Before going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, find a quiet place at home or in the church to examine your conscience. When you examine your conscience, you think about the times when you have and have not loved God and others. Examining your conscience will help you to become aware of your sins – those times when you have not been the-best-version-ofyourself. Place an “X” next to the statements that are true for you. These are the sins that you will tell the priest when you go to Confession. Before examining your conscience, ask the Holy Spirit to help you think of your sins:

Come, Holy Spirit, give me Your light to see my sins, and give me Your help to be sorry for them and show me why I sinned. Help me never again to sin on purpose. Amen.

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
My responsibilities to God: Commandments 1-3

1.) I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.
I AM YOUR GOD; LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN ME.
_ I have not prayed every day.

_ I have not trusted God.

_I spend too much time watching TV or playing games.

_ I have not obeyed a Church teaching or have pretended I was not
Catholic.

2.) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
USE GOD’S NAME WITH RESPECT.
_ I have used the words “God” or “Jesus” in anger or inappropriately.

_ I have used bad language.
__ I have wished for something bad to happen to another person.

3.) Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
KEEP THE LORD’S DAY HOLY.
_ I have not gone to Mass on Sunday or a holy day of obligation.

_ I have arrived to Mass late or left Mass early.
_I have not paid attention or behaved well during Mass.
_I have done unnecessary work on Sunday.
__ I have not made Sunday a day of prayer and rest.

4.) Honor your father and your mother.
HONOR AND OBEY YOUR PARENTS.
_ I have not respected or obeyed my parents or those in authority (priests, religious sisters, police, elderly, baby-sitters and teachers).

_ I have said or done rude things to my parents.
_I have not helped my parents around the house.
_I have fought with my brothers or sisters.
__ I have been a tattletale or bully or not set a good example for others.

5.) You shall not kill.
TREAT ALL HUMAN LIFE WITH RESPECT.
_ I have not taken good care of my body.

_ I have hurt other people.
_I have said cruel things or made fun of others to hurt their feelings.
_I have said mean things about others behind their back.
_I have encouraged others to do bad things.
_ I have not tried to love all people – born and unborn, old and young

6.) You shall not commit adultery.
RESPECT MARRIED LIFE, OURSELEVES AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS.
_ I have not treated my body or other people’s bodies with care and respect.

_ I have looked at movies or pictures that are bad.
__ I have not spoken or dressed modestly.

7.) You shall not steal.
RESPECT WHAT BELONGS TO OTHERS.
_ I have taken things that are not mine from a store or another person.

_I have misused or broken another person’s property for fun.
__ I have not returned things that I have borrowed.

8.) You shall not commit false witness against your neighbor.
TELL THE TRUTH.
_ I have copied or cheated on my school work.

_ I have told lies to protect myself from punishment or to get another person in
trouble.
__ I have exaggerated to make myself look good or to get another person in trouble.

9.) You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
RESPECT FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.
_ I have not loved all my family members.

_I have been jealous of my brothers or sisters or my friends.
_I have gotten mad when

_I have to share my friends with others.
_ I have been mean to other kids because they are different.

10.) You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
_ I have been jealous or envious of the things or abilities that others have.

_I have begged or nagged my parents for things that my friends or other children
have.
_I have not been thankful for the things that God and my parents have given me.
_ I have not shared the things I have with my family, friends or the poor.

Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Child: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Child: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
Child: It has been __ weeks/months since my last confession.
Child: These are my sins: name your sins using the examination of conscience inside this guide. After you have named your sins, say: For these sins and the sins of my whole life, I am very sorry.
Priest: The priest will give you advice on how you can better love Jesus and others. Then he will give you a penance. A penance is a prayer or a kind act that you do to make up for your sins. If your penance is a prayer, you must pray this in the church after going to confession.
Child: Pray the Act of Contrition prayer: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you, whom I should love
above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Amen.
Priest: With his hands extended, the priest will pray a prayer over you called the Prayer of Absolution. In this prayer, Jesus removes the sins
from your soul. After the priest is done praying this prayer, you will say:
Child: Thank you, Father.

Leave the confessional and find a quiet place in the church to pray your penance. After praying your penance, you may pray the following prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus:

Prayer of Thanksgiving After Reconciliation
My Jesus, I thank You for washing away my sins
In Your Precious Blood. Help me to accept my
cross each day and not to hurt You or anyone else.
I love You with my whole heart and soul. Amen.