Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Christ the King Sunday.

My dear Parishioners,

Peace! There are twenty-three (23) passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and five (5) canons in the Code of Canon Law which can help us to appreciate the Sacrament of Penance. The following is a reflection on CCC 1456.

We can never stress enough over the importance of a thorough examination of conscience. How should we go about examining our conscience? Five different tools are at our ready disposal with which we can be sure to thoroughly examine our consciences and make a good, integral Confession, namely:

We examine our conscience before the Cross of the Lord. This is because Jesus Christ died on the Cross, on Calvary, on Good Friday because of my sins, and your sins, and the sins of every person who ever has been and ever will be. To examine our conscience is to recognize the part we played and our responsibility for His sorrowful Passion.

We examine our conscience before the Commandments of God. The Catechism specifically mentions “the last two precepts of the Decalogue” (not to covet the neighbors wife, not to covet the neighbors goods) as being important matter for confession. There are several reasons for especially confessing sins against the last two commandments. For example when we sin in other ways others may well rebuke us “hey, don’t say that… don’t steal / take that… don’t hit that person”… The last two Commandments treat sins in the heart and mind. If left there, unattended by God’s healing grace made available to us in the Sacrament of Penance they will fester and rot, causing destruction from within.
We examine our conscience before the Beatitudes. In the Sermon on the Mount the Commandments of God are taken to the next level by Jesus Christ the Lord (cf. Matthew 5:1–7:29). The Beatitudes are at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 5:3–11). Our roadmap to holiness includes being poor in spirit (humble), mournful (for our own sins and those of our neighbors, with others who mourn…)

We examine our conscience before the Works of Mercy, both Corporal and Spiritual. Sins which should be confessed are not just evil deeds done or desired, but also the good things we failed to do. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, rebuking the sinner, instructing the ignorant… these are the things we are called to do as manifestations of our friendship with the Lord Jesus.
We examine our conscience before the virtues and vices. The virtues correspond to our very human nature, the root being the Latin word for man, vir. The natural virtues, both Cardinal virtues and moral virtues correspond to our human nature. God made us to be prudent, and just, and temperate and strong (fortitude). The supernatural graces given in Baptism are the origins of the supernatural, theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are attacked and wounded by our sins but God mercifully restores them in the Sacrament of Penance.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr