The Family That Prays Together Stays Together
My name is Ahimbisibwe Herimence, Seminarian of the Congregation of Holy Cross
TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE, AN APPROPRIATE HABIT FOR FAMILY SPIRITUAL EVALUATION
1. Conscience is the inner voice in a person that calls him/her to do good and avoid evil. St Augustine calls it a divine center where a person is addressed by God and CCC defines conscience as man’s secret core and his sanctuary.
2. Examination of Conscience. An exercise of looking deeply into our hearts to ask ourselves how we have hurt God our relationship with God and with other people through words, actions and thoughts. Examination of conscience is an exercise of reflecting on our sinfulness; reflecting on how we have diverted from the love of God and the love of the neighbor. This is an exercise that aids one to know whether his/her line is in conformity to the ten commandments and the precepts of the church.
3. Steps to Follow
· Set aside some quiet time for reflection
· Start by praying to the Holy Spirit in making a good examination to prepare for confession. The Holy Spirit will guide you in realizing how you have offended God and other people.
· Read through the items on the list and honestly reflect on your behavior for each item
· If necessary, take this list or some brief notes to confession to help you remember things
This exercise should not only be done before confession, but it should be a daily exercise in our families. It is a good example spiritual exercise.
4. Importance of Examination of Conscience in the Family Spiritual Evaluation
· First of all, we know that we wrong one another in the family and this sometimes affects our relationships. Examination of conscience comes in as a guide in helping in restoring relationships in family through recognition of how we have wronged one another in the family. This helps us to develop statements like I am sorry, forgive me…...this will guide us in living a better and harmonious life as Psalm 133:1 says “how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together as one.”
· Helps in observation of the spousal and family morality taught in the Gospel
· Helps in expression of the mercy of God in the family
· Challenges everyone in the family to responsible and accountable in the way of dealing with one another in the family.
· Helps the children to have a strong sense of the mercy of God in their lives and also to grow while observing the commandments of God.
It’s my prayer that we may develop this exercise of examination of conscience so that we can always have a contrite heart before confession as David teaches us in Psalm 51
The Family that Prays Together Stays Together.
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