The Sacrament of Penance
(also known as "Confession" or "Reconciliation")
John 20:19-23
"Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors
were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you. And
when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples
therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. He said therefore to them again:
Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had
said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy
Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins
you shall retain, they are retained."
"The tears of the penitents are wine for the angels." -- St.
Bernard
The Sacrament of
Penance is such a gift! It can be very hard to do -- it can be intimidating,
embarrassing -- but once absolution is given, you will walk out of that
confessional feeling like a trillion bucks. Christ, in His most Holy Wisdom,
gave us this precious Sacrament to literally and truly bestow His grace
upon us through His priests as a means of forgiving us and assuring
us of His mercy and love for us. This psychological benefit of "feeling
assured" and "clean again" stems not only from the supernatural reality of
the Sacrament, but from our human nature and our need to purge ourselves
of those things that plague our consciences. Christ, the Great Physician,
knows us well and knows that "confession is good for the soul," in both a
supernatural and psychological sense. As G.K. Chesterton wrote:
When a Catholic
comes from confession, he does truly, by definition, step out into that dawn
of his own beginning... in that brief ritual God has really remade him in
His own image. He may be grey and gouty; but he is only five minutes
old.
I have talked to
many people who've been terrified to go to Confession; all I can say is be
a brave soldier and buck up and JUST DO IT. Christ Himself wants this of
you, so just resolve to do the right thing. Millions of Catholics
over the course of 2,000 years have braved the "little dark box" (at least
metaphorically; though Confession has been around since Day 1, the
Confessional is a 7th. century Irish gift to the Church); you can,
too. Priests have heard it all, trust me, and nothing you say can ever
be repeated to anyone in any way that could identify you -- not to the
police, not to another priest, not to anyone (a priest is automatically
excommunicated if he were to violate the Seal of Confession)!
And if you're worried because you're "new at this," that's okay! It's okay
to be nervous, it's okay to be afraid because this is something new and different
to you. And it's okay to tell the priest how you feel. Just let him know
it's your first Confession; he will put you at ease and help you through
it and be so glad you've come to receive the graces our Lord wants to pour
out on you!
It's not as scary as it seems to so many people. Really. But if you're still
afraid, take a deep breath, pray for strength, go to Confession and receive
His wonderful mercy! You will not regret it, I promise you!
If you've just
been validly baptized, you don't need Confession, because Baptism wipes
away all guilt of sin (and the temporal effects of sin, by the way). If,
however, you were validly baptized years ago and are just now coming to this
Sacrament for the first time, you might want to schedule an appointment with
your priest to make what's known as a "General Confession," which includes
sins of one's entire life, since it might take a bit longer than usual (do
the same if you are a returning Catholic and haven't been to Confession for
many, many years). "General Confessions" are also often made before before
marriage or ordination.
How to Go to Confession
The steps to Confession
are:
-
Examination of
Conscience (detailed procedure at bottom of page)
-
contrition
-
the actual confessing
of your sins to God through His priests
-
the assigning of
penance
-
Act of Contrition
-
Absolution
-
carrying out your
penance
I will go through
each of these in detail below.
1. Examination of Conscience
Before we get to
the church, we mentally review our sins and determine what needs to be confessed.
There are various methods of doing this, but one good way is to consider
your Duties to God, Church, family, society and to yourself to see where
you've failed to honor them. A detailed way of doing this is provided in
the "What to Confess: a guide to Examination of
Conscience" section at the bottom of the page.
A Catholic is required to go to Confession once a year (usually during
Lent) and also at any time of the year he has mortal sin on his soul
(is "not in a state of grace"), especially if he desires to receive the
Eucharist. But weekly -- at least monthly -- Confessions are encouraged.
The Sacrament is usually offered before Mass (see parish or chapel bulletin,
parish website, or call your parish's office), at least on weekends. You
can also call your priest to set up an appointment for the Sacrament (for
"just reason" only, you have the option of receiving the Sacrament face to
face, outside of the Confessional, but this is not standard and should not
be treated as though it is). Be warned, though, that because of the Modernism
attacking the Church, many Novus Ordo priests treat this Sacrament as, at
best, "a little chat" (especially in the too common "face to face" confessions)
or, worse, as nothing at all and so simply don't offer it frequently enough
or allow only 15 minutes for the Confessions of an entire parish before Mass.
Some fail to follow the proper form so as to render your Confession invalid!
The solution to these problems is: find another parish or a chapel with a
traditional priest and traditional Mass. Fast.
What Penance is: it is the Sacramental pardoning of the eternal effects
of our sins for which we are truly contrite. It is effected by Christ, Who
paid their eternal wages with His passion and Crucifixion, through His priests
using proper form. Through the Sacrament, Christ gives us not only forgiveness,
but grace to remain steadfast.
What Penance is not: psychotherapy. While the priest may give you
some direction and advice in the Confessional, if you have general problems
or spiritual issues you want to discuss, you should set an appointment to
talk with him. This is especially true at a Confession before Mass where
people are in line behind you and time is short.
2. Contrition
Contrition is
willful regret for one's sins. It isn't a matter of one's "feelings"
of guilt, but of conviction of the evil of sin and the resolution to sin
no more. In other words, contrition is rooted in the will, not in the emotions.
For example, some people are more emotional than others: some get a case
of the "scruples" and feel shame or guilt over any little thing, whether
it's sin or not; others can commit murder and never "wallow" in guilt but
are still truly contrite. The one is not necessarily more "holy" or making
a better Confession than the other. What matters is their conviction -- their
will to offend God no more, and their resolution to make reparations as far
as possible, do their penance, and patiently bear the temporal effects of
their sins. Without contrition, Confession is not valid.
"Imperfect Contrition" (also called "attrition") is regret out of fear of
God's just punishments for sin; "Perfect Contrition" is regret for having
offended God. We must always strive for the latter, which always absolves
sin in itself if it is coupled with the will to also receive the
Sacrament.
One of the keys to confession is the desire to be rid of all of one's sins.
If this is your will, if this is your desire, if you are willing to confess
all of your sins and do your penance and resolve to sin no more, then your
sins will be forgiven -- all of them, even those you may have truly
forgotten about. But don't kid yourself, either, and think you can skip
mentioning this sin or that one because you're embarrassed. Don't lie to
yourself, to your priest, or to God, by omission.
3. Confessing Your Sins to God through His priests
When the Sacrament
is typically offered: before Masses, Saturday afternoons, and by appointment.
When you get to the church at the time the Sacrament is offered, you may
or may not find a line of people standing or lined up in a pew outside the
Confessional. Just take your place in line, keeping a wide berth of the
Confessional itself if it is occupied by a fellow penitent. Please note that
it is very rude to be near the Confessional when someone else is using it!
Though I've never overheard anyone in the Confessional, it could feasibly
happen. If this were to happen, the one who overhears should take all steps
to not hear, and should never, ever repeat anything he might have heard.
Some confessionals have a green light shining when a priest is ready and
available in the Confessional, and a red light shining when someone is in
the Confessional with him, receiving the Sacrament. Others don't. In any
case, when it's your turn, enter the Confessional and kneel. You may barely
see the priest on the other side of the grille (the screen which separates
you).
When you are ready to begin, make the Sign of the Cross
and say, in a whisper, but loud enough so he can hear you:
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned. It is (X days, weeks, months, years) since my last Confession.
I accuse myself of the following sins.
You then name the
sins you need to confess, indicating, in the case of mortal sins, how many
times you've committed them. If you're unsure of exact numbers -- but only
if you are unsure -- tell him "about how many" times you've committed the
sin. Ex., "I've lied to my mother twice, I stole a candy bar from work once,
I've had lustful thoughts too many times to count, etc."
Don't go into a lot of detail, don't name other people who may have sinned
with you, but do tell him what he needs to know in order to understand relevant
circumstances of the particular sins -- that is, circumstances that might
mitigate your culpability or make you more culpable. For example, telling
him about stealing a loaf of bread because you were starving will elicit
a different penance and spiritual direction than if you tell him you stole
a stack of money because you wanted to buy some porn. If you are unsure as
to whether a particular act was a sin, tell him. As you speak, he may stop
you to ask you questions for clarification.
When you are finished, indicate so by saying something like the following
traditional words:
For these and all
the sins of my past life, I ask pardon of God, penance, and absolution from
you, Father.
Don't panic if
you later recall sins you forgot to confess: remember that if you were willing
to confess them but simply forgot, they are forgiven if you will to
confess them the next time you go (if the sin is a mortal one, don't receive
the Eucharist until you do confess it!).
4. Penance
Now the priest
will give you penance to help you pay for the temporal effects of your sins.
He might ask you to say certain prayers (the old
"Say 3 Hail Marys"), he may ask you to read certain parts of Scripture. If
there is restitution to be made, he might ask you to do so. Whatever he asks
you to do, accomplish it as soon as possible after leaving the
Confessional.
5. Act of Contrition
Now you will make
an Act of Contrition to express your sorrow at having offended God and resolving
to sin no more. The traditional way of doing this is to recite aloud the
prayer called "Act of Contrition":
O my God, I am
heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because
of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,
who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the
help of Thy grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
If you are comfortable
doing so, you may say the prayer in Latin:
Deus meus, ex toto
corde poenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum, eaque detestor, quia peccando,
non solum poenas a Te iuste statutas promeritus sum, sed praesertim quia
offendi Te, summum bonum, ac dignum qui super omnia diligaris. Ideo firmiter
propono, adiuvante gratia Tua, de cetero me non peccaturum peccandique occasiones
proximas fugiturum. Amen.
If you have a hard
time memorizing (which is OK!), you can pray aloud using your own words to
the same effect -- i.e., expressing your contrition for having displeased
God and resolving to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin -- but
you should try to memorize the traditional Act of Contrition and teach it
to your children. You can also have the prayer written out or on a Holy Card
to carry with you in the Confessional. (Note: a "near occasion of sin" is
a situation in which you are likely to sin. For ex., going to the mall might
be a "near occasion of sin" for a kleptomaniac who hasn't learned to control
his behavior; keeping company alone with a girl he is extremely attracted
to in a sexual way might be a near occasion of sin for a man,
etc.)
6. Absolution
Now comes the good
part (it may come as you make your Act of Contrition, so don't be
confused if the priest starts whispering in Latin as you pray): Christ, through
His priest, grants you absolution in a form that includes the words below.
Without the words in italics (the very form of the Sacrament), the Sacrament
is not valid:
Dominus noster
Jesus Christus te absolvat; et ego auctoritate ipsius te absolvo ab omni
vinculo excommunicationis (sespensionis) et interdicti in quantum possum
et tu indiges. [making the Sign of the Cross:] Deinde, ego te absolvo
a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
English:
May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you; nd by His authority I absolve you
from every bond of excommunication and interdict, so far as my power allows
and your needs require. [making the Sign of the Cross:] Thereupon, I absolve
you of your sins in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
He will pray a
prayer for you:
Passio Domini nostri
Jesu Christi, merita Beatae Mariae Virginis et omnium sanctorum, quidquid
boni feceris vel mail sustinueris sint tibi in remissionem peccatorum, augmentum
gratiae et praemium vitae aeternae.
English:
May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and of all the saints obtain for you that whatever good you do or whatever
evil you bear might merit for you the remission of your sins, the increase
of grace and the reward of everlasting life.
The Sacrament is now complete. The priest will dismiss you, perhaps with
a final blessing. Thank him, cross yourself, and
leave the Confessional. (If it is before Mass and people were in line behind
you, it is kind to give the priest an idea as to how many people are awaiting
Confession).
7. Carrying out your Penance
As soon as possible,
carry out the penance you were given. Do all you can to avoid near occasions
of sin, to bear patiently the temporal effects of the sins you've committed,
to make restitution to anyone you've harmed. You may add penances of your
own devising to the one(s) the priest gave you. But, no matter what, savor
the sweet knowledge that you are forgiven. Praise to our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world! He has said
the word, and you have been healed!
(Read a
"sample confession" so you can see how
easily it all goes)
|
Notes and Tidbits on Confession
"General Absolution"
such as is given in "communal penance services" in which a priest "absolves"
an entire group of their sins is highly illicit unless it is a serious emergency
(you're all on the Titanic, you're a group of soldiers getting ready to go
into battle, etc.) If you are in a group that receives such an "absolution,"
you are still required to go to individual Confession if it is at all
possible.
If, for serious and just reason, you need to make a Confession to a priest
outside of a Confessional, it is traditional to kneel and carry on as above.
The priest might lay his stole on your shoulder as you confess.
Confession of venial sins to laymen is a sacramental and has the same
power to remit sins as do the use of such things as Holy Water. The practice
is also healing to human relationships, so if you've sinned against someone,
confess it to him in addition to confessing to your priest! |
The rose is a symbol
for many things in Christianity (Mary, mystery, Paradise, martyrdom), the
seal of the Confessional among them. The ancient Romans believed that Cupid
-- the Roman god of love -- gave a rose to Harpocrates as a bribe for not
letting on what his mother Venus, the goddess of "love," was up to. Hence,
the rose became a symbol of confidentiality. This symbolism carried over
into Christianty, and the doors of Confessionals are sometimes decorated
with the rose. From these Roman and Christian associations comes the phrase
"sub rosa" -- "under the rose," meaning "secretly" or "confidentially." |
|
One other way the grace of the Sacrament of Penance may be received
As indicated above,
perfect contrition absolves sin in itself. Thus, if one is trapped on a desert
island without a priest, one needn't fear being damned if unable to confess
in the normal way. We are bound by the Sacraments; God is not,
and has many ways of pouring out His grace to us!
Perfect contrition, though, includes the desire to obey God and not offend
Him further -- and God wants us to confess our sins to a priest. Therefore,
if one can, one must go to Confession if there is a mortal sin to
confess, or at least once a year. If one is unable to confess in the
normal way, but would confess in the normal way if it were possible,
then merciful God provides. |
What to Confess?
A guide to Examination of Conscience
I John 5:16-17:
He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask:
and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto
death. For that I say not that any man ask. All iniquity is sin. And there
is a sin unto death.
As said above,
one only needs to confess mortal sins ("sins unto death"), so a good
grasp of what this means is imperative. For a sin to be mortal, it has to
meet three conditions:
-
grave matter:
does it involve breaking one of the 10
Commandments, committing one of the Sins that
Cry out to Heaven, or failing to uphold the 6
Precepts of the Church?
-
full
knowledge: did you know or should you have known that the act
was sinful?
-
deliberate
consent: was your consent to this act sufficiently deliberate so as to
be a choice? Were conditions present that influenced your ability to choose?
If you are unclear
as to whether a sin meets all of the requirements above for a mortal sin,
be safe and confess it, telling the priest of your lack of clarity.
As to venial sins (sins that don't meet the above requirements), you are
free to confess them or not. Confessing them is definitely encouraged,
but do be mindful of the priest's time and the time others need who may be
standing in line behind you. If you need a bit more of the priest's time
than the present situation allows, make an appointment with him.
If you are plagued by feelings of "not being forgiven" or being "unworthy"
of the Sacrament of Penance, don't confess venial sins that you are doubtful
about lest you find yourself with a case of "the scruples." A "scrupulous"
person is one who has "an unfounded apprehension and consequently unwarranted
fear that something is a sin which, as a matter of fact, is not" (Catholic
Encyclopedia). This doesn't refer to isolated incidents, but to a habitual
way of feeling or thinking, an unwarranted fear, a sort of emotional obsession;
it doesn't refer to true questions as to whether such and such a behavior
is a sin or not. Anxiety is involved, and often a felt doubt as to the power
of confession, the genuine-ness one's contrition, and the extent of God's
mercy. If you have a good, orthodox Confessor, trust him and his advice,
and tell him about any scruples you needlessly suffer from; he may be able
to help you! And pray to St. Alphonsus Liguori, the great moral theologian
who suffered from scruples himself and is now the patron saint of the
scrupulous.
Below are some questions to ask yourself regarding our duties in life, the
answers to which might help you in examining your conscience and deciding
what to confess. At least, the answers might help you to know where to focus
your energies so you can become a better servant of God: |
Duties to God
and to Church:
Do I love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Have I given God the honor and time that is His due?
Do I pray?
Do I express my gratitude to God?
Does something or someone -- a material thing, a person, a behavior,
an attitude -- come between me and God?
Have I used God's Name as a curse word or cursed God?
Have I broken promises, oaths, or vows to God?
Have I failed to treat sacred things and places with respect?
Have I received the Eucharist while not in a state of grace?
Have I kept Sunday holy by attending Mass and refraining from servile
work?
Have I lied to a priest during the Sacrament of Penance or intentionally
failed to confess a sin I should have confessed?
Have I defended God and His Church when it was necessary?
Do I study my faith, according to my abilities, so I can defend the
Church when necessary?
Do I properly value the Church's disciplines and heritage?
Do I pray for the Holy Father and the Church, including those in
Purgatory?
Have I experimented with magic, the occult, spiritism, willful psychic
phenomena, ouija boards, etc.?
Do I keep Sundays and Holy Days of obligation?
Have I failed to go to Confession, at least once a year during Lent?
Have I failed to do my Easter Duty (i.e., receive the Eucharist at
least once during the Paschal Season)?
Have I failed to follow the laws of fasting and abstinence?
Have I failed to support the Church as my means allow?
Have I obeyed the Church's marriage laws?
Duties to Family:
Have I failed to perform my duties to my parents, spouse, or children
-- as (mother/ father, daughter/son, wife/husband) and as a Christian whose
duty it is to lead them to Christ and to pray for them and, if possible,
with them?
Is Christ the King of my household?
Do I pray for my dead ancestors, family members, and friends, and
for the souls of those in Purgatory who have noone to pray for them?
Have I helped cause members of my family to sin?
Do I try my best to empathize with the members of my family and to
love them with a love grounded in Truth?
Do the members of my family know they are loved? If not, is this my
fault?
Have I caused any member of my family to get unrighteously angry or
to be unjustly hurt?
Have I failed to apologize to and seek forgiveness from members of
my family if there was need?
Have I forgiven my parents, spouse or children for past faults?
Do I give my family my time and undivided attention?
Do any of my habits -- spending habits, gambling, etc. -- deprive
my family of support?
Do I truly try to make my spouse happy within the confines of virtue
and God's laws?
Have I used contraception and failed to keep my marital acts open
to life? Have I used N.F.P. (Natural Family Planning) with a "contraceptive
mentality"?
Am I too harsh or too lenient with my children?
Have I been a good example for my children and/or the children of
others?
Do I have high enough and age-appropriate expectations of my
children?
Do I over-praise or under-praise my children?
Do I prize goodness and grace in my children above anything else I
prize in them?
Do I teach my children the fullness of the Faith, encourage them to
pray to their Guardian Angels, to their patron Saints, and for the dead?
Do I protect my children's innocence, inspire their imaginations,
and do all I can to encourage healthy curiosity and the ability to marvel
by teaching them about God, His Church, His creation, the lives of the Saints,
etc., and by exposing them to good books, music, and art?
Have I found a good balance between protecting my child's innocence
and teaching him about the world, in an age-appropriate way, so that he is
not ignorant and naive or made to feel stupid or ridiculous about himself
when in the company of those who are "of the world"? Have I given him good
weapons with which to fight the evils of the world while understanding and
nourishing his social needs?
Do I treat male children and female children with equal dignity, with
respect for their God-given individual talents and vocations, but also with
respect for Natural Law and their God-given differences as male and female?
Do I allow my children appropriate expression of their emotions and
help them to understand and become masters of their negative emotions?
Do I help my children come to a humble, healthy, true sense of themselves
as children of God, as individuals with unique vocations, and as possessing
both virtues and faults?
Do I instill in my children a sense of duty to God, to family, to
others, and to themselves?
Do I nurture the possibility of religious vocations in any of my
children?
Have I taught my children good manners and to be aware of the needs
of the elderly, the infirm, the pregnant, the otherwise physically
challenged?
Are my spouse and I consistent in our discipline of our children?
Duties to
Society:
Do I love others as I love myself, with a love grounded in Truth?
Do I evangelize?
Do I pray for others, including those in authority and for my
enemies?
Have I taken anything I had no right to take?
Have I failed to return what I have stolen in the past or otherwise
make restitution?
Have I cheated anyone out of anything that is rightfully theirs?
Have I been honest in business, including paying my employees a fair
wage?
Do I treat my employees or those I supervise with dignity, respect,
and consideration? ~and/or~ Do I give my employer his due and perform my
job satisfactorily?
Do I treat service personnel (waitresses, clerks, busboys, maids,
doormen, etc.) with dignity, respect, and consideration, and without
condescension?
Have I engaged in illicit usury?
Have I given to the poor as my means allow?
Do I engage in malicious gossip?
Do I betray others' secrets that I had no right to betray?
Have I spoken anything untrue about another (calumny or slander) or
said things that were true but maliciously or needlessly or unjustly
spoken, for no good reason, and damaging to another's reputation
(detraction)?
Do I make promises I do not intend to keep?
Have I cheated on tests or homework at school or otherwise plagiarized
the work of others?
Am I greedy and selfish?
Am I jealous of what others have?
Am I materialistic?
Have I cursed another (i.e., called down physical or moral evil on
a rational creature, not for the sake of a good, such as justice or punishment,
but out of malice or for personal gain)?
If possible, if candidates are available, do I vote responsibly, with
the Kingship of Christ, the dignity of human life, and the principle of
subsidiarity in mind?
Given my station in life, my gifts, and vocation, do I care enough
for the sick, hungry, thirsty, poor, and imprisoned?
Do I show good stewardship by treating the earth as God's creation?
Do I treat animals with care and appreciation and refrain from needless
cruelty toward them?
Do I show reasonable patriotism for my country (that is "country,"
not necessarily "government," and doesn't mean "blind patriotism")?
Do I use my God-given talents in a wholesome way and for the benefit
of others?
Am I mindful of how my behavior or passivity influences others and
conditions around me?
Do I love the sinner while remaining truthful about sin?
Am I forgiving to the contrite?
Have I nurtured unrighteous anger in my heart?
Am I vengeful?
Am I a good, reliable friend to others?
Do I exhibit any racist behaviors or hold any racist thoughts (i.e.,
thoughts and behaviors rooted in the idea that God's love and our love for
others is or should be conditioned by ideas of race or genetics)?
Have I murdered anyone, including having an abortion, helping someone
have an abortion, or failing to do my best to encourage someone not to have
an abortion? Have I participated in euthanasia? Have I encouraged unjust
war?
Have I intentionally and unjustly physically harmed someone?
Have I participated in the sins of others by counseling them to sin,
by commandmanding them to sin, by consenting to their sin, by provoking them
to sin, by praising or flattering them in their sins, by concealing their
sins that others have a right to know about, by partaking in their sins,
or by silence even when the cause of charity demands I speak out?
Have I used alcohol or any other drug to to the point where my judgement
and will were affected?
Have I been chaste according to my station in life (been faithful
to my spouse, honored promises or vows as a religious or priest, not engaged
in fornication if unmarried, etc.)?
Have I willfully looked at pornography for no legitimate reason (e.g.
law-enforcement) or supported it financially?
Do I dress and behave immodestly or without concern for how my appearance
and behavior may lead others to the sin of lust?
Have I engaged in solitary sexual sins?
Have I engaged in homosexual/lesbian acts?
Have I intentionally lusted after someone? (Note: random thoughts
that come to the mind are not sinful. My priest described them once in a
sermon as mere flies that should be shooed away. What is sinful is
deliberately cultivating these thoughts, deliberately giving
them your salacious attention, etc. Know that many great Saints had thoughts
like these -- and even worse: it is quite common as one proceeds in holiness
for extremely blasphemous thoughts and thoughts of despair
to flash in the mind. Shoo them away, and know that it is the Evil One trying
to make you feel hopeless. It is good at times like these to call on the
Name of Jesus and fall back on the short
aspirations to replace those thoughts with holy ones.)
Duties to
Yourself:
Do I trust in God's mercy and love for me as a beloved child, or do
I wallow in guilt for sins I've been absolved of?
Am I too scrupulous and hard on myself, treating myself much more
harshly than I would others I love?
Am I too easy on myself?
Am I honest with myself about my gifts and limitations?
Do I overestimate or underestimate my importance?
Do I treat myself as an icon of God, made in His image?
Do I trust that God is in control or do I worry needlessly?
Am I able to appreciate the fruits of His Goodness?
Do I stand up for myself and my wholesome needs?
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