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Examination
of Conscience
based on the Seven Capital Sins
(from Bathe Seven Times - by Intercessors of the Lamb:
bellwetheromaha.org)
Anger | Envy | Lust | Pride | Gluttony | Sloth | Avarice
As with any
examination of conscience,
begin by recalling God’s tremendous love
and mercy for you.
Place yourself in the Lord’s presence
and allow Him to fill you with His deep love for you.
Rest yourself upon His heart and be at peace.
EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE - ANGER
Emotions
In general, am I inclined towards anger?
How does anger show up in my
life? How do I express it?
Do I often have outbursts of anger? If so, what is the trigger?
In what situations am I tempted
to think angry thoughts?
Is the anger I feel a holy anger
(concerned about God’s honor and glory) or a sinful
anger?
In what situations is the anger
I feel too strong for the situation?
Do I say things in anger and
impatience?
When I feel impatient, what
usually happens next?
In what situations do my feelings of anger hinder my ability to reason?
When I feel some injustice has been done to me or to another, do I feel
the desire to
restore the right order through
revenge?
When my ego has been hurt, do I
feel the need to strike back?
Do thoughts of retaliation bring
delight?
How can my feelings of anger be a positive force in my life?
In what ways can I improve the way
I handle my anger?
Where do I need to forgive but am holding onto my feelings of anger?
Are any of my feelings of anger leading me down the dangerous pathway to
hatred?
Relationship with the Lord
Where is my anger bringing about a wicked sadness and weighing down my
soul?
Do I feel that the Lord has let me down and not met my needs in any
situations?
Is there any buried anger at God
for something that has happened in my life?
Am I journaling all my feelings
of anger and resentment?
Am I afraid to tell God how I
feel?
How do these feelings of anger
and disappointment with God
cause me to run from solitude
and intimacy with Him?
As the Lord is purifying me, are there any areas in my life where I feel
deprived?
Am I afraid to let go of any of
my attachments?
Have I talked to the Lord about
these feelings of fear and deprivation yet?
What is my attitude during times of desolation?
Do I frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help me deal with my
anger?
Relationship with others
Do I have a quarrelsome attitude?
Am I only pleasant and agreeable
with the people I like?
Has my anger led me to quarrels,
insults, abusive words, or physical attacks?
In what situations am I
consistently unreasonable and difficult to get along with?
Do I treat others with a dignified coolness and give them the cold
shoulder when I am angry?
On what occasions does anger start to bubble up within me?
What do I do then? Do I blow up
quickly and without thought?
Before I react, could I bring
this situation to the Lord for His point of view?
Am I critical of others, their work, and their accomplishments?
Do I insist on giving my opinion on everything and murmur behind others’
backs
when things are handled in a way differently
from how I would handle them?
When do I feel that people have really let me down in my life?
What can I do to heal these
hurts?
When does my anger have a negative effect on those around me?
What steps can I take to change
this?
Do I pray for my relationship with those who stir up feelings of anger
within me?
Do I pray for situations that usually lead me to anger?
Relationship with self
Do I become angry and disgusted with myself because of my personal
weaknesses and sins?
Am I impatient that spiritual perfection is taking so long?
Does my anger and disappointment in myself manifest itself in anger
towards others?
Are my feelings of anger towards myself unreasonable and unjustified,
demanding perfection?
Having made resolutions to increase my holiness, do I become angry with
myself when I fail to achieve them?
Community and Family Life
How do my actions show I care about the happiness of others?
Do I believe that my disposition towards anger can hurt my community / family
significantly?
Do I care that my anger has a
negative impact upon my community / family?
Am I a cause for division within
my community / family?
What am I doing to develop a gentle, meek disposition?
Do I treat each person as I would treat Jesus?
Do my actions or lack of actions cause another to fall into this sin of
anger?
...And pray for the
cardinal virtue of JUSTICE,
perfected by the spiritual gift of PIETY.
Put all the
distractions of the day aside and
take a moment to
place yourself in the presence of the Lord.
Allow His
unconditional love for you
to envelop you and
fill your heart to overflowing.
Take a moment to
recall all the blessings and spiritual gifts
that the Father has
so generously bestowed upon you.
Remain awhile in
this thankfulness and love.
EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE - ENVY
Daily Life
Do I constantly compare myself to any certain person?
When do I speak of others in a critical way? Where am I judgmental?
Do I treat and judge certain
people more harshly than others?
Do I see my brother or sister’s
hard work and effort, or am I critical and judgmental?
Do I follow the letter of the
law or the spirit of the law?
In what situations am I tempted towards envy?
Do I covet anything that belongs to my neighbor?
Am I jealous of other people’s talents? possessions? power?
accomplishments? intelligence? abilities?
When I am tempted to say an uncharitable word, what is the first thing I
do?
What could I do at this time of
temptation to help fortify my resolve to be charitable?
Is there something that brings
on this temptation?
Is unforgiveness a root of envy in my life?
Do I have difficulty forgiving
any particular person’s faults?
Do I experience sadness when I see or think about another’s prosperity in
worldly goods?
Does it make me think less of
myself?
Do I feel joy at another’s failure or occasion of reprimand?
If so, what am I doing to
protect myself from this sin of envy?
Where does envy cause me to not see clearly or love God’s presence in
another?
When another is being complimented, what are my heart feelings?
Do I rejoice at the success of
others?
Is there anyone in particular
for whom I have trouble rejoicing at his or her successes?
Do I think less of myself when
another is praised?
Do I perceive my cup as half-empty or half-full?
Does my envy ever lead me to wishing harm to another person or situation?
Is my inclination towards envy leading me into the sin of hate in any
situation?
Prayer Life
Do I truly see my spiritual gifts as pure gift from God?
Am I thankful for my abilities
and shortcomings, consolations and desolation?
Whom do I measure myself against?
Is Jesus my standard or is it another person?
Do I feel sad when I see or think of another’s high degree of holiness,
prayerfulness, and virtue?
Am I envious when another’s
spiritual progress seems to be faster than mine?
Where are these feelings leading me?
When do I experience a holy envy that spurs me to try harder in my
spiritual life?
How am I using this holy envy to
draw me closer into transforming union?
Where do I need to trust more fully?
Do I think that God has been “fair” to me?
How does envy destroy the silence within me?
What can I do to restore the
silence?
Community / Family Life
Is my attitude of envy holding another back from progressing in their
spiritual life?
Is my attitude of envy preventing unity within my community / family?
How are my feelings of envy harming my community / family? How are they harming myself?
Where do I need to rejoice in another’s goodness or holiness?
Am I jealous of another’s degree of holiness?
Do I purposely hold another back from holiness so they don’t get ahead of
me or so I don’t seem so bad?
Do I feel threatened when others seem to pass me spiritually?
Is the envy of another whom I perceive as more holy than myself a holy
envy, or is it sinful?
In what situations do I find delight in a community or family members’
holiness or successes?
Is there an area of uncharitableness within me
that is hidden from others’ view and is harming
my community and family?
Do I show a preference for certain individuals and purposely ignore
others?
How do I show that I am my brother’s keeper?
Do I encourage community / family members in their area of work?
Do I compliment others, including
those whom I may be envious of?
Do I use my gifts, talents, abilities, etc., in such a way to make others
envious?
Virtues
Where is my charity becoming habitual?
How am I striving to be more humble?
Am I grateful for the many gifts the Father has so generously bestowed
upon me?
How does my gratitude overflow
and bring life into all my relationships?
Where do I need to be more
grateful?
What can I do to develop and
nurture an attitude of gratitude?
Where is my love too small?
...And pray for the
theological virtue of LOVE,
perfected by the spiritual gift of WISDOM.
Begin this prayer
experience by coming before the Lord
without any feelings
of shame or embarrassment.
Allow Him to reveal
His deep love for you.
Gaze upon the Lord
and contemplate His purity.
Pray for a deep
desire to let go
of anything that
hinders your relationship with the Lord.
EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE - LUST
Personal habits
Do I have a disordered, inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure?
Do I have a tendency towards lust or sexual sin?
Is my love all-embracing, for all people?
Is it exclusive? Is it
appropriate for my state in life?
Is my love for others a
spiritual love, like the love of Jesus and
Mary? Where do I have difficulty
loving another with a holy love?
Where has my love become
hardened and insensitive?
Do I seek joy, relaxation, and recreation that are appropriate to my
state in life?
Where do I step outside this
boundary?
Do I dress and speak in a modest, pure way?
Do my actions or the way I express love cause another to fall into the sin
of lust?
Overt lust
Am I involved in fornication, adultery, incest, seduction, rape,
homosexuality, masturbation,
or any other deviant sexual behavior?
Do I view pornography?
Do I use birth control contrary to the Church’s teachings?
Do I have lustful impulses so strong that it leads me to reject sound
reason or restraint?
Does lust cloud, blind, and addict my mind and judgment in any way?
What help have I sought in fighting and healing this sin of lust?
My five senses: touch, taste, smell,
hearing, sight
Which sense do I have the most difficulty keeping under control?
What can I do to better regulate
this unruly sense?
What safeguards have I set up to
protect and guard each of my senses?
Where do I allow my senses and feelings to lead rather than allowing
God’s will to lead me?
Where does my heart, my mind, and my lips need to be cleansed?
My environment
Do I read or watch impure books, movies, etc?
Do I visit inappropriate sites on the Internet?
Is there anything in my home or work environment that leads me towards
lust?
What can I do to help safeguard me
from the sin of lust?
Do I lust after knowledge, honor, power,
sports, recognition,
or anything else that causes me to
take my eyes off Jesus?
How am I protecting my community / family from this sin of lust?
My thoughts
Do I entertain impure thoughts?
In what ways could my thoughts
be more refined and pure?
Do I allow my eyes and thoughts
to wander or linger where they should not?
Where does lust have an open door through my thoughts?
Is there an area of weakness
where lust enters?
How can I bring my thoughts more fully under God’s control?
For married persons
How am I chaste in my marriage relationship?
How is my union with my spouse being
drawn into a three-way union with Jesus?
Where do I need to be more
chaste in this union?
How does the way I treat my spouse reflect my marriage vows to love, honor, and obey?
How does the way I treat my
spouse reflect that in choosing
him/her, I choose to reject
all others?
How do I / we experience the unitive,
procreative, and agape love of the Father
in our sexual relationship?
Is our marital love a sign and
pledge of spiritual communion?
Is my sexual pleasure isolated
from its procreative and unitive purposes?
How is our sexual relationship
balanced and within the limits of moderation?
Are we in line with the Catholic Church’s teaching on contraception?
Is lust perverting and robbing our Sacrament of Marriage of its sacredness?
Do I have friendships with those of the opposite sex that are
inappropriate
and may be leading me into temptation?
For non-married persons
How am I chaste in my vocation?
Do I have friendships with those of the opposite sex that are inappropriate
and may be leading me into temptation?
Do I go to God to fill any craving for affection or empty space within
me?
In my spiritual life
Do I seek and crave spiritual highs, ecstasies, and extraordinary prayer
experiences?
Do I struggle during prayer with impure feelings, causing me to give up
prayer entirely?
Where is lust cheapening, weakening, and trying to draw me away from my
call to transforming union?
Am I seeking the spiritual love of Jesus and Mary in my relationships?
...And pray for the cardinal
virtue of TEMPERANCE,
perfected by the spiritual gift of FEAR OF THE LORD.
Take a moment to
quiet yourself
and rest your head
upon Jesus’ heart.
Become aware of His
tremendous love for you.
Allow His love to
fill you as you are drawn
into the Lord’s
ocean of mercy and love.
Then prayerfully
consider the following questions.
EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE - PRIDE
Daily life
Where do I think too highly of myself?
Where do I willingly choose and claim as my own what belongs to God?
Where do I have an excessive love of self in my thoughts? in my words? in
my actions?
How is this reflected in the way
I dress? the car I drive? my house? my possessions?
How is this excessive love of
self reflected in the way I spend my money, time, and talent?
In what ways do I still serve two masters?
Where is my sin of pride acting as the gateway to other sins, especially
spiritual sloth, envy, and anger?
Pride of Intellect
In what ways am I attached to my judgment and thoughts,
with the emphasis on natural knowledge
that I have attained myself?
Am I unwilling to listen to another’s position and discernment?
Do I often find myself thinking,
“I already know that” when someone is giving me counsel or advice?
In what situations am I
unwilling to be open and learn, especially from God?
Where is my pride killing my faith?
Where am I so “full” of my own
knowledge that I am not open
to having my soul filled with
God’s light in prayer?
Where is my intellect an obstacle to contemplation and union with God?
Where do I have a tendency to presume too greatly on my own abilities and
gifts?
Do I feel that I am so far advanced spiritually that I do not need a
spiritual director
to guide and direct me?
Am I a perfectionist?
Pride of Authority / Superiority
Where is my excessive self-love leading me to be domineering,
overbearing, arrogant,
critical, argumentative, bossy, and
offensive?
What is my attitude toward those in authority over me?
Do I willingly welcome their
advice, encouragement, and correction, or am I rigid and unbending?
Do I think that it has to be my way,
or I’m not doing it?
Do I treat those in authority in
a reverent way?
Do I have difficulty accepting God and His Church as my authority?
Where are my actions saying “My
will be done” rather than “Thy will be done”?
Do I desire God’s counsel?
Do I willingly obey whatever He
tells me?
In what situations do I want to control the lives of others?
Where does my sin of pride readily lead me into angry feelings, words,
thoughts, and actions?
Do I have a tendency to think that I am better than others?
Where am I apathetic to the
rights and feelings of others?
Pride of Ambition
Do I crave praise, recognition, and places of honor?
Does my ambition to be #1 cause
me to dominate those
“beneath me”?
Am I overly competitive, seeking
places of honor that others
hold?
Do I impose my own ideas and ways of doing things on others?
Where am I bossy, demanding my
own way?
Where do I exert my influence in
order to get my own way?
What am I doing to correct my overbearing, critical attitude?
In what situations do I have a tendency to think that I am better than
others are?
Pride of Timidity
Do I have a timid disposition?
If so, has my timidity become a
habit and been carried to the
extreme that I avoid doing
what I should do or do what I should not do?
Has my timidity become a strong
habit leading to a lack of self-confidence,
fear of ridicule, and little courage
and strength to keep resolutions?
Has my habit of timidity caused
me to lose hope because I believe my weaknesses are too strong?
Where do I use my timidity to
hide my weaknesses and imperfections for fear of ridicule?
How do I view my weaknesses?
Do I over-exaggerate my
weaknesses?
Do I avoid doing things because
I might not be the best?
Do I use my weakness as an
excuse because of fear of failure?
In what situations does my fear of failure limit God’s ability to use me?
Where am I allowing my fear of ridicule to hold me back on my spiritual
journey?
Pride of Sensitiveness
Do my feelings get wounded and hurt easily?
In which situations do I most
easily feel offended?
Which persons do I most readily
take offense from?
Do I feel unloved and unwanted,
thinking that others are purposely trying to hurt me?
Am I easily wounded with every
lack of recognition or supposed neglect?
Am I a forgiving person?
Do I forgive others right away,
or do I hold and nurse a grudge and prevent reconciliation?
Do I receive a false joy out of
feeling badly over these perceived hurts?
Do I speak coldly to or refuse
to speak to those who have hurt me?
In what situations have I made it
a habit to cling to previous hurts?
Do I experience
self-satisfaction and self-righteousness in not being on speaking terms with
another?
Can I laugh at my mistakes? Can I
laugh with others about my mistakes?
Do I resent corrections, advice,
help, or favors?
Does my pride of sensitivity prevent unity in my family and community?
Does my pride of sensitivity force others to have to “walk on eggshells”
so as to not hurt my feelings?
Pride of Complacency (Vanity)
Is the opinion and esteem of others more important to me than God’s
opinion and esteem of me?
Does my craving to be
well-thought-of lead me to think, speak, or act in a vain way?
Do I work hard to uphold my
reputation even if that reputation may not be totally truthful?
Where does my vanity displace my focus from living my life to bring honor and glory to God
to living to please others?
Do I misuse my God-given talents
hoping to receive the praise and esteem of others?
Am I vain about my personal looks, strength, talents, athletic ability,
or possessions?
Does my sin of vanity cause me
to become like the Pharisees, thinking too highly of myself,
while looking down on others?
Has my vanity caused me to
become boastful, hypocritical, stubborn, disobedient, and critical?
Do I have an overbearing,
haughty, “holier than thou” attitude?
Do I carry myself in a
conceited, vain way?
What can I do to be more
welcoming in my countenance?
Do I use my gifts or perform any spiritual works, devotions, or outward
pious actions
in order to be noticed by my spiritual
director or others?
Do I minimize or hide my faults
with my spiritual director?
Do I tend to withhold
information from my spiritual director?
Do I seek the esteem and praise of others for my spiritual works?
Is the real motivation behind my spiritual works, devotions, and pious
actions to make me feel good?
In my spiritual life
As I progress spiritually has a secret pride developed within me,
leading to complacency with myself and my spiritual accomplishments?
Have I begun to almost condemn
others in my thoughts or
actions who don’t have similar
devotions and spirituality?
Do I find myself witnessing more
to myself than to God?
Where do I have trouble being obedient to God’s word to me?
Where does my pride cause me to take my focus off God and put it on
myself?
In my spiritual journey, where do I take the credit rather than giving
God the glory?
Do I desire a higher degree of prayer
without going through the necessary stages like everyone else?
How does my excessive love of
self prevent me from entering into the purification process more fully?
Do I have a problem with spiritual pride?
Do I flee from and harbor hostility against those who correct me on my
spiritual journey?
When do I prefer to instruct
rather than to be instructed (when I should be learning)?
Where does spiritual pride in my
life turn me away from the contemplation of divine things?
Where is my pride blinding my
understanding and leading me into spiritual self-delusion?
Do my occasions of false piety
cause others to turn away from wanting to be holy?
*******
Embracing humility
How does the way I live my life show that I view my talents and abilities
truly as gifts from God?
Which of my talents and
abilities do I have a tendency to
believe are due to my own
efforts?
What am I doing to practice the
virtue of humility in situations
where I am tempted to think
too highly of myself?
Where am I claiming glory for
myself rather than directing all praise to the Father?
In what ways is embracing humility difficult for me?
Where am I still attached to my
own will? my own good works? others’ opinion of me?
What am I doing to develop the
spirit of poverty within myself?
Where do I need to become more
dependent upon God?
What efforts am I making to
embrace humility?
Where is my pride keeping me from knowing God in a more intimate way?
from knowing others in a more intimate
way?
What can I do to create a more docile, obedient spirit within myself?
Do I present an attitude of superiority over those with whom I pray in my
words, thoughts, or actions?
After successful ministry, do I claim as my own the glory and honor that belongs to the Father?
Am I boastful or full of pride about my spiritual progress, discernment,
and prayer power?
When I witness to others, do I tell people about myself, or do I tell
them about God?
What can I do to empty my heart of self so that I can hold more of God’s
people there?
Does my focus on self and my
needs cause me to miss being open to pray some of the
prayers God would like me to pray
throughout the day?
Where does my judgmental opinion of others have a negative effect
on the unity of my family and
community’s prayer?
...And pray for the
cardinal virtue of
PRUDENCE, perfected by the spiritual gift of COUNSEL.
Take a moment and
quiet yourself
in the presence of
the Father.
Rest your heart on
His heart
and drink deeply of
His love for you.
Pray for a deeper
hunger and thirst for the Lord.
Draw your strength
from the Lord and His mighty power.
EXAMINATION
OF CONSCIENCE - GLUTTONY
Personal habits
Do I have an excessive love for food or drink?
Am I excessive in what, when, how, or how much I eat?
Do I have a tendency to eat any
food or drink any beverage in excess?
Do I experience extreme, but harmful,
pleasure from indulging the desires of my flesh?
Do I have a tendency to eat less than what is needed to maintain a
healthy body?
Does my concern or excessive
worry about my body-size cause me to be undernourished?
Do I have a tendency to eat more than is necessary to maintain a healthy
body?
Am I excessive in what, when, how, or how much I drink?
Has my drinking recently led to
an impairment of right reason?
Has my eating or drinking led to
health problems?