfect in my habit of love?
10.
Have I subjected all my affections to the love of God, trying to make
them perfectly conformed to His will so that I can say I love all
things and persons in and with God?
11.
Have I readily conformed my will to God’s will, not only by keeping His
commandments, but also by consenting to His will when He has permitted
some misfortune to befall me?
12. Have I tried to know God better that I might love Him more, by reading, listening to sermons, studying?
13.
Have I realized that the love of God is not necessarily accompanied by
emotional feelings and warm sentiments, and that it is more meritorious
if, without these things, I continue the practices of love?
EJACULATORY PRAYER: Jesus, my God, I love Thee above all things. (300 days indulgence.) [57]
PRAYER:
0 great Lord of heaven and earth, Infinite Good, infinite Majesty, who
hast loved men so tenderly, how is it that Thou art so much despised by
them? Yet amongst those men, 0 my God, Thou hast loved me in a
particular manner and hast bestowed on me special graces that have not
been given to so many others. And I have despised Thee more than others.
I deserve to be cast off on account of my frequent ingratitude to
Thee. But Thou hast said that Thou wilt not reject a penitent soul that
returns to Thee. My Jesus, I am sorry for having offended Thee. I now
acknowledge Thee for my Lord and Redeemer, who hast died in order to
save me and to be loved by me. I this day resolve to love Thee with my
whole heart, and to love nothing but Thee. I adore Thee for all those
who do not adore Thee, and I love Thee for all those who do not love
Thee. My Lord, give me Thy love, but a fervent love which will make me
forget all creatures; a strong love, which will make me conquer all
difficulties in order to please Thee; a perpetual love which will never
be dissolved between me and Thee. 0 Mary, my Mother, fill my heart with
love for my Saviour!
REVERENCE FOR GOD
God
has made a special commandment out of the natural duty and obligation
of respecting His name. That this should be necessary sometimes strikes
us as very strange. God is a Father, Provider, Protector, Preserver of
us.
all;
He became Man and died for us on the Cross, He resides in the
tabernacles of our churches to be near us, and He wanted to reward us
all with a happiness that will never end.
On
the basis of these things we are bound to love God with all our heart
and soul and mind and will, and love is diametrically opposed to
disrespect, irreverence, scorn and contempt in using a lover’s name. A
good mother does not have to command her children not to abuse her name;
a worthy father has never been known to have to implore his sons to
speak respectfully of him. Yet such is the perversion of human nature in
regard to God that He has to make a special commandment that His
creatures may not take His name in vain.
The
chief forms of irreverence against God are blasphemy, unnecessary
swearing, perjury, cursing, and profanity. The questions below deal
with all these things according to the guilt they involve.
I. MORTAL SINS
1. Have I denied any of the attributes of God, e.g., saying that He is not all-powerful, all-merciful, all-just, etc.?
2.
Have I said that I did not believe in God’s providence, either directly
by denying that He watches over all who love Him, or indirectly by
saying that it is necessary to sin to avoid certain hardships?
3. Have I spoken with contempt of God, or of Christ, or of the Holy Eucharist, or of the Passion of Christ?
4. Have I deliberately expressed the wish that there were no God, so that I could sin without fear of punishment?
5. Have I accused God of cruelty, injustice, discrimination against me, because of some sorrow I had to bear?
6. Have I wished evil to God — for example, that He would be forgotten by men and offended more frequently?
7. Have I spoken slightingly or contemptuously of the Mother of God, or of the saints, or of monks, nuns, priests as such?
8. Have I ridiculed the Sacraments or the Mass or any other holy ceremony?
9.
Have I said that God did not and could not have inspired the Bible, or
that there are things in the Bible that need not be believed?
10. Have I said that Christ did not found the Church, or that He has not preserved it from error?
11. Have I said that God expects too much of an individual by imposing the ten commandments on him?
12. Have I stated that any one of the commandments of God or precepts of the Church cannot be observed by ordinary folk?
13. Have I said that I owed nothing to God and therefore did not need to go to Church or practice any religion?
14. Have I denied the miracles of our Lord, or attributed them to deceit or natural causes?
15. Have I sworn falsely at a public trial, deliberately telling a falsehood when I had taken an oath to tell the truth?
16.
Have I lied about important matters to which I had to swear in drawing
up a statement or answering a questionnaire, e.g., pertaining to
insurance, position, taxes, etc.?
17. Have I sworn to God that I would keep a certain promise or perform a certain work when I did not intend to do so at all?
18. Have I deliberately called upon God to witness the truth of a lie that I told someone in private life?
19. Have I sworn to God that I would do something gravely unjust, like defrauding a neighbour, taking revenge, hurting someone?
20.
Have I deliberately cursed a human being, which means seriously wishing
or asking that God condemn his soul to hell or visit some other grave
misfortune upon him?
21. Have I twisted the words of Christ or of the Bible into an obscene or evil form?
22. Have I, as a parent or guardian, blasphemed or cursed or sworn falsely before my children or even to my children?
23. Have I encouraged others to commit any of the above sins?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I used the name of “God” or “Christ” or “Jesus” or “Lord” as a byword, or as an expression of impatience, or in jest?
2. Have I spoken, not maliciously, but profanely and irreverently, of any holy thing?
3.
Have I sworn, i.e., called upon God to witness the truth of what I was
saying, when there was no serious reason for so doing, when the matter
was trivial or foolish, even though I told no lie?
4.
Have I used the language of cursing against inanimate things, or
against animals, or against human beings even though I did not really
wish the damnation of these last?
5.
Have I permitted myself to acquire the habit of using God’s name
profanely, or of swearing or cursing almost without realization of what
I was saying?
6.
Have I laughed at others’ profane use of God’s name or other irreverent
speech, as if I thought it amusing and wanted them to continue?
7. Have I neglected to correct a child subject to me, when the child used irreverent or profane language?
8. Have I permitted my children to go about with companions who made frequent use of profanity?
9. Have I repeated the profanity of others as something amusing and clever?
III.HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I bowed my head when uttering or hearing the name “Jesus”?
2. Have I said an interior act of adoration, praise, or love, when genuflecting before the Blessed Sacrament?
3. Have I ever offered up an act of reparation to God for the many irreverences in speech committed throughout the world?
4. When hearing someone abusing God’s name, have I tried to atone for it by a short prayer in my heart?
5.
Have I joined in reciting the divine praises at the end of Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament, to atone for profane speech?
6. (FOR MEN) Have I joined the Holy Name Society, taken the pledge against bad language and honestly tried to keep it?
7.
In temptations to anger and impatience; when I am inclined to use bad
language, do I try to say an interior prayer for patience?
8. Have I learned any ejaculatory prayers, by which I might frequently speak lovingly to God during the day?
9.
Have I ever meditated on the folly of any misuse of God’s name, because
of His greatness and majesty, and because of His goodness to me?
10. Have I shown my displeasure to others when they were constantly misusing God’s name?
11.
Have I tried to instil in those under my care a deep respect for and
love of God, which would prevent them from ever using His name in vain?
12. Have I, in every morning prayer, renewed my resolution not to misuse God’s name?
13. Have I, when saying my evening prayers, made an act of sorrow for every sin of speech against God?
ASPIRATION: Blessed be the name of God. (500 days indulgence if said devoutly on hearing a blasphemy.) [8]
PRAYER:
My Lord and Saviour, who was reviled by the chief-priests, falsely
accused by criminals, condemned by Pilate, mocked by the throngs and
ridiculed by the soldiers who put Thee to death, let me atone by sorrow
and penance for all my sins and the sins of the world against Thy holy
name. Teach me to use the great gift of speech Thou hast bestowed upon
me to honour and praise Thee for the rest of my life. Grant me the power
to silence unholy language on the lips of others, and to teach those
dependent upon me the reverent and holy use of Thy name. With all the
mountains and hills I praise Thee; with all the seas and rivers I
glorify Thee; with all the plants and animals I honour Thee as Lord and
Master. May the heavens and earth be filled with Thy Glory; and may the
lips of all men be taught to acclaim Thy goodness, Thy mercy, and Thy
love.
“To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
LOVE OF NEIGHBOR
(Positive obligations)
The
love of one’s neighbour is essentially bound up with the love of God.
St. John put the matter simply when he said: “If any man say that he
loves God and hateth his neighbour, that man is a liar and the truth is
not in him.” This stands to reason when one considers that God, whom we
are bound to love first and foremost and with all our hearts and souls,
loves every human being whom He created and desires his salvation. Hence
it would be a contradiction to profess love of God and at the same time
to exclude a neighbour from our love.
The
object of all love is the good of the one loved. The object of love of
God is the honour and glory of God; the object of love of neighbour is
the welfare of our fellowmen, both spiritual and temporal, and through
that the honour and glory of God. Therefore the love of neighbour
imposes many positive duties upon us, such as almsgiving, correction,
forgiveness, etc., each one of which is directed towards the well-being
and happiness of our neighbour; at the same time it forbids certain sins
which would bring unhappiness, spiritual or temporal, to a neighbour.
In the following exam the positive duties will be enumerated; in the
next chapter, the questions will be based on the sins that must be
avoided by one who wishes to practice true love of neighbour.
I. MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I, over a long period, refused to give any alms for the relief of
the needy, even though I had many opportunities and sufficient means
without depriving myself or my family of the necessities of life?
2.
Have I, on un-Christian principles, refused to give any aid to
missionaries working for the salvation of abandoned souls, though I
could have given without great sacrifice?
3.
As a doctor or a nurse, have I refused to give my needed services to
someone in extreme danger of death because I knew there was no hope of
being paid?
4. Have I demanded gravely exorbitant and unreasonable fees from those who needed my services?
5. Have I deliberately permitted a person to die without a priest and without religious ministrations?
6.
Have I, out of human respect or fear of what others might think, failed
to assist the dying spiritually when I knew they needed my help?
7.
Have I squandered or given away money outside my home to the extent
that it left my immediate family in want of necessary things?
8.
Have I refused to remind someone of the danger of his state when I knew
that that person had committed a mortal sin and that my warning alone
would probably awaken repentance?
9.
Have I refused to warn someone subject to my influence when I knew that
person was about to commit a mortal sin and that I could easily and
probably prevent it?
10. As a husband or wife have I made no effort to prevent mortal sins of my partner?
11.
As a superior or one in authority have I neglected my duty of
preventing those in my charge from committing mortal sin, or correcting
them after they had fallen?
12.
Have I failed to report to someone in authority the certain sins of a
neighbour, which I knew were doing harm to innocent persons or to the
community as a whole?
13. Have I done nothing to prevent the circulation of obscene books and magazines when I had the opportunity?
14.
As a public official, have I permitted evil persons, such as
abortionists, dope-peddlers, obscene book-dealers to continue their
illegal and immoral practices?
15. Have I permitted another to suffer grave injustice or mistreatment when my authority or influence could have prevented it?
16. Have I refused in my heart to forgive a person who has injured me?
17. Have I over a considerable period of time refused to talk to or acknowledge someone who has wronged me?
18.
When I myself was guilty of doing evil against my neighbour, have I
refused in word or in deed to show that I was sorry and wished to be
forgiven?
19.
When mutual offence was given between myself and another, have I
refused to make any advances toward reconciliation unless the other
person made them first?
20. Have I, by silence or approval, failed to prevent the serious defamation of another’s character when I could have done so?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I been miserly and grudging in giving alms for the relief of the poor?
2. Have I been careless and negligent in my care of the sick who were dependent on me?
3. Have I failed to consider the poverty of others in charging them for my services?
4. Have I complained about being asked frequently to give alms for the salvation of abandoned souls at home or abroad?
5. Have I, as a well-to-do person, given far less than I could easily have contributed for the relief of the needy?
6.
Have I measured my charity only by what others gave, or by what I might
receive in return, instead of by my ability to give and the need of
others?
7. Have I demanded publicity and praise for every alms I gave?
8. Have I been ashamed or afraid to rebuke others for evil, even though I was not bound under pain of mortal sin to do so?
9. Have I, as a parent or guardian, negligently permitted those under my care to go uncorrected in their venial faults?
10. Have I nursed resentment against others, even though I did make an effort at forgiveness?
11. Have I allowed my sensitiveness to lead to hurt feelings and coolness towards others?
12. Have I failed to try to make others happy and comfortable, giving in to morose, gloomy, selfish moods?
13. Have I rejected ready-made opportunities to comfort someone in sorrow, or to encourage someone in danger of despair?
14. Have I gone out of my way to evade an opportunity to enlighten someone on religious truth?
15. Have I permitted gossip and petty tale-bearing to go on in my presence without an effort to change the subject?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I tried to deepen my faith in the truth that every act of charity towards a neighbour is also an act of love of God?
2. Have I tried to make some sacrifice in giving alms for the relief of the needy?
3. Have I cheerfully given as much as I could spare for the salvation of abandoned souls?
4. Have I supported and strengthened the St. Vincent de Paul Society either as a member or as a contributor?
5.
Have I frequently recalled the principle of the stewardship of wealth,
viz., that I am to be God’s administrator of the things I possess or
gain?
6.
Have I faced the truth that I shall take nothing with me beyond death,
and that the memory and merit of deeds of charity will then be my
greatest consolation?
7.
Have I recalled, when hurt by others, how God has forgiven me for my
many sins, and have I tried to forgive in the same generous spirit?
8. Have I been quick to show my sorrow in some way when I have, either consciously or inadvertently, given pain to others?
9. Have I prayed for others, especially when tempted to angry thoughts and feelings?
10. Have I prayed daily for my parents and all my benefactors?
11. Have I adopted the twofold motto: (1) never to give pain and (2) to add to the happiness of others whenever possible?
ASPIRATION: Sweet Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us and on our erring brothers. (300 days indulgence.) [202]
PRAYER:
0 loving and merciful Saviour, enkindle in my heart a fire of charity
towards my neighbour like unto Thine own. Thou didst spend Thyself in
behalf of others; Thou didst suffer cold and heat, hunger and thirst,
poverty and want, a bitter passion and painful death to save others
from their sins and to bring them happiness. Thou didst say that charity
would be the mark of Thy true disciples, and didst promise that
whatever we do for others will be accepted as done for Thee. I am sorry
for all my past neglect of opportunities to help others; for all my
selfishness and pride and greed; for all my failure to lead souls nearer
to Thee. Grant me the grace to be kind and considerate in my words,
thoughtful and helpful in my actions, generous and forgiving towards my
enemies, and mindful always that I am bound to love others as myself for
the love of Thee. Give me a great zeal for souls, that I may be
inspired to use every means within my power to enlighten the ignorant,
to win sinners away from their sins, and to assist all whom I may meet
to place their hope and trust in Thee. 0 Mary, mother of mercy and
compassion, obtain for me the grace of true charity and fraternal love.
“Let us therefore love God, because God first hath loved us.
If
any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he
that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he
seeth not?
And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother.” (1 John 4:19-21)
LOVE OF NEIGHBOR
(Negative Obligations)
Besides
the positive duties of fraternal charity, such as almsgiving,
correction, forgiveness, etc., there are many sins to be avoided in the
practice of the same virtue, and these may be listed under the head of
its negative obligations.
Every
human being has it in his power not only to help his neighbour, but
also to hurt him. This latter may take the form of temporal harm, as it
does in the sins of hatred, slander, detraction, and similar sins, or
it may do eternal harm as in the case of scandal and cooperation in
another’s sins. Each of these topics has a wide variety of
applications, of which the chief ones are touched on in this examen.
I. MORTAL SINS
1. Have I hated others, which means actually and deliberately wishing them grave harm on earth or the loss of their souls?
2.
Have I callously rejoiced over the serious misfortunes that came to
others, not because they might be turned away from sin thereby, but
because it pleased me to see them suffer?
3. Have I sought opportunities to revenge myself on others by inflicting serious pain on them?
4. Have I slandered others, i.e., attributed serious sins to them which they did not commit, or of which I had no evidence?
5.
Have I ruined the reputation of others, telling their secret serious
sins to persons who could not otherwise have known and who had no reason
to know these sins?
6. Have I lied in order that I might gain from another’s serious loss?
7. Have I directly desired and tried to lead another into sin, because I wanted to turn him away from religion?
8. Have I induced another to sin to gratify my own passions?
9. Have I tried to induce another person to sin seriously, even though I did not succeed?
10. Have I advised or otherwise induced persons to practice contraception, or abortion, or to get a divorce and remarry?
11. Have I taught employees or others under my supervision how to cheat in business for the sake of profit?
12. Have I sold or given away obscene magazines, bad pictures, or contraceptives, or other things designed for sin?
13. Have I destroyed or lessened the faith of others by speaking contemptuously about religion, or the Church, or priests, etc.?
14. Have I advised or encouraged Catholics not to send their children to a Catholic school?
15. Have I urged another to keep on drinking until he became intoxicated?
16.
Have I sold liquor to persons when I knew they were already intoxicated
and would keep on drinking, or when I knew they were about to become
intoxicated?
17.
Have I committed a mortal sin that did not involve others, knowing,
however, that my example would probably lead others to do the same?
18. Have I given occasion to evil thoughts in others by gravely immodest dress, looks, words, or actions?
19.
Have I cooperated with another in the commission of a mortal sin — for
example, of stealing, by providing the necessary means or the necessary
occasion?
20.
Have I helped doctors perform illegal operations, or businessmen to
consummate unjust transactions, or heretics to spread false doctrines?
21.
Have I assisted at the invalid marriage of a Catholic before a judge or
minister, or taken part in any non-Catholic religious ceremony?
22.
Have I deprived an unborn child of its right to life by causing an
abortion, or paying for an abortion, or cooperating in it in some other
way?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I been touchy and sensitive towards those around me?
2. Have I permitted jealousy of another who was promoted ahead of me to show itself in any conduct?
3. Because I did not like others, did I refuse to cooperate with them in work we were given to do?
4. Have I engaged in petty gossip about my neighbours?
5. Have I told my friends the unkind remarks others made about them, thus fomenting ill-will?
6. Have I attributed bad motives to others when I could not be certain of their motives?
7. Have I hurt others by my flare-ups of anger and impatience?
8. Have I made cutting, sarcastic remarks to others?
9. Have I contributed to the venial sins of others by unreasonably teasing or annoying them?
10. Have I lessened the fear of ‘sin in others by thoughtlessly making light of some sin?
11. Have I led others into venial sin by suggestion or bad example?
12. Have I prevented others from performing a good work by dissuading them from it?
13. Have I committed venial sins in the presence of children, knowing that they might possibly imitate me?
14. Have I approved the venial sins of others by providing them with justifying reasons?
15. Have I failed to remove the possibility
of scandal being taken from some good action of mine when I could easily have done so?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1.
Have I pondered the awful meaning of the Saviour’s words: “If anyone
scandalize one of these my little ones, it were better for him that a
millstone be hanged around his neck and he be cast into the depths of
the sea”?
2.
Have I tried to cultivate a genuine zeal for souls, which will show
itself first and foremost by a ceaseless effort to prevent sin?
3. Have I a wholesome disregard of human respect, which makes so many people afraid to try to prevent sin?
4.
Have I realized the far-reaching power of my example, which influences
others for good or bad even when I am unaware of that influence?
5. Have I an earnest desire to offset the power of Satan, who is constantly trying to lead others into sin?
6.
Do I guard my words and conduct especially in the presence of children,
knowing their great susceptibility to imitate older people?
7.
Do I remember these words of Christ, which apply to sins against
charity: “Whatsoever you have done to the least of my little ones, you
have done it to me”?
ASPIRATION: 0 my God, I love Thee, and I love my neighbour as myself for the love of Thee. (Indulgence of three years.) [26]
PRAYER:
0 patient Jesus, how unworthy I am of Thee! Thou was all charity
towards Thy persecutors; I am so easily moved to hatred and rancour
towards my enemies! Thou didst pray so lovingly for those who crucified
Thee, and I so often seek revenge against those who offend me! Thy words
were always words of kindness and compassion, or words of rebuke only
when rebuke was necessary to win back a sinner s love; my words are so
often inspired by dislike and ill-will towards others! Thou didst die to
prevent sin, and I am one of those who so often made Thy death in vain
by leading others into sin by my example or my cooperation. I am sorry
now for all the harm I have done to souls that Thou didst purchase with
Thy Precious Blood; I promise now to make atonement, and to be ready to
lay down my life for the salvation of my neighbour. Grant me the grace
to remember the power of my example and my words and my actions over the
lives of others; let me say or do nothing that might bring pain to one
of the little ones beloved by Thee. 0 Mary, who didst add thy sufferings
to the sufferings of Jesus in behalf of sinners, accept the sacrifices I
shall make in behalf of charity and unite them to thine, that with thee
and in thee I may help to save many souls.
“A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.” (John 13:35, 36)
JUSTICE
Among
the virtues that have suffered most in modern times, one of the
outstanding is that of justice. It has been attacked by many false
principles, such as: “Business is business,” “You can’t get ahead
without some sharp dealing,” and “So long as a thing ‘is legal it is
O.K.” Such disregard of the principles of justice between man and man
has gradually distorted the necessary distinctions between “mine” and
“thine” until in some instances the conscience is completely dulled.
Despite
all popular notions to the contrary, justice is still an essential part
of the natural law, and every sin and fault against it will be punished
by God. It is defined as the virtue whereby a man respects the rights
of others to what they possess; whereby he gives to every man what is
his due, and takes from no man anything except that to which he has a
just title. Just titles for the acquisition of material things are: 1)
occupation, e.g., settling on unowned and unclaimed land, finding a
lost article without trace of the owner, etc.; 2) the acceptation of
increase, fruit or additional value that arises in a thing already
possessed; 3) exchange of material things with other men, either thing
for thing, or money for thing, or services for thing, etc.; 4) heredity.
Any taking of material things from others without one of these titles
or a title akin to one of them is injustice. It can readily be seen,
therefore, that there are many ways in which justice can be violated.
.The principal ones are outlined in the questions below.
I.MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I directly stolen anything of considerable value from another,
i.e., either 1) of great value to the person involved, as one or two
dollars might be to a poor person, or five dollars might be to a person
of more means; or 2) of great value in itself and in the common
estimation of society, so that even if it were taken from a corporation
or a very rich person, it would still be considered a grave injustice?
2. Have I stolen a considerable sum of money or valuable articles from a church, which adds sacrilege to the sin of theft?
3. Have I stolen small sums from a person or corporation with the intention of continuing the practice over a period of time?
4. Have I actually continued to steal small amounts at regular intervals and so taken a large sum over a period of time?
5. Have I joined with others in stealing, each one agreeing to take a little, but the total amounting to a grave sum?
6. Have I failed to make restitution for grave thefts when I could have done so?
7. Have I accepted stolen goods from another, either as a gift or a sale, to be used by myself or sold again?
8. Have I wilfully injured the property of another to a serious extent?
9. Have I refused to pay for another person’s property that I have wilfully and seriously damaged?
10.
Have I defrauded another of something valuable, to which he had a
right, by telling a lie, or giving false testimony, or secretly changing
a contract or a will?
11.
Have I acquired the property of another through deceit, lying,
misrepresentation, etc.,’ or sold a bad investment in the same way?
12.
Have I found something of considerable value and kept it when I knew
the owner, or failed to try to find the owner when there was a
possibility of doing so?
13. Have I deprived my family of. a decent living by keeping my money for myself or foolishly spending it?
14.
Have I, as executor or official representative of another in business
matters, enriched myself or others by acting contrary to his known
will, or refused to carry out his express will in distributing his
goods?
15.
Have I given short weight or measure in selling things to others,
either to the extent of a grave amount on one occasion, or by cheating
in small amounts regularly and continuously?
16. Have I charged a gravely exorbitant price for something because I knew that somebody would pay that much?
17. Have I lied about the quality of something I sold or exchanged, thus cheating another gravely?
18. Have I enriched myself by paying gravely inadequate wages to those who worked for me?
19. Have I campaigned and conspired to prevent labourers from obtaining a living wage?
20. Have I cheated my employer by seriously neglecting the work I was hired to do?
21. Have I supported communists or racketeers in making unjust demands upon employers?
22. Have I cooperated in sabotage or the destruction of property because of labour disputes?
23. Have I cheated or deceived a partner in business so that there was a gravely unjust distribution of profits?
24. Have I bribed others to give me contracts to which I had no right, so that somebody was unjustly deprived of gain?
25.
Have I taken bribes for the use of my authority either in business or
public life, to give unjust preferences or awards to others?
26. As an official of the people, have I accepted bribes on condition that I would permit evil or allow it to go unpunished?
27.
Have I cheated in gambling, or offered fixed devices for gambling to
others, thus winning valuable stakes to which I had no right?
28. Have I evaded paying any just and grave debt I had incurred?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I deliberately stolen anything of small value, even though it was worth very little?
2. Have I used the property of others without their permission?
3. Have I damaged things belonging to others by carelessness and misuse?
4. Have I borrowed things from others, such as books, articles of clothing, etc., and never returned them?
5. Have I kept lost articles of small value when I knew or could find the owner?
6. Have I accepted small things from others which I knew were stolen?
7. Have I given away small things that were not mine to give?
8. Have I lied my way out of small debts and obligations?
9. Have I been guilty of petty cheating in games of chance, thus gaining by dishonesty?
10. Have I induced people to give me things by lying about the extent of my property?
11.
Have I failed to reveal to others the mistakes they inadvertently made
in giving me too much change or more of a commodity than I paid for?
12. Have I neglected to make restitution for small articles I had stolen or unjustly acquired?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1.
Have I trained myself to remember that ‘‘every penny’' of stolen goods
will have to be repaid in some way before I can enter heaven?
2.
Have I a deep conviction that without justice the world would soon
become a battlefield where might would always conquer right?
3.
Have I tried to cultivate a spirit of detachment from riches and
possessions, which is the best preventive of temptations to injustice?
4. Have I, as a parent, inculcated a strict sense of honesty and justice in my children, punishing every slight theft or deceit?
ASPIRATION: Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come. (300 days indulgence.) [97]
PRAYER:
0 Lord, who didst impose upon all men the commandment: “Thou shalt not
steal,” who will demand a strict account of all who have been unjust in
their dealings with their neighbour, I am profoundly sorry for every sin
and fault whereby I have wronged my fellow-man, and promise to make
full reparation. Thy greatest praise of Thy foster father, St. Joseph,
was contained in the simple words that “he was a just man.” Give me the
strength to imitate his praise: to be just in my business affairs and
private transactions; to be just in my dealings with those who are
subject to me and those to whom I am subject; to be just in making
restitution for all my injustices of the past. Let me not be moved by
the example of the world, nor by the desire of riches and power, nor by
the urgings of those who take no thought of Thee and of Thy law. Let me
be detached from all earthly possessions and not envious of those who
have great riches, in order that I may call Thee my only treasure. 0
Mary, my Mother, obtain for me the grace to deal justly and fairly with
all my neighbours.
“And
when the Son of Man shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with
Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory; and before Him will be
gathered all the nations, and He will separate them one from another,
as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will set the
sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Matthew 25:31-33)
CHASTITY
The
sixth commandment of the Decalogue is called the difficult commandment;
the virtue of chastity is called the angelic virtue. Perhaps it is
only right that the virtue that makes man most like an angel should be
the most difficult to practice perfectly; always the best things must be
paid for at the highest price.
But
Christian men and women of today have not only their own unruly flesh
and the suggestions of the devil to conquer in attaining chastity; they
must contend likewise with the concerted efforts of the world around
them to make chastity seem either impossible or not worth while.
Pseudo-intellectuals scoff at chastity, and if some of them could have
their way, concepts like immodesty, adultery, lust, sensuality, etc.,
would be stricken from the minds of all mankind. Many who do not go so
far as to deny the virtue of chastity in theory, nevertheless live as if
it were impossible of attainment, and frankly tell their friends and
neighbours that it is impossible for them, too. Worst of all, there are
some Catholics (so called) who join hands with the pagan world in
discouraging the practice of chastity. Count among them those who both
practice and preach birth-prevention; those who philander while married
themselves, or with others who are married; those who take part in the
dissemination of obscene and inflammatory incentives to lust. Chastity
becomes doubly difficult in the face of such influences to the contrary.
Chastity
is defined as the virtue by which, with the help of God’s grace
attained by prayer and the Sacraments, human beings are enabled to
refrain from all misuse of their sex faculties. This implies two things:
1) that they never directly desire or consent to sex pleasure outside
the sphere and contrary to the purposes for which sex-pleasure was
intended. The proper sphere of sex activity is the state of marriage,
and there it is intended as a means of procreation and of the
expression of love between husband and wife. To directly desire and
seek sex-pleasure in marriage while excluding by interference the
purpose of procreation, or to desire and indulge it in any direct way
outside of marriage, would always be a grave sin. 2) The definition of
chastity also implies that human beings must avoid those unnecessary
actions that indirectly but usually lead to indulgence in sex
pleasure, even though the latter be not intended at the beginning.
Thus to read obscene books would be seriously inducive to consent in
sex-pleasure. Sometimes, of course, an unnecessary action is only
slightly inducive to consent to sinful pleasure; in that case it would
constitute a venial sin. Misunderstanding arises in the minds of some by
the oft-quoted principle: In matters of chastity there is no lightness
of matter; every sin is a grave sin. This is true, it must be known, in
regard to all direct and voluntary desires and indulgences in
sex-pleasure outside of marriage or contrary to the purpose of sex.
Nevertheless, some sins against chastity may be venial because of lack
of full consent of the will, or because of lack of full deliberation, or
because an action, such as a momentary indecent glance, or a passing
thought, could not be called gravely inducive to sinful consent.
Self-examination on the virtue of chastity must keep these fundamental principles in view.
MORTAL SINS
1. Have I deliberately taken delight in impure thoughts and images in my mind after I recognized them to be evil?
2. Have I knowingly consented to a desire for impure experiences, without any effort to suppress the desire?
3.
Have I taken part in impure conversation for the express purpose of
giving others bad thoughts or with the realization that they would
probably consent to bad thoughts?
4. Have I gone out of my way to hear impure conversation or taken sinful pleasure in it when I heard it?
5.
Have I read obscene books or looked at obscene pictures after I knew
that they would cause serious temptations to sins of impurity?
6. Have I gone to places where I knew the entertainment was lewd and immoral, or attended obscene stage shows or movies?
7. Have I touched others impurely, or taken part in prolonged and intense kisses and embraces?
8. Have I caused or consented to solitary lust?
9. Have I taken part in sins of lust with others, and were they married or single, of the same sex or the opposite sex?
10. Have I sinned with someone related to me by blood or affinity?
11.
Have I added sacrilege to the sin of impurity by desiring, or
attempting, or consenting to sin with a person consecrated to God?
12. Have I made animals a means or an occasion of seriously sinful actions?
13. Have I forced another to submit to my lustful actions?
14. Have I encouraged others to sin against purity or told them that they could not avoid it?
15. Have I exposed others to grave danger by impure signs, actions or exposure?
16.
(FOR MARRIED PERSONS) Have I used contraceptive means whether natural
(such as interruption) or artificial (such as instruments) in
performing marriage duties?
17. Have I, without a good reason, refused or neglected to render the marriage obligation when seriously asked?
18. Have I, as a married person, committed sins of impurity with others, and were they married or single?
19.
Have I failed to correct or train my children in regard to chastity
when it was evident that there was need of such correction or training?
20.
Have I exercised no watchfulness over the company-keeping of my
adolescent sons and daughters, permitting and encouraging them to spend
long hours alone and ·in dangerous circumstances?
21. Have I bought or sold, lent or given, obscene books or magazines or other objects to be used for impure purposes?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I, without a reason, read books or magazines that were at least dangerous, or concerned only with impassioned love?
2. Have I allowed my eyes to wander in curiosity over dangerous objects?
3. Have I been slow and half-hearted in trying to banish bad thoughts and desires?
4. Have I permitted decent expressions of love or friendship for another to be prolonged to the point of danger of lust?
5. Have I gone to shows or movies that I knew to be somewhat dangerous, at least in part?
6. Have I been careless about my clothing, posture, appearance, thus exposing others to some danger?
7. Have I shown half-deliberate interest in the evil conversation of others?
8. Have I, on the spur of the moment, uttered double-meaning words or phrases?
9. Have I sought out or continued companionship with others whom I knew to be inclined to evil jests and words?
10. Have I supported the publishers of daring and dangerous picture magazines or of
border line periodicals by buying or spreading their publications in any way?
11.
Have I neglected to use special opportunities of grace and prayer when
I was passing through a period of more than usual temptation?
12. Have I failed to check vigorously impulses and daydreams of unruly love and affection?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I learned the necessity of praying daily for the grace to remain pure?
2. Have I acquired the habit of saying an ejaculatory prayer when evil thoughts, desires or inclinations arise?
3.
Have I made regular or frequent use of the Sacraments of Confession and
Holy Communion as a means of strength against impurity?
4.
Have I practiced any special devotion to Mary, the Virgin Mother of
God, whose example and intercession are powerful aids to purity?
5. Have I trained my will power for strength in temptation by practicing some form of voluntary mortification?
6.
Have I tried to avoid idleness, daydreaming, sloth, knowing that to
keep occupied is one of the best defences against impurity?
7.
Have I made known even my serious temptations in confession, realizing
that to reveal temptations is to gain strength against them?
8.
Have I been diligent in observing even the smaller rules of modesty,
such as not to touch others even carelessly, and not to let my eyes
wander too freely in public?
ASPIRATION: O Mary, through thy Immaculate Conception, keep my body pure and my soul holy. (300 days indulgence.) [326]
PRAYER:
0 Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said: “Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God,” grant me the grace of spotless chastity. Thou
didst favour St. John with a special mark of Thy friendship because of
Thy great love for the holy virtue; let me practice this virtue
according to my state that I, too, may be Thy special friend. I am sorry
for every fault committed against purity in the past; for every
undisciplined thought, for every evil word, for every sensual or impure
action. For the future I promise that I shall call upon Thy name and the
name of Thy Immaculate Mother in every temptation that assails me; I
shall avoid every occasion of sin that might lead me to seek for sinful
gratification; I shall insist on chastity in word and deed from those
around me; and I shall mortify my body in order that it may be
strengthened against the assaults of evil desire. Moreover, I shall try
to make some atonement for all the sins that are committed against
chastity in the world, which made Thy physical pain so great in Thy
bitter passion. I dedicate my life to the defence of this virtue, that
the Christian home may be defended and protected and that many souls may
be saved from the terrible condemnation that impurity must receive. O
Mary, Immaculate Mother, inspire in my heart thy own great love of the
virtue of purity.
“Woe
to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you clean the
outside of the cup and the dish, but within they are full of robbery and
uncleanness. Thou blind Pharisee! clean first the inside of the cup and
of the dish, that the outside, too, may be clean.
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites!
because you are like whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men
beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones and of all
uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear just to men, but within you
are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23: 25-28)
TEMPERANCE
Temperance
is defined as the virtue by which a man has the power to control his
concupiscible appetites, especially those that are appealed to through
the sense of taste and the sense of touch. Concupiscible appetites are
man s appetites for sense pleasure. The two strongest sense pleasures
that are within the experience of man are those related to the
preservation of his body, enjoyed through eating and drinking, and those
related to the preservation of the race, enjoyed through the
relationships of sex.
The
virtue of chastity, is, therefore, a species of temperance, but since
it has been treated in a special examen, the present one will confine
itself to temperance in eating and drinking. Just as in matters
pertaining to sex there is lawful and unlawful indulgence in sense
pleasure, so in eating and drinking. God created the appetites and
pleasures connected with eating and drinking and the objects that
satisfy them, so that man would have an add ed incentive for preserving
his life by taking nourishment. When the pleasure of eating and drinking
is not separated from the purpose of self-preservation, and not
contrary to it by being harmful to either body or soul, then it is
morally good.
Opposed
to temperance in this restricted sense are the sins of gluttony and
drunkenness. These have always been pre-eminently pagan vices, from the
time of the ancient Roman epicureans down to modern times when
neo-paganism has promoted the eager pursuit of pleasures of sense for
their own sake alone. Opposed to intemperance is the practice of
mortification, whereby one not only rejects inordinate indulgence in the
pleasures of sense, but practices self-denial even in some lawful
things so that he will be strengthened in will against the assaults of
temptation. Sins against temperance may be outlined as follows:
I. MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I, as a physician, nurse or attendant, deliberately given
medicine or food to a sick person which I knew would bring about their
death?
2. Have I drunk intoxicating liquor to the extent that I lost control of my senses?
3. Have I sold intoxicating liquor to one whom I knew to be on the verge of intoxication?
4. Have I made my family suffer grave privation by spending most of my income on drink?
5. Have I knowingly broken my fast and then received Holy Communion?
6. Have I broken the law of abstinence by deliberately eating meat on a day of abstinence, unless excused or dispensed?
7.
Have I without a reason of health or hard work or without a
dispensation, broken the law of fast by taking more than one full meal
on a day of fast?
8.
Have I used drugs or narcotics, not under a doctor’s orders, but for
the sake of losing consciousness or with the danger of becoming an
addict?
9. Have I, without serious reason, given drugs to others whom I knew to be in danger of becoming addicts?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I semi-deliberately made myself indisposed by overeating?
2. Have I given in to gluttony by nibbling almost every hour of the day?
3. Have I been indiscreet in not obeying the advice of a doctor as to my choice of foods?
4. Have I eaten slightly more than was permitted on days of fast when I had no excuse or dispensation?
5. Have I taken more intoxicating liquor than was good for me, even though I did not become actually drunk?
6.
Have I run the risk of either harming my health or becoming an addict
of drink by taking some form of alcohol too frequently?
7. Have I spent more than I could rightly afford on intoxicating beverages?
8. Have I jested about drunkenness and so lessened others’ hatred of it as a grave sin?
9. Have I encouraged others to drink more than was good for them?
10. Have I broken a promise or pledge not to drink intoxicating liquor for a certain period of time?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I practiced any mortification of taste either by denying myself certain foods or by not eating at certain times?
2. Have I meditated on the thirst of our
Lord on the Cross, that I might be inspired to share his suffering for my sins?
3. Have I tried to use my influence over friends and acquaintances to prevent any kind of overindulgence in alcohol?
4. Have I prayed before and after meals, both to show gratitude to God for His gifts and to ask for strength not to misuse them?
5. Have I realized that intemperance in eating or drinking easily leads to intemperance in the form of lust?
ASPIRATION: O good Jesus, within Thy wounds hid me. (300 days indulgence.) [169]
PRAYER:
O gentle Jesus, who didst suffer agonizing thirst on the Cross to atone
for the many sins that would be committed through the sense of taste,
accept my sorrow for all my lack of mortification and my many sins in
this regard. Thou didst bestow on us so many things which we did not
deserve that it should be impossible even to think of offending Thee by
misusing them in any way. And yet our ingratitude reaches even so far
that we have been unwilling to share in the smallest way the many and
great privations of Thy own life and death, and have rebelled against
Thy commandments and Thy Church in gratifying excessively the appetites
Thou hast given us. Let me atone for my own sins of the past by
acquiring strong habits of mortification, and let me make reparation
for the many sins of gluttony and drunkenness in the world by penance
and self-denial. 0 Mary, Mother of Christ, obtain for me the grace to
use rightly and reasonably all the good things bestowed on me by God.
OBEDIENCE
The
first commandment in the Decalogue, after the three which deal with
man’s duties to God, is that which reads: Honour thy father and thy
mother. There is a reason for its being mentioned at the head of the
list of those which comprise man’s duties to his fellow-man. The reason
is that, in the order of nature, a human being’s first relationships are
toward the parents who were responsible for his coming into the world
and on whom he is dependent through many helpless years.
The
law of obedience, in regard to children, is really a law of
self-preservation. When the child is born, it is incapable of caring for
itself in any way. Its helplessness and dependence, in somewhat
diminishing degree, continue for many years. Unless others provide for
its physical needs, its intellectual needs, its moral and spiritual
needs, it will never reach perfect maturity. This dependence can be made
fruitful and effective unto self-preservation and development only by
obedience, respect, honour and love toward those whose responsibility
it is to provide for the child.
But
children are not the only ones on whom the obligation of obedience
falls. Whenever there is a necessary dependence of one man upon another,
either in the natural or supernatural order, there are obligations of
obedience. Thus, in the natural order, the citizen owes obedience to
the state; the workman to his employer; the pupil to the teacher.
Accordingly, in the supernatural order, the parishioner owes obedience
to the pastor, and the religious to his superiors.
Indirectly,
obedience also imposes obligations on those who hold authority to
direct and command others. There is a right use of authority and a wrong
use; it can be neglected or abused to the detriment of subjects.
Therefore, every form of obedience involves obligations on the part of
those in command. The sins of both subjects and superiors are therefore
outlined here.
I.MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I deliberately given in to hatred of my mother or my father,
refusing to speak to them over a considerable period of time?
2. Have I deliberately wished serious harm to my parents, e.g., that they would die so that I might possess their goods?
3.
Have I habitually treated my parents harshly, speaking contemptuously
to them or of them, ridiculing them, cursing them, causing them severe
pain and sorrow?
4.
Have I refused to relieve the serious needs of my parents when I was
able to do so, leaving them dependent on strangers for necessary food,
clothing, or without medical care in sickness and danger of death?
5.
Have I done nothing to insure spiritual care for my mother or father
when it was needed, neglecting to provide for their receiving the
Sacraments in danger of death?
6.
Have I, as a lawyer or politician or influential business man, used my
power to break down or render useless just laws of the state made for
the welfare of all?
7. Have I purposely struck my mother or father in resentment or deliberate bad will?
8. Have I disobeyed parents when they forbade my going with bad companions, or to bad shows and dangerous places?
9.
Have I, as an official of the state, seriously failed in my duty by
accepting bribes, permitting corruption, letting criminals off, etc.?
10.
Have I, as a parishioner, fomented rebellion and disobedience among the
people of a parish, by slander, conspiracy, etc., against my pastor?
11.
Have I upset the home of my parents by frequently disobeying the rules
they had a right to make — concerning the persons to be brought into the
house, concerning the hours I kept at night, concerning decent conduct
within the home?
12.
Have I, when earning money while living under the parental roof or
while still subject to parents, refused to give them part of my
earnings when they needed it or demanded it?
13.
Have I, as a parent, given in to deliberate hatred of a son or
daughter, by continual mistreatment, cursing, driving them out of my
home without a serious reason?
14. Have I failed entirely to teach and discipline my children in serious matters such as morality and religion?
15.
Have I, with deliberate and grave carelessness, endangered the life of a
child, either by seriously dangerous conduct before birth, or by
neglect of proper attention through the years of infancy?
16.
Have I failed to have my child baptised at least within two weeks or
thereabouts after birth, when there was no serious obstacle to so doing?
17.
Have I given serious bad example to my children, by cursing in their
presence, by serious quarrelling, by impure talk, by neglecting serious
religious obligations?
18. Have I failed to correct and punish my children for serious wrongs, or to forbid them to enter serious occasions of sin?
19.
Have I refused to send my children to a Catholic school when I could
have done so and had no permission from bishop or pastor to do
otherwise?
20.
Have I selfishly interfered with the vocation of a son or daughter when
God seemed to be calling them to marriage or to a religious vocation
and I had no serious reason for refusing to let them go?
21.
Have I, as a pupil in school, seriously undermined the authority and
harmed the work of my teacher by slander, rebellion, etc.,?
22.
Have I, as a teacher, seriously neglected my duties by failing to
prepare myself in any way for my classes, by not teaching subjects I was
hired to teach, etc.,?
23.
Have I, as an employee, failed to a grave degree in carrying out
commands of an employer for which I was hired, or fomented rebellion and
disobedience and sabotage among others?
24.
Have I, as am employer, been seriously unjust to one or many of my
employees, by driving them tyrannically, by demanding more than human
nature could do, by allowing inhuman working conditions?
II. VENIAL SINS
1.
Have I failed to show love and gratitude to my parents, either by
neglecting opportunities to do so, or by positively hurting them in
small ways?
2.
Have I failed in the respect due my parents, by laughing at them, being
openly ashamed of them, talking harshly or angrily to them, saying
unkind things about them?
3. Have I disobeyed my parents in small things that they commanded or forbade?
4. Have I lied to my parents to avoid a reprimand or punishment?
5. Have I been stubborn and peevish and openly resentful against parents?
6. Have I neglected to ask or take advice from parents in matters in which their knowledge and experience are meant to guide me?
7. Have I selfishly refused to make life more comfortable and enjoyable for my parents when I could have done so?
8. Have I, in my own mature years, left my parents alone, seldom visiting them, seldom showing any gratitude or love?
9.
As a parent, have I slothfully neglected the lesser duties I owed to my
children, such as taking an interest in their school work, explaining
difficult religious matters to them, encouraging extra habits of piety?
10. Have I given bad example to my children in venial matters, by anger, gossip, lying, etc.?
11.
Have I failed to cooperate with teachers of my children by criticizing
them to the children, countermanding some of their orders, etc.?
12. Have I, as a pupil in school, been disrespectful and disobedient to teachers?
13.
Have I, as a teacher, given bad example to pupils, or failed to prepare
well for my classes, or to fulfil minor obligations I assumed?
14. Have I, as an employee, been disobedient to just orders given by my employer, thus causing slight losses?
15. Have I, as an employer, given way to anger, partiality, unfairness in dealing with my employees?
16.
Have I, as a citizen, disregarded laws made for the safety and
well-being of all, or ridiculed those in authority who made the laws?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1.
Have I convinced myself of the truth that all valid authority comes
from God, and that obedience to such authority is obedience to God?
2.
As a son or daughter, have I ever reflected on the gratitude I owe to
parents, which is the basis of the love, respect and obedience I owe
them?
3.
Have I trained myself to overlook the human faults in those who hold
authority, remembering that these faults do not remove my obligation of
obedience to all just commands?
4.
Have I meditated on what chaos would engulf the world if there were no
obedience, and on how much misery has already been caused by rebellion
against authority?
5.
Have I realized the old Scriptural principle that obedience to parents
in youth is the surest means of gaining loyal obedience from others
when I may be placed in authority?
6.
Have I meditated on the example of Christ, who became man out of
obedience and who was obedient to all lawful authority even unto His
death?
ASPIRATION: All for Thee, most Sacred Heart of Jesus! (300 days indulgence.) [203]
PRAYER:
0 Jesus, my Saviour, Thou didst say on entering the world: “I am come
to do Thy will, 0 God,” and didst fulfil Thy promise by becoming
obedient even unto the death of the cross — 0, do Thou teach me to be
obedient in all things like unto Thee. In the past I have often rebelled
against those who represent Thy own authority; permit me now by Thy
grace to rebel no longer. Thou didst obey Mary and Joseph at Nazareth,
and all Thy civil and religious rulers. Let me see in my own superiors
the same divine authority Thou didst obey, no matter what human defects
Thy representatives may possess. And if Thou willest that I should have
authority over others in any sphere, grant that I may exercise that
authority with the same gentleness, meekness, kindness and charity that
were always present in Thee. 0 Mary, who didst say to the angel who
represented God: “Be it done unto me according to thy word,” let me
echo thy beautiful submission whenever God’s will is made known to me
through my superiors.
“The
Lord hath given Him power and honor and a kingdom; and all peoples,
tribes and tongues shall serve Him. The nation and kingdom that will not
serve Thee shall perish; the nations shall be laid waste as a desert.’
— Lauds (Festival of Christ the King)
MEEKNESS
Meekness
is the virtue that enables one to overcome the tendencies of anger,
revenge, hatred and enmity. Many of its manifestations have already
been listed under the heading of charity, because the principal
incentives to anger come from the words or actions of a fellow human
being. Thus meekness presupposes the virtue of charity or love of
neighbour, which provides the motives and the means of overlooking
insult, injustice and injury, real or imaginary, from others.
The
vice of anger, to which meekness is opposed, is responsible for very
much of the misery in the world. It is a vice in which an animal passion
in man is permitted to dominate his words and actions as if he
possessed neither reason nor free will. In the brute animals, anger is
directed by instinct to the purposes of self-defence and
self-preservation, as exemplified when a brute fights for food, or
against an enemy, or in defence of its young. In man, anger is also
designed by nature to be a means of self-defence and self-preservation,
but, like all the passions, in him it is meant to be under the complete
control of reason and free will. This means that even in a man who
possesses merely natural virtue, all motivations to anger must be
trained to submit to the judgment of reason, and that the will be
permitted to act, not on the suggestion of anger but on the judgment of
reason. A man who possesses supernatural virtue has all the teachings of
faith to assist his judgment in deciding against the impulses of anger.
Anger,
therefore, as a vice, is the habit of acting as the passion dictates
without subjecting it to reason or faith. One who habitually acts thus,
indulging in intemperate words and vicious actions, places himself
below the level of the brutes. Brutes are guided at least by instinct.
Reason is to take the place of that instinct in man, and when it is
abandoned there is nothing left but blind and selfish force.
I. MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I deliberately permitted myself to become so violently angry that
it destroyed my reason for a time and made me incapable of acting like a
human being?
2. Have I hurt others seriously in anger?
3. Have I knowingly and deliberately made others angry to a point where they were bereft of reason?
4. Have I planned revenge against others, looking for an opportunity to do serious harm to them?
5.
Have I actually taken revenge by doing serious harm, e.g., by ruining a
person’s business, by destroying his reputation, by stealing?
6.
Have I permitted anger against others to become hatred, so that I
wished them serious misfortune and refused to speak to them for a
considerable length of time?
7. Have I refused to forgive others who had wronged me and who asked for forgiveness in a direct or indirect way?
8. After causing another to show signs of hatred for me, have I refused to show by any sign that I wanted to be forgiven?
9. Have I induced others to hate their neighbours by working on their anger and providing motives for continued hatred?
10.
Have I, through jealousy of others, deliberately tried to destroy a
good work that they were doing or to hamper it seriously?
II. VENIAL SINS
1. Have I taken part in petty quarrels and bitter arguments?
2. Have I given in to sudden spurts of anger by harsh words, by calling names, by abusive language?
3. Have I shown dislike and antipathy for others by snubbing them, by being sarcastic toward them, or by any unkindness?
4. Have I given in to moods of sullenness and moroseness towards others?
5. Have I shown sensitiveness and hurt feelings over trifling matters?
6. Have I carried and shown a grudge against others for some time?
7. Have I talked back peevishly to superiors when I was corrected?
8. Have I, as a superior, corrected others in the heat of anger?
9. Have I shown envy of others by picking at their characters, by lessening their esteem in the eyes of others?
10. Have I teased others until I made them angry?
11. Have I approved and promoted the angry feelings of others?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1. Have I analysed the nature of anger as a passion and recognized how it should be subjected to reason?
2.
Have I realized that giving in to anger signifies the presence of great
pride, because one who does not try to control his anger thinks so
highly of himself that he believes no one should cross him in any way?
3.
Have I ever meditated on the example of Christ, especially how He
practiced silence when His enemies hired criminal witnesses to testify
against Him?
4.
Have I reminded myself often of the words of Christ: “If any man be
angry with his brother he shall be in danger of the judgment”?
5. Do I know that not anger but meekness is the greatest sign of strength of character a person can give?
6. Am I aware that an ungovernable temper is the surest sign that a person is incapable of leading or ruling others in any way?
ASPIRATION: 0 God, grant us union of minds in truth and union of hearts in charity. (300
days indulgence.) [10]
PRAYER:
0 sweet Redeemer, how great is the contrast between Thy conduct, under
insult and injury, and mine! Thou was silent when they accused Thee
falsely; Thou didst not complain when they crowned Thee with thorns and
scourged Thee at the pillar; Thou didst pray for the forgiveness of even
those who nailed Thee to Thy cross. And I — how quick I have been to
show resentment for even the unintended slights I received; how often I
have plotted revenge against someone for an imaginary wrong, and how
long I have harboured ill-feelings toward others within my heart. I am
sorry that I have been so unworthy a follower of Thee. Grant me the
grace to be prompt to forgive; to be generous with those who are
niggardly with me; to be meek and patient whenever I am tempted to
anger. O Mary, who didst share in the ignominy of Thy Son’s passion and
death without complaint, obtain for me the grace to overcome every
temptation to hatred and anger.
“For
Thy power, 0 Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is Thy pleasure in the
strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been
acceptable to Thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath
always pleased Thee.”
— Judith 9:16
HUMILITY
Pride
is defined as an inordinate love of one s own excellence. It is called
an inordinate love because everyone is bound to love self in an ordinate
or rational way, which means to love self inasmuch as and after the
manner in which one is loved by God. God loves every human being that He
has created; this means that God desires the happiness and salvation of
each one and directs all His laws and all His providence and all His
gifts and graces to these ends. A rightful love of self is really
reducible to the love of God, because it means seeking what God seeks,
conforming self to God’s will, fulfilling God’s plans in regard to one’s
destiny.
An
inordinate love of self or of one’s excellence means setting oneself
against God and above God. For example, it means attributing to one’s
own judgment a higher value than to the wisdom of God. It means thinking
that one can find and follow a better road to happiness than that made
known by the all-wise God. It means rebelling against God because it is
assumed that God does not know what is best for one’s body and soul.
It
stands to reason, therefore, that pride is in some way responsible for
every deliberate sin that is ever committed. If a person sins through
lust or indulgence in forbidden sense pleasure, it is fundamentally
because he believes he can find some happiness in that, whereas by
keeping God’s law happiness could not be attained. If a person sins
through malice, i.e., by deliberately breaking a law like that of
hearing Mass on Sunday, it is radically because he thinks that God made a
useless law. If he sins through fear of poverty or pain, then it is
because he will not admit that God can take care of those who keep His
law. So with every kind of sin: in some way it signifies pride, assuming
that the sinner knows more than God or can do more than God or can find
greater happiness in rebellion against God than by remaining subject to
His authority and by keeping His law.
For
this reason it is difficult to enumerate mortal and venial sins that
are sins of pride alone. Pride usually reveals itself in the breaking of
some specific law that God has made. However, in order to trace the
influence of pride in our lives, it is well to examine our minds for
the motives of various sins, because it will quickly be found that pride
is a major factor in all. Thus sins already contained in previous
examinations of this series will be repeated here, with special
reference to the form of pride that causes them. The list will not be
exhaustive but representative of how pride works.
Of
course, the only remedy for pride is humility. Humility is the
fundamental virtue by which a person remembers his utter dependence on
God and God’s laws and God’s providence, and the utter folly of any
action or any judgment or any self-glorification that is contrary to the
will of God.
I. MORTAL SINS
1.
Have I considered myself capable of reading forbidden books without
permission — books dealing with things contrary to my faith or
destructive of morals —because I thought my judgment about these things
was better than that of God and His Church which forbids such reading?
2.
Have I decided that it could do me no harm to attend non-Catholic
services even though God’s law and the law of His Church forbid it?
3.
Have I made light of or even ridiculed certain doctrines or laws of the
Catholic religion, as if I knew more than Christ or His Church?
4.
Have I, with but a shallow and mediocre training in religious teaching,
presumed to make quick judgments about doctrines I hardly even
understood?
5.
Have I shown my independence of God by missing Mass on Sunday without a
reason, by eating meat on abstinence days, refusing to fast on days
appointed, etc.?
6.
Have I practically expressed the conviction that I know more than God
and His Church by refusing to send my children to a Catholic school, or
by saying that I do not believe a Catholic education is necessary for a
Catholic child?
7.
Have I drawn others into sins of impurity on the ground that God’s law
in this matter is old-fashioned, impossible, unimportant, or harmful?
8.
Have I practiced any form of preventing conception in marriage because I
maintained that God’s law could not be kept, or, if kept, would result
in too much hardship?
9.
Have I refused to forgive someone who wronged me because I considered
my honor a more valuable thing than that of God, who forgave His enemies
and commanded me to forgive mine?
10.
Have I slandered others because I thought revenge against them was
necessary for my honour even though it is forbidden by God?
11.
Have I used unjust methods in business because I deemed it more
important for me to make money and “to get ahead” than to be obedient to
God?
12.
Have I used sinful means to attain social or political power because I
would rather be above my fellow-human beings than subject to God?
13.
Have I rebelled against superiors and the serious commands they gave
because I thought my knowledge and dignity freed me from the necessity
of obedience?
14.
Have I failed to confess certain mortal sins I had committed because I
said they were “my own affair,” that “they were no business of the
priest,” that “I could get along without God’s forgiveness”?
15. Have I maintained, either in word or action, that it is unnecessary for a man to pray?
II. VENIAL SINS
1.
Have I been guilty of the form of pride called vanity, by considering
myself more intelligent, more learned, more handsome, even more
charitable than others?
2. Have I bragged about my accomplishments, my virtues, my abilities?
3.
Have I given in to anger against others because I thought myself better
than they were, and that they should know better than to cross me?
4. Have I shown my pride in the form of sensitiveness, resentment, pouting, peevishness?
5. Have I talked about the faults of others, as if to say: “I have no faults at all”?
6.
Have I complained about God’s providence in permitting me certain
trials, as if I were deserving of better treatment from Him?
7. Have I looked down on others who were less wealthy, less cultured, less learned, less prominent, less gifted than I?
8.
Have I been too proud to take second place in any work or activity,
withdrawing from it or hindering it because I could not be first?
9.
Have I shown my pride in constant disobedience to my superiors in small
things, or by stubbornness and disrespectful language to those who had a
right to command me?
10. Have I neglected daily prayer as if I were strong enough and good enough to get along without God’s help?
III. HELPS AND COUNSELS
1.
Have I realized that humility is the foundation of all other virtues
because it keeps me mindful of my complete dependence on God and the
need I have of perfectly accepting and accomplishing His will?
2.
Have I learned to detest pride as the cause of all sin, the reason for
the creation of hell, and the source of all the evil in the world?
3.
Have I a consciousness of the just deserts of my sins — so that I am
ready to accept any trial or hardship from God to atone for those sins?
4.
Am I convinced how foolish it would be to set up my judgment and my
little knowledge against the teachings of Christ and of His Church, and
against God’s knowledge of the past, present and future?
5.
Do I meditate often on the humility of Christ, who emptied Himself of
all honour and became a servant to show me what I must be in the eyes of
God?
6. Have I adopted this as one of my favourite prayers: “0 Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine”?
ASPIRATION: Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine. (500 days indulgence.) [1961
PRAYER:
My Lord Jesus Christ, who, though Thou was the Creator and Master of
the universe, didst humble Thyself and become a servant to redeem the
world, help me to understand that humility is necessary for every other
virtue I desire to possess. Thou dost resist the proud and give Thy
grace only to the humble. I, therefore, renounce the pride that has
caused me to offend Thee so often in the past, that has made me place
myself above Thee, the Sovereign Lord of all. Let me prove my humility
by accepting cheerfully every humiliation I receive from others; by
submitting unreservedly to Thy commands and the authority of Thy Church;
by seeking no honour and no recognition from the world, but only Thy
approbation and Thy reward. 0 Mary, whose humility was so pleasing to
the Most High, obtain for me the grace to renounce all self- will in
complete surrender to God.
“My
hand made all these things, and all these things were made, saith the
Lord. But to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and
little, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my words.”
(Isaias 66:2)
Examination of Conscience
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