Examination of conscience according to Google’s definition, is a review of one’s past thoughts, words, actions, and omissions for the purpose of ascertaining their conformity with, or deviation from, the moral law and simply put by Saint Jose Maria, Examination of conscience helps us to develop our conscience.
As a Catholic ,it is advisable that you examine your conscience thoroughly before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance. This will require that you prayerfully reflect on your thoughts, words and actions in order to identify what you have done wrong or where you have failed. It means taking a deep look at the way you have behaved so that you can see that you are full of faults that might have harmed you somehow and probably harmed the people around you.
As good Catholics, examination of conscience can help us in beginning a new in the life of faith because it helps us to reflect on our past failings during a particular period after which we are ready to approach a priest for Confession. When we reflect deeply and quietly. we are able to learn about things that we may not be aware of. Examination of conscience also helps us to develop our conscience.
For this exercise to be fruitful, we need to set out a quiet time for this reflection, pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us through the exercise and possibly read through the Ten Commandment and the Precepts of the Catholic church honestly and taking time to reflect on our behaviour for each of them. (Text from Opus dei, website)
When we fail to examine our conscience thoroughly before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, we may forget some major sins that need to be confessed, we may get confused and in the process out of fear end up not doing a good confession.
Just as we examine our consciences as Catholics, we also need to examine ourselves by reflecting personally on our behaviour and performance at home, at work and in public places. We need as individuals to take time out once in a while to evaluate and give serious thought about our behaviour, character, attitude, actions, motives and desires. Examination of conscience is therefore not for Catholics alone but for everyone who wants to progress in life. Examination of conscience or personal reflection as the case may be is a useful tool to help us to continually explore our everyday practice, and personal belief systems. How we carry out or spiritual obligations, our perception of others, our actions towards our neighbours, our interpretation of motivations and attitudes. It makes us to pause and think and look at our self in the mirror and analyse every part of our life, it helps us to carry out an in- ward reflection of our self. And yes, it is a necessary part of our journey that should be done often so that we are able to access our state of mind at every point in time.
Similar to the consequences of improper examination of conscience from a spiritual point of view of a Catholic, we may also encounter some consequences when we fail to reflect as an individual. It could result to we moving and pushing through circumstances at our workplaces that will bring us nothing but pain, that will sap our energy, leave us stressed, unhappy, frustrated and tired, so much so that we find ourselves running on the treadmill of life- thinking that there is no time to waste and before we know it, we crash.
So it is therefore, important that we take time out to examine our consciences and personally reflect because it will help us to know ourselves better at a deeper level. It will help us to identify our responsibilities, iniquities and also allow us to see things from a different point of view. Finally, it will help us to be the best version of ourselves and help to shape our personal growth in all aspects of out life.
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When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. - Jesus speaking to St. Faustina (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1602) When we examine our conscience before we go to confession, we are simply asking the Holy Spirit to assist us in making a good confession. You need to recall the sins you have committed since your confession.