Examination

Rev. Miller - Faith (January)

A monthly examination of conscience for January, focused on Faith.

42 questions in total

Source: Examen for Laymen, Rev. Donald F. Miller, C.Ss.R., Catechetical Guild, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 1942. A comprehensive examination of conscience based on twelve virtues for the twelve months of the year.

Mortal SinsGrave matters that may be mortal sin when joined to full knowledge and deliberate consent.15 questions

Have I denied that I was a Catholic, or openly expressed my disbelief in any doctrine of the Catholic faith?

Have I affiliated myself, even for a short time, with a non-Catholic sect or religious body?

Have I seriously expressed the opinion that all religions are equally good or equally true or equally pleasing to God?

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?

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?

Have I, without a serious reason, associated with persons who tried to destroy my faith?

Have I attended meetings or listened to speeches or sermons, which I knew would destroy or seriously weaken my faith?

Have I joined a secret society forbidden by the laws of the Church, such as the Masons, the Oddfellows, etc?

Have I taken part in a Protestant church service?

Have I contributed to the advancement of a non-Catholic religious sect or movement as such?

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 so doing?

Have I attended a spiritualistic seance?

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?

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?

Venial SinsMatters commonly examined as venial sins or lesser faults.11 questions

Have I been irreverent in church and before the Blessed Sacrament?

Have I disturbed and distracted others in their prayers and devotions?

Have I kept others from prayer or devotions for some selfish reason?

Have I carefully avoided giving any sign that I was a Catholic because I might have been subjected to some ridicule if I did?

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?

Have I seldom, if ever, made an explicit act of faith?

Have I been slow in trying to banish or overcome doubts against faith?

Have I been careless and half-hearted in teaching my children to love their faith and to make acts of faith?

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?

Have I accepted the will of God and believed firmly in His providence in the sorrows of life?

Have I been irreverent in the use of sacramentals, such as holy water, the Sign of the Cross, etc.?

Helps and CounselsCounsels for growth in virtue and preparation for confession.16 questions

Have I frequently thanked God for my faith?

Have I prayed for stronger faith every day?

Have I purchased or borrowed books that could enlighten me further about my faith?

Have I read any Catholic newspapers or magazines to gain a better knowledge of my faith?

Have I thought at all about the important truths of faith: death, judgment, heaven, hell?

Have I tipped my hat, or bowed my head, when passing a Catholic church?

Have I greeted a priest, as a representative of Christ, when meeting one on the street?

Have I visited the Blessed Sacrament when opportunities presented themselves?

Have I sacrificed any time or self-interest to attend devotions or sermons not commanded?

Have I invited non-Catholics to attend a Catholic service with me, or to read any Catholic literature?

Have I placed signs of my faith in my home, such as a crucifix, pictures of the Blessed Mother or the saints?

Have I carried a rosary, or worn a medal, or had anything on my person showing my faith?

Have I contributed prayers, services, or money to Catholic missionary organizations or laborers for the spread of the faith?

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?

Have I tried every day to recall at set intervals the presence of God near me and within me?

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?