Examination of Conscience

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

A Reflection Drawn from Lk 15:1-7

Reflection One.

• Have I strayed from God, my shepherd?
• Have I strayed from keeping my Sunday Mass obligation?
• Have I strayed from close contact with God by not praying each and every day?
• Have I strayed from respectful address for God by taking God’s name in vain?
• Have I strayed from God by focusing all of my energy on my work, or money, or recreation, while ignoring God throughout much of the day?

Reflection Two.

• Have I wandered away from the Body of Christ, the Church?
• Have I wandered away from the sacraments, particularly the regular reception of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, deluding myself into thinking that I can make it on my own?
• Have I wandered away from community involvement, and just kept to myself?
• Have I wandered away from important Church teachings, particularly the Gospel of Life with regard to abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty, and believe and think just what I pleased?
• Have I wandered away from the community by not carrying my fair share of the burden by not sharing my time and talent, or by not sharing the first fruit of my financial resources, thereby failing to thank God for my blessings and failing to support God’s work on earth?

Reflection Three.

• Have I drifted away from my family?
• Have I drifted away from my vows to be faithful to my spouse?
• Have I drifted away from truthfulness:
    Do I lie to cover up promises that I did not keep?
    Do I lie about tasks or duties that I was supposed to do?
    Do I lie about mistakes that I have made that I should own up to?
• Have I drifted away from kindness and been mean or impatient toward my husband or wife, my parents or children, or my brothers or sisters?
• Have I drifted away from important family obligations?
• Have I drifted away from strongly guiding my children with Christian values?
• Have I drifted away from paying attention to my parents’ good advice?
• Have I drifted away from assisting my elderly parents with the help they rightly deserve from me?

Reflection Four

• Am I lost in my dishonesty? 
    Lost in how I have taken things that don’t belong to me?
    Lost in how I cheat on homework or tests? 
    Lost in the way I have not given my best at my job?
• Am I lost in myself and my selfishness?
    Lost in the way I don’t pay attention to other people?
    Lost in the way I ignore other peoples’ feelings?
    Lost in the way I disregard their needs?
• Am I lost in my pridefulness?
    Lost in how I feel superior to other people?
    Lost in how I think everything ought to revolve around me and my interests?

Reflection Five.

• Am I trapped in a dense thicket of thorny sins?
• Am I trapped in habitual grumpiness?
• Am I trapped in self pity? 
• Am I trapped in feeling sorry for myself?
• Am I trapped in blaming behavior?
• Do I think the problem is always someone else and never me?
• Am I trapped in my anger? 
  
• Do I mistreat others with my outbursts or my silent treatment?
• Am I trapped in the habit of foul language?
  
• Am I trapped in my cursing and swearing?
  
• Am I trapped in my complaining and criticizing?
  
• Am I trapped in my back-stabbing and gossiping?
• Am I trapped in my work?
  
• Am I on the go all the time without resting as God would want?
• Am I trapped in vengefulness?
• Am I trying to get back at people? 
  
• Am I trying to punish someone?
  
• Am I retaliating against someone?

Reflection Six.

• Have I fallen into the empty cave of evildoing?
• Have I fallen into the cave of overeating? Drinking too much?  Drug abuse?
• Have I fallen into the cave of sexual misbehavior?
• Do I have impure thoughts and desires?
• Do I violate purity in what I watch on TV, videos, DVDs, and on the Internet?
  
• Have I been impure with myself or another person?
• Have I fallen into the cave of materialism?
• Am I never satisfied with what I have?
• Do I frequently compare myself to what other people have?
• Do I find my pleasure in things rather than in people and relationships?
• Have I fallen into the cave of troublemaking?
• Do I pick on someone? 
• Do I persecute someone?
• Do I create unhealthy tension with someone or in a group?