On Examination of Conscience
As the Sacrament of Confession was denied by the reformers, and the efficacy and need of confession is denied by "modern" man, a great spiritual practice has been lost in Christianity in our age-- the Examination of One's Conscience. Of course the need for confession remains, albeit expressed in the form of spiritual counselors, self-help books, thereputic shrink sessions, or convenient little pink pills (although for some reason they don't seem to have any great effect).
So what does an examination of conscience entail? Typically, it is time set aside daily to scrutinize the sins one has committed throughout the day. What sin have I actively participated in that has affected my spiritual state? What have I failed to do (sins of ommission), less commonly reflected upon perhaps. What is the very root of these acts of sin-- PRIDE, COVETOUSNESS, LUST, ANGER, GLUTTONY, ENVY, SLOTH? How then can we conform ourselves to Christ and reject the Flesh?
To participate in such a practice is to understand that a conscience can either be well-formed or ill-formed, which is either a great aid or a great detriment to a person's walk with the Almighty. Bumbling through endless days without any great recognition of sins comitted (and perhaps more importantly, the ?why?) is not to increase the spirtual and supernatural life.
A guide to Examination of Conscience is as follows (although certainly not the only one):
--Place yourself in the prescence of God.
--Thank Him for what He has given you since yesterday's Examination, including those things that you are
unaware of.
--Prayerfully reflect as you go through the day with our Lord, reviewing your thoughts and actions. Focusing
on the 10 Commandments and the Seven Deadly Vices is helpful.
--Renew your sorrow for having disappointed or offended God with a short prayer, such as the Act of
Contrition or something similar.
--Pray for the graces to overcome the sin you are most struggling with.
--Make a note of when and where you will do the Examination tomorrow.
--End with a contemplative Our Father
posted by Peter @ 8:54 PM
2 Comments:
"As the Sacrament of Confession was denied by the reformers, and the efficacy and need of confession is denied by "modern" man, a great spiritual practice has been lost in Christianity in our age-- the Examination of One's Conscience."
Just take a cursory look at the puritan era, and you'll find that post-reformation reformed England and New England was obsessed with "Examination of One's Conscience."
I would not say that the reformers or their followers (even a few today) would not have engaged in such Examinations. I just happen to think (and not illogically), that the eventual loss of such a practice is a natural outgrowth of the denial of the Sacrament of Confession.
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