One of the things I encourage everyone to do every day—at least once a day—is to take a few minutes to make an examination of conscience.
This is a practice I have long followed, and I have seen tremendous fruits come from it in my life and in the lives of many others. Spending dedicated time with the Lord, gently probing our moral failings and need for his help in specific areas, is an important practice.
It should become a regular part of our prayer lives.
And, of course, before each Confession, we need to set aside even more time to examine our faults and failings in order to maximize the graces of the sacrament.
To help readers of Spiritualdirection.com do this more effectively, years ago I wrote an article called “Deeper Examination of Conscience and the Seven Deadly Sins.”
This is still one of our most requested and utilized posts on the website, so I asked the team to create a downloadable version for you to access easily. I thought with the start of Lent, it would be a good time for you to implement this practice. It would be a great Lenten resolution.
Get your free copy of the Deeper Examination here.
Bookmark this “Deeper Examination,” print it, tuck it into your Bible or prayer book, share it with your small group or prayer partners—and develop a healthy practice of regular check-ins with God.
I earnestly hope that you’ll take advantage of this resource. Know that I’m praying for you, this Lenten season in particular. Your continued enthusiasm and commitment to growing in holiness is always a source of inspiration to me!
I’m grateful to be on the journey with you.
Yours In Him,
Dan Burke
Unum est Necessarium
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Image:Pietro Antonio Novelli (1729–1804), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
