November, 2007 Calendar In This Issue: For All Souls Day Body Prayer: A Consideration A Short Form of Self-Examination To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven Breath Prayer The Real Santa

From The Practice of Religion by Archibald Knowles, Morehouse-Barlow, 1908

Have I believed in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and in all that God teaches in the Church and in the Scriptures?

Have I trusted in God and in His Promises?

Have I loved God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and longed to please Him?

Have I been thankful for God's Blessings and resigned to His Will?

Have I tried to serve God and keep His commandments?

Have I worked for God in His Church and for His Honor and Glory?

Have I grieved to offend God by my sins?

Have I faithfully said my Morning and Evening prayers?

Have I gone regularly to Church, Confession, and Communion?

Have I carefully prepared for Communion, using a Book of Devotion and receiving Fasting?

Have I failed to worship Our Lord Present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar?

Have I stayed away from Mass on Sundays or Holy Days except through grave cause?

Have I done unnecessary work on Sunday?

Have I forgotten my grace before meals?

Have I been Irreverent in Church, or elsewhere or failed to honor Holy Persons, Places or Things?

Have I tried to make my Home happy and holy, to be faithful and loving in all family relations, to love and obey my Parents and all in authority over me, and to do unto others as I would they should do unto me?

Have I been Proud, Vain, Envious, Jealous, Covetous, Selfish or Discontented?

Have I cheerfully received Counsel and Reproof and humbly owned my faults?

Have I been Angry with, without or beyond cause? Have I struck persons, Cursed, Sworn, Blasphemed or used in vain God's Name or the Holy Name of Jesus?

Have I been Cross, Disagreeable, Faultfinding or Revengeful; borne hatred or Malice in my heart or rejoiced at the misfortunes of others?

Have I failed to be Kind, Loving, Gentle, Pained, Forbearing, Forgiving and Sympathetic?

Have I been Impure in any way?

Have I Lied, Cheated, Gambled, Stolen, made or spent money wrongly, borne false witness, believed or said of others what was not kind, true or necessary or acted dishonorably in any way?

Am I really sorry for my sins and do I truly desire to do better?

Additional Questions for Older Persons

Have I tried to make God first and set my heart upon my Religion and the things above?

Have I kept from all that might lead me into false doctrine, heresy or schism, error or sin?

Have I given generously to the Church and Poor, to the best of my ability and with self-sacrifice?

Have I kept from Meat on Fridays as the Church directs and faithfully kept the Fasts and Festivals of the Church?

Have I knowingly broken my Vows and Promises made at Baptism, Confirmation, (Marriage) or at other times?

Have I practiced Self- Denial, Self- Discipline and Self- Sacrifice?

Have I been Impure in Thought, Word or Deed, with others or myself?

Have I committed Adultery? Have I had wrong Sexual Relations?

Have I made an improper use of Marriage?

Have I indulged in wrong familiarity with those of the other sex?

Have I gone with evil persons to evil places?

Have I heard or told improper stories or jokes or indulged in low conversations?

Have I read immoral books or looked at suggestive pictures?

Have I Eaten or Drunk too much, been Intoxicated, indulged in too much Sleep, Luxury, Ease or Idleness?

Have I tried always to be contended in that state of life unto which God calls me?

Have I been a bad example to others?

Have I faithfully practiced my religion?

Have I thought of the awfulness of being in Mortal Sin and not in a state of Grace?

Have I prepared for death should it suddenly come upon me? Have I thought about Judgment?

Have I a real Faith, Hope, Love and Repentance?

Have I set my heart on things above and tried to draw myself from earthly things?

Have I adored God, reverenced the Blessed Virgin and the Saints, and honored the Clergy and all holy persons, holy places, and holy things?

How specially have I sinned in ways about which I have not already asked questions? (Here try to think of anything not already mentioned?)

Confession of Sin

Almighty and most merciful Father, I acknowledge and bewail my manifold Sins and wickedness, which I from time to time most grievously have committed, in thought, word, and deed, by omission and commission, through my fault, my own most grievous fault. And especially I confess unto you that I have sinned: (here name the specific sins identified in your self-examination). O have mercy upon me a sinner: grant me, I pray, true faith, love and repentance; and pardon and absolve me from all my sins and help me lead a better life for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Copyright © 2007 St. Augustine by-the-Sea