Peter Kwasniewski<\/p>\n
As one who is generally skeptical of new things, I sympathize with any reader who might be wondering just what might be meant by a “new examination of conscience.” Aren’t the old ones just fine? Well, yes, they are fine. But, speaking personally (and perhaps due to my own faults), I have sometimes been dissatisfied with standard examinations of conscience when preparing for confession. This could be a result of an almost exclusive reliance on a Ten Commandments-based approach. It can help to have a fresh perspective on one’s sins by taking a different angle.<\/p>\n
When I first read the Oblate statutes of the Benedictine monastery of Pluscarden (which later became the basis for the Oblate statutes of the monastery of Norcia), I was struck by the advice that we could profitably take Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule and examine our lives based on it. My pondering of this chapter led me to the (hopefully not too audacious) step of organizing its material into a little pamphlet, as an examination of conscience that might be useful in preparing for Confession. I’ve attached this below.<\/p>\n
Why would the Holy Rule of St. Benedict work well for all of us? St. Benedict himself says that he is preparing “a little rule for beginners,” and the ages have proved that this rule of life is a school of holiness for all who incline the ear of the heart to its wisdom. Although some of its chapters don’t immediately apply to everyday life as a layman, the Holy Rule is abundantly filled with mature spiritual counsel that readily lends itself to the Christian’s battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil — a duty we must always keep in mind, especially in the holy season of Lent when the Church puts it before us quite starkly.<\/p>\n
As Bossuet said (and as Pope Benedict XVI would surely agree): “Cette r\u00c3\u00a8gle, c\u00e2\u20ac\u2122est un pr\u00c3\u00a9cis du christianisme, un docte et myst\u00c3\u00a9rieux abr\u00c3\u00a9g\u00c3\u00a9 de toute la doctrine de l\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c3\u2030vangile, de toutes les institutions des saints P\u00c3\u00a8res, de tous les conseils de perfection”: This rule is a synopsis of Christianity, a learned and mysterious abridgment of the whole doctrine of the Gospel, all the institutions of the holy fathers, and all the counsels of perfection.<\/p>\n
An Examination of Conscience based on Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule of St. Benedict<\/p>\n
General
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I neglected to love the Lord God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength, and my neighbor as myself? If so, in what specific ways?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 In deed or in thought, have I killed, committed adultery, stolen, coveted, or borne false witness?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I failed to honor all men?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I do to another what I would not have had done to me?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I prefer anything to the love of Christ?<\/p>\n
Self-Denial
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been self-indulgent instead of denying myself in order to follow Christ?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I pampered my body or sought after delicate living, rather than chastising my body?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I neglected fasting or abstinence?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I overindulged in wine or other beverages, or verged on gluttony?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been drowsy or slothful?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I immerse myself in worldly affairs rather than keeping aloof from them?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I fulfill the desires of the flesh rather than hating my own will?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I sinned against chastity, modesty, or purity?<\/p>\n
Charity towards Neighbor
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I neglected, when it was possible, to relieve the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick, bury the dead, help in affliction, or console the sorrowing?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I gratifed anger or harbored a desire of revenge?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I fostered guile in my heart or made a feigned peace?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I failed to utter truth from heart and mouth?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I rendered evil for evil or done wrong to anyone?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I feel or exhibit impatience when wronged?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I hated my enemies or any man?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I neglect to pray for my enemies in the love of Christ?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I avoided making peace with any adversary before the setting of the sun?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I fled persecution for justice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sake?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I rendered cursing for cursing, rather than a blessing?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been guilty of murmuring or detraction?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I indulged in excessive talk, vain words, or unfitting laughter?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I uttered evil and wicked words?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been jealous or given way to envy?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I loved strife?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I give in to vanity?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been proud?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I fail to reverence my elders in Christ?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I fail to love those who are my brothers, juniors, dependents, or pupils?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I, in any other way, forsaken charity?<\/p>\n
Seeking First God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Kingdom
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been lax in fulfilling each day the commandments of God?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I neglect in my prayer the daily confessing of past sins?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I faltered in putting my hope in God?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I subtly or openly attributed the good that I see in myself to myself rather than to God?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I run away from acknowledging the evil I have done, or tried to blame it on someone else?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I delayed taking the steps necessary to amend my sins, negligences, and failings?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been remiss in smashing my evil thoughts on the rock of Christ the instant they came into my heart?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I been lax in applying myself to frequent prayer or lectio divina?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I fail to keep death daily before my eyes, with fear of the Day of Judgment and dread of hell?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I not been desiring everlasting life with all spiritual longing?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I failed to keep guard over the actions of my life by bearing in mind that God sees me everywhere?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I not sought the counsel of my spiritual father when I should have done so?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I hidden evil thoughts from him?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I shown poor obedience to the commands of those who are placed in authority over me?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Did I seek a reputation for holiness rather than holiness itself?
\n\u00ef\u201a\u00b0 Have I ever despaired of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mercy?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Peter Kwasniewski As one who is generally skeptical of new things, I sympathize with any reader who might be wondering just what might be meant by a “new examination of conscience.” Aren’t the old ones just fine? Well, yes, they are fine. But, speaking personally (and perhaps due to my own faults), I have sometimes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/758\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.latinliturgy.org\/phila\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}