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St. Anthony of Padua's Parish Community welcomes you to the celebration of
the Sacrament of Penance. This sacrament is a celebration because it is an
experience of God's love for us, His healing forgiveness, and His peace-filled
encouragement. When we sin we reject or abuse the love of God and our neighbor.
When we are forgiven, we believe that our sins have really been dissolved by
Christ's redemptive love. We become new persons, capable of becoming more like
Jesus. We are united once again as part of the Christian community. Come and
experience God's tremendous love!
THE NEW RITE OF PENANCE
Pope Paul VI published the new rite for the Sacrament of Penance in 1974,
calling it the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In this new rite the priest is urged to first welcome the penitent with warm
and friendly words. The priest is asked to pray with the penitent, read
Scripture, give counsel when needed, and finally, extend his hands over the
penitent in granting the Lord's forgiveness.
Penitents must seek to be healed and forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance.
The new rite encourages the penitent not to be in a hurry and not to be afraid
of a moment that should be one of the most beautiful moments of his or her life.
The heavens rejoice over the sinner who repents and is reconciled with God. It
would be a shame if fear, haste or lack of understanding should rob the
repentant sinner of this moment of peaceful rejoicing.

An Examination of Conscience
for Adults
(to be prayed over in preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation)
My
Relationship to God
"You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart. "
1. - Is my whole life directed toward loving God and
seeking his Kingdom and plan for humanity?. Or are personal greed and
the things of this world my basic object of devotion?
2. - Do I accept with my whole heart the revelation of
God's love through Jesus and do I respond fully to the call of his
Spirit in my life?
3. - Do I pray sufficiently each day and seek to have
a continuous spirit of prayer? Do I turn to God in good times and bad
and in times of temptation? Do I listen with an open and humble heart
and am I ready to accept the inner conversion to which he invites me? Do
I praise and thank him for his gifts?
4. - Do 1 worship God as an active member of the faith
community that Christ founded, the Church? Am I conscious of and
responsive to the Body of Christ, local and universal? Do I participate
fully in the Mass each Sunday and in the whole sacramental life of the
Church? Do I accept Church teaching and authority in a spirit of faith
and cooperation?
5. - Do I take steps to deepen and increase my
understanding of the faith? Do I profess and live it courageously?
6. - Have 1 shown reverence for God in my speech and
in my attitude toward religious symbols? Have I elevated things like
money, status, superstition or occult practices to the level of false
gods?
My Relationship to
Others
"Love one another as l have loved you. "
1. - Do I truly love my neighbors-as myself? Do I aid
or obstruct their progress toward God and fuller life? Have I used or
exploited others for my own selfish interests?
2. - Am I caring toward my family? Do I show fidelity,
patience, reverence and love to my spouse, children, parents, brothers,
sisters? Have I shown good example? Fulfilled my respective role?
3. - Do I deal honestly and truthfully with others?
Have 1 harmed anyone by deceit, rash judgment, detraction, calumny or
broken agreements? Have I worked honestly, upheld contracts, paid fair
wages?
4. - Have my relations to others been faithful and
chaste? Have I sexually exploited or demeaned another? Am I guilty of
such violations of chastity as adultery, fornication, or conversation
that is indecent or cheapens human dignity?
5. - Have I hated others, shown prejudice or
discrimination toward them? Have I stolen or damaged the property of
others? Have I returned or paid for stolen or damaged goods? Do I share
what God has given me with those in need?
6. - Have I injured the life, limb or reputation of
others? Have 1 upheld and protected the right to life at all levels?
Have I procured or cooperated in abortion or not revered the human
dignity of the aged, the retarded, deformed or mentally ill? Am I
violent? Do I strive to reduce violence around me?
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7. -
Do I bring the good news of the gospel to others? Do I promote
Christian values and the life of the Church on all levels of human
society? Do I work and pray for Christian unity? Do I try to heal the
wounds of the Church or do I inflame them? Do I support and involve
myself in the Christian community or parish to which I belong?
8. - Do I obey legitimate authority? Do I exercise
leadership and authority in a spirit of Christian service?
9. - Do I work for the betterment of human society?
Do I try to be informed and actively concerned about social and
political issues that affect the common good whether on the local,
national or global level.
10. - According to my role in life, do I seek to
eliminate from the world whatever keeps my brothers and sisters from
the full human development intended by their creator: poverty,
disease, hunger, injustice, discrimination, oppressive laws and
structures, unequal distribution of world resources? Am I-is my
country-wasteful or using up an unjust amount of the world's resources
(food, fuel, minerals, etc.)? Do I support according to my means and
abilities, organizations which work for social improvement?
My Personal Growth
in Christ
"Be perfect as your Father is perfect."
1. - Is Christ and his way of living the basic goal
of my life? What inclinations and attitudes within me are hindrances
to my growth and development as God's son or daughter? Am I
too self-centered? Do 1 work on controlling
dangerous attitudes like pride, arrogance, jealousy, avarice, lust,
intemperance, self-sufficiency, prejudice? Do I explore my motives and
overall pattern of conduct? Do I make full use of my talents and
gifts?
2. - Do I try to keep a cheerful, positive
disposition? Do I give in to depression and self-pity? Do I put myself
down? Do I let unfounded fears limit my potential and personal
freedom? Have I let fear prevent me from following my conscience? Do I
seek counseling, spiritual direction and other aids to personal
growth, when needed? Do I take care of my health? Overeat, over-drink,
take harmful drugs?
3. - Do I have a wholesome attitude toward my own
sexuality? Have I willfully indulged in thoughts, actions, reading,
entertainment that are contrary to the dignity and proper meaning of
sex?
4. - Do 1 take time .for my spiritual growth? Do I
have a wholesome spirit of penance and self-denial as taught by Jesus?
Do I observe the days of penance established by the Church? Is
personal renewal and on-going inner conversion a priority in my life?
Am I open to change and the call to fuller life prompted by God's
Spirit in my heart? |
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