Examination of conscience to be followed to make a good Confession

What is the sacrament of Penance?
Penance, also called confession, is the sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ to forgive sins committed after Baptism.
The parts of the sacrament of Penance:
Contrition: it is an act of the will, a pain of the soul and of the detestation of the sin committed together with the purpose of not sinning in the future.
Confession: it consists in the detailed accusation of one's sins against the confessor for having absolution and penance.
Absolution: it is the sentence that the priest pronounces in the name of Jesus Christ, to forgive sins of the penitent.
Satisfaction: or sacramental penance, it is the prayer or the good work imposed by the confessor to punish and correct the sinner, and to discount the temporary punishment deserved by sinning.
Effects of well made confession
The sacrament of Penance
it confers the sanctifying grace with which mortal sins and also the venial confessed and of which one has pain are remitted;
commutes the eternal punishment in the storm, which is also more or less remitted according to the provisions;
restores the merits of good works done before committing mortal sin;
gives the soul appropriate help to avoid falling into guilt and restores peace to conscience,

CONSCIOUSNESS EXAMINATION
to prepare a good general confession (whole life or year)
It is useful to begin this examination by reading Annotations 32 to 42 of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.
In confession one must accuse at least all mortal sins, not yet well confessed (in a good confession), and which are remembered. Indicate, as far as possible, their species and their number.
For this reason, ask God for the grace to know your own faults well and examine yourselves on the Ten Commandments and precepts of the Church, on capital sins and on the duties of one's own state.
Prayer for a good examination of conscience
Most Holy Virgin Mary, my Mother, deign to obtain a sincere pain for having offended God ... the firm intention of correcting me ... and the grace of making a good confession.
Saint Joseph, deign to intercede for me with Jesus and Mary.
My good Guardian Angel, deign to remember my sins and help me to accuse them well without false shame.

The Veni Sancte Spiritus can also be recited.
It is good, to the extent that one's sins are remembered, to repent and ask for forgiveness from God, begging for the grace of a firm purpose of no longer committing it.
For a good general confession of all life, it will be good, without obligation, to write down sins and accuse them according to the chronological method. See Annotation 56 of the Exercises, considering their life from period to period. The accusation of blame will thus be greatly facilitated.
NB: 1) Mortal sin always presupposes three essential elements: the gravity of the matter, full warning, deliberate consent.
2) The accusation of the species and of the number is necessary for the sins of desire.

Logical method: consider the commandments.

Commandments of God
I am the Lord your God, you will have no other God except me
The Commandments (Prayers, religion):
Did I miss prayers? Did I recite them wrong? Did I fear to show myself a Christian out of human respect? Have I neglected to educate myself on the truths of religion? Have I consented to voluntary doubts? ... in thoughts ... in words? Have I read wicked books or newspapers? Did I speak and act against religion? Did I murmur against God and his Providence? Did I belong to wicked societies (freemasonry, communism, heretical sects, etc.)? Have I practiced superstition ... consulted cards and fortune tellers? ... participated in magical practices? Did I tempt God?
- Sin against the Faith: have I refused to admit one or more truths revealed by God and taught by the Church? ... or to accept Revelation once known? ... or to study its proof of credibility? Have I renounced the true Faith? What is my respect for the Church?
- Sin against Hope: have I lacked confidence in the goodness and Providence of God? Have I despaired of the possibility of living as a true Christian, although I ask for grace? Do I really believe in God's promises to help those who pray humbly and trust in his goodness and omnipotence? In the opposite direction: have I sinned presumptuously by abusing the goodness of God, deluding myself that I still receive forgiveness, confusing good with good-natured?
- Sin against Charity: have I refused to love God above all things? Have I spent weeks and months without ever carrying out the slightest act of love for God, without thinking of Him? Religious indifference, Atheism, Materialism, Unholy, Secularism (not to recognize the rights of God and Christ the King over society and individuals). Have I profaned holy things? In particular: sacrilegious confessions and communions?
- Charity towards the neighbor: do I see in the neighbor a soul made in the image of God? Do I love him for love of God and Jesus? Is this love natural or is it supernatural, inspired by faith? Have I despised, detested, mocked others?

Do not mention the name of God in vain
II Commandment (Oaths and blasphemies):
Did I swear falsely or unnecessarily? Have I cursed myself and others? Did I disrespect the name of God, the Virgin or the Saints? ... did I mention them irreverently or for fun? Did I blaspheme murmuring against God in trials? Did I observe the vows?

Remember to sanctify the holidays
III Commandment (Mass, work):
The 1st and 2nd precepts of the Church refer to this commandment.
Did I miss Mass because of me? ... did I arrive late? Did I witness without respect? Did I work or work without need and without permission on holidays? Have I neglected religious education? Did I desecrate the parties with meetings or entertainment dangerous to the faith and customs?

Honor your father and mother
IV Commandment (Parents, superiors):
Children: have I disrespected? ... have I disobeyed? ... have I caused sorrow to my parents? Have I neglected to assist them in their lives and, above all, at the time of death? Have I neglected to pray for them, in the pains of life and, above all, after death? Have I despised or ignored their wise opinions?
Parents: have I always worried about educating children? Have I thought about giving or providing them with religious education? Did I make them pray? Did I worry about bringing them to the sacraments early? Have I chosen the safest schools for them? Have I diligently-watched over them? ... have I advised them, resumed them, corrected them?
In their choices, have I assisted and advised them for their real good? Have I inspired them with good habits? At the time of choosing the state, did I make my will or that of God prevail?
Spouses: failure to support each other? Is love for a spouse truly patient, long-suffering, caring, ready for anything? ... did I criticize the spouse in the presence of the children? … Did I mistreat him?
Inferior: (clerks, servants, workers, soldiers). Have I disrespected, obeyed my superiors? Have I wronged them with unfair criticism, or otherwise? Did I fail to fulfill my duties? Did I abuse trust?
Superiors: (masters, managers, officers). Have I failed to commutative justice, not giving them the due?… To social justice (insurance, social security, etc.)? Have I punished unjustly? Did I miss the cause by not getting the necessary help? Did I watch over morality carefully? Have I favored the fulfillment of religious duties? ... the religious education of employees? Have I always treated employees with kindness, fairness, charity?

Do not kill
V Commandment (Wrath, violence, scandal):
Did I abandon myself to anger? Did I have revenge wishes? Did I desire my neighbor's evil? Have I kept feelings of resentment, rust and hatred? Have I violated the great law of forgiveness? Have I insulted, beaten, wounded? Do I practice patience? Did I give bad advice? Have I scandalized with words or deeds? Have I seriously and voluntarily transgressed the Highway Code (even without consequences)? Am I responsible for infanticide, abortion or euthanasia?

Don't fornicate -
Do not desire the woman of others
VI and IX Commandment (Impurities, thoughts, words, actions)
Did I voluntarily dwell on thoughts or desires contrary to purity? Am I ready to flee from sinful occasions: dangerous conversations and amusements, immodest readings and images? Have I worn indecent clothes? Did I commit dishonest actions alone? ... with others? Do I maintain guilty bonds or friendships? Am I responsible for abuse or fraud in the use of marriage? I have refused, without sufficient reasons, the marital debt?
Fornication (sexual relations between man and woman) outside of marriage is always a mortal sin (even between engaged couples). If one or both are married, the sin doubles with the adultery (simple or double) that must be accused. Adultery, divorce, incest, homosexuality, bestiality.

Do not steal -
Don't want other people's stuff
VII and X Commandment (Thefts, desire to steal):
Have I wished to appropriate the good of others? Did I commit or help to commit injustice, fraud, theft? Did I pay my debts? Have I deceived or damaged the neighbor in the stuff? ... have I desired it? Did I commit abuses in sales, contracts, etc.?

Don't say false testimony
VIII Commandment (Lies, slanders, slanders):
I lied? Have I made or spread suspicious, reckless judgments? ... have I murmured, slandered? Have I made false testimonials? Did I violate secrets (correspondence, etc.)?

Precepts of the Church
1st - Recalls the III Commandment: Remember to sanitize the holidays.
2nd - Do not eat meat on Fridays and other days of abstinence, and fast on the prescribed days.
3rd - Confession once a year and communicate at least on Easter.
4 ° - Helping the needs of the Church, contributing according to the laws and customs.
5th - Do not solemnly celebrate the wedding in the forbidden times.

Deadly sins
Pride: What respect do I have for me? Am I acting out of pride? Do I waste money in the search for luxury? Have I despised others? Am I pleased in thoughts of vanity? Am I susceptible? I am a slave to "what will people say? »And fashion?
Greed: Am I too attached to earthly goods? Have I always given alms according to my ability? To have, have I never harmed the laws of Justice? Did I play gambling? (see VII and X Commandment).
Lust: (see VI and IX Commandment).
Envy: Have I kept feelings of jealousy? Did I try to harm others out of envy? Am I pleased with the evil, or saddened by the good of others?
Throat: Did I go overboard in eating and drinking? Did I get drunk? ... how many times? (if it's a habit, do you know that there are medical treatments to heal?).
Wrath: (see the V Commandment).
Laziness: Am I lazy in getting up in the morning? ... in study and work? ... in fulfilling religious duties?

Duties of state
Did I miss the special state obligations? Have I neglected my professional obligations (as a professor, a pupil or a student, a doctor, a lawyer, a notary, etc.)?
Chronological method
For general confession: examine year by year.
For annual confession: examine week by week.
For weekly confession: examine day by day.
For the daily exam: examine hour by hour.
While reviewing your mistakes, you humble yourself, ask for forgiveness and the grace to correct yourself.
Immediate preparation
After the examination of conscience, to excite the contrition, slowly read the following thoughts:
My sins are a revolt against God, my Creator, Sovereign and Father. They muddy my soul, wound it and, if serious, give it death.
I will still remember:
1) heaven, which will be lost for me, if I die in a state of grave sin;
2) hell, where I will fall for eternity;
3) purgatory, where the divine justice will have to complete my purification from every sin and real debt;
4) Our Lord Jesus Christ, dying on the cross to atone for my sins;
5) the goodness of God, which is all love, infinite goodness, always ready to forgive in the face of repentance.
These reasons for contrition can also be a subject of meditation. But above all, meditate on the Crucifix, the presence and expectation of Jesus in the Taber¬nacle, the Addolorata. Mary cries over your sins and you remain indifferent?
If the confession costs you a little, say a prayer to the SS. Virgin. You will not miss his help. Once the preparation is complete, he enters the confessional with humility and recollection, considering that the priest occupies the place of Jesus Christ Our Lord, and accepts all sins with sincerity.

Confession method
(for use by all the faithful)
In making the sign of the Cross it is said:
1) Father I confess because I have sinned.
2) I confessed to ... I received the solution, I did penance and I approached communion ... (indicate the times). Since then I accuse myself ...
Who has only venial sins, just accuse of three of the most serious, to leave more time for the confessor to give the necessary notices. After the accusation, it is said:
I still accuse myself of all the sins that I do not remember and that I do not know and those of the past life, especially those against the ... Commandment or ... virtue, and I humbly ask forgiveness from God and to you, Father, for penance and acquittal, if I deserve it.
3) At the moment of absolution, recite the Act of Sorrow with faith:
My God, I repent and I regret with all my heart about my sins, because by sinning I deserved your punishments, and much more because I offended You infinitely good and worthy of being loved above all things. I propose with your holy help never to offend you again and to flee from the near opportunities of sin. Lord, mercy, forgive me.
4) Perform the required penance without delay.
After confession
Do not forget to thank God for the great grace of forgiveness received. Above all, don't get caught up in scruples. If the devil tries to disturb, don't argue with him. Jesus did not institute the sacrament of Penance to torture us, but to free us. However, he asks for great loyalty in returning to his love, in the accusation of our failings (especially if mortal) and in the promise not to neglect any means to escape sin.
That's what you did. Thank Jesus and his holy Mother. «Go in peace and don't sin anymore».
"Sir! I abandon my passage to your Mercy, my presence to your Love, my future to your Providence! " (Father Pio)