Fr Chris Alar Parish Mission

A note from Fr. Barr

Mercy; Part 7

Before we enter into the confessional, we have to do what they call “an Examination of Conscience”. This is where we as Catholics go through our actions and try to discern if there are any sins we may have committed that we need to be forgiven of by Jesus. We usually start with the Ten Commandments. These commandments God had given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Some other religions may have similar rules, but there are some things that are different about the Ten Commandments.

First, God gave them to us. In other religions they are wise things that wise people do. God is telling us that He is offended by these actions. This means that they are absolutes; which brings us to the second point. It always applies to us. For example; it is always wrong to take the live of an innocent human being. Thirdly, we do not have the right to twist the words of God to mean something He did not mean. It is a time to honest with ourselves so we can be honest with God. We always try to twist things around to make ourselves look better. But if we do this, we are not really trusting that Jesus is merciful. A good relationship is dependent on deep down honesty. Ouch. There are many aides in this through many different pamphlets, brochures and booklets. If you really want to work hard at growing in holiness I suggest, “The Sinner’s Guide” by Venerable Louis of Granada (a really thick book).

The Dominican way to do an Examination of Conscience is by way of the virtues. We look at what is good, and then discern from there what we have done that goes against that virtue. They start with the Four Cardinal Virtues; Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance. In prudence we discover that it is not so much what we do, but sometimes how we do things. Maybe I grumble when I do what my parents ask. The Ten Commandments deals with Justice to God, neighbor and self. Fortitude and Temperance are two sides of the same coin. Sometimes in our lives we are required to have more fortitude, like when God wants us to protect someone or stand up for our faith. Sometimes we need to be more temperate when we need to be merciful and understanding.

I cannot go into a full examination of Conscience right here. There are many different ones you can find. Reading one may really inspire us to clean our souls, while others may not do anything. Yet read that same one later and it may be the best thing you ever read. Let the Holy Spirit Guide you on what to confess. Trust that Jesus is really there to help you.

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