How to Get Ready and Go to Confession

[Shin]

How TO GET READY AND GO TO CONFESSION.
from The Purgatorian Consoler by a Redemptorist Father

I. ASK GOD TO HELP YOU.

My God, help me to make a good Confession, to know my sins, and to be truly sorry for them, because they have offended Thee. Keep me from sin for the time to come. Help me that I may sincerely and humbly confess all my sins,and that I may keep back nothing in my heart.

Hail Mary, etc. My dear Angel Guardian, to your care I am given, watch over me and help me. Come, Holy Spirit, etc.

You may say also a decade of the Rosary.

II. EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE.

Read over the following examination of conscience, and when you come to any sin that you have done, especially if it is a great one, try to find out how many times you did it, at least how many times each day, or week, or month. Sometimes in one action there are more sins than one.

If a child strikes its parent, there are two sins, one against the fourth Commandment, and an other against the fifth. If by one detraction you injure the characters of many persons, then there are many sins.

First Commandment.

Ignorance of the great truths, prayers, etc., neglecting to say your morning or night prayers -- going to sermons or prayers in Protestant churches -- giving scandal by it, or joining with them in worship -- reading Protestant books -- wilfully doubting, denying, or disbelieving the Catholic Faith, or speaking against it -- despairing of God's help, or expecting it without doing what He commands you -- murmuring against God or His Providence -- not helping the poor -- leading others into sin -- asking fortune-tellers or those who use charms, signs, toss cups, cut cards -- reading books about such things -- behaving ill in Church, or to any holy thing or person -- neglecting your penance -- receiving the blessed sacrament after breaking your fast -- receiving any sacrament with bad dispositions.

How often each sin?

Second Commandment.

Speaking ill of God, or the Saints, or what is sacred -- cursing, especially if from your heart, or with God's name -- an oath, in a lie, or to do what is sinful -- a custom of swearing, breaking a lawful oath?

Third Commandment.

Working on Sundays or holidays without necessity -- losing mass on Sundays or holidays by your own neglect, or playing or talking during mass -- stopping away from Sunday school, catechism, questions, etc.?

Fourth Commandment.

Not loving or helping your parents -- striking them, or disrespect to them, especially in their presence -- cursing them or calling them bad names, especially in their hearing -- disobedience to them, if in any great thing, for example, by going into dangerous company stopping from school, or being idle there.

Fifth Commandment. Evil wishes on yourself or another, especially if from your heart -- quarreling, hatred, keeping spite, revenge, fighting, doing harm to the life or health of yourself or another -- drunkenness?

Sixth and Ninth Commandments.

Immodest thoughts, (if wilful,) immodest desires, words, looks, actions, alone or with others, with married persons or relations, or with any thing -- going into bad company, to bad dancing houses, etc. -- keeping dangerous company with persons of the other sex -- reading or keeping bad books?

Seventh and Tenth Commandments.

Stealing, what did you steal, and how often -- helping others to steal, receiving stolen things, cheating, injuring others in their goods or any way -- not restoring to another what is his, or not paying your debts when able -- breaking a promise of marriage, or any agreement without just reason?

Eighth Commandment.

Lies, did they do great harm? -- speaking ill of others -- rash judgments, unjust suspicions -- using bad language to others, reading their letters, etc. -- causing quarrels by tale-bearing?

Commandments of the Church.

Breaking the abstinence or fast -- neglecting the Sacraments, or your Easter duties -- being in secret or forbidden societies? Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth -- wilfully concealing a sin in confession through shame?

How many times each sin.

For Married Persons

Invalid marriages with relations, etc., -- marrying in any way against the regulations of the Church -- cruelty or bad behaviour to one another -- giving their affections to another -- leaving one another without just cause -- wasteful spending of money -- wife not taking care of the household -- a wrong or improper use of marriage -- wife not obeying her husband in the lawful duties of marriage -- any thing which might scandalize children.

How often?

For Parents.

Care before and after birth -- allowing children to be brought up in a false religion -- cruelty to, or cursing them -- putting brothers and sisters in the same bed -- not sending them to a good school, but to Protestant or other schools forbidden by the Priest -- neglect about their baptism, or their prayers -- not sending them when seven years old to confession, mass or catechism -- letting them say bad words, read bad books, go into bad company, play about the streets with any one or keep dangerous company with persons of the other sex -- not letting them follow their vocation to be nuns, etc. , without just reason hindering their marriage, or forcing them to marry.

How often?

For Masters and Mistresses

Ill treatment of servants -- over-working them -- not giving them food enough -- not paying their wages -- breaking the agreement -- allowing them to commit sin, or go into bad company, or asking them to do what is sinful -- letting them neglect their religious duties, mass, or the sacraments.

How often?

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