How to Make a Good Confession:
1. Examine your conscience.
Teen Examination
2. When you are prepared, go in to the confessional and begin
Of Conscience
with the Sign of the Cross out loud.
3. Then say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been
(weeks, months, or years) since my last confession.
These are my sins: Tell the priest your mortal sins in number
and kind, starting with any you are particularly struggling with.
Let the priest know you are done by saying, “for these and all
my sins I am sincerely sorry.”
4. The priest will give you a penance.
5. Make the Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry
for having offended You. I detest all my sins, because I
dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of
all because they offend You, O my God, who art all good
and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help
of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to
amend my life. Amen.
6. The Priest will then give you absolution, the sacramental
forgiveness of the Church, and a penance. Bow your head and
receive the priest’s absolution with humility and gratitude.
Make the Sign of the Cross when he does and listen to his “Confession is an act of honesty and courage – an
words attentively. The priest will dismiss you with a prayer. act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the
Response: Thanks be to God.
mercy of a loving and forgiving God.”
Leave knowing of God's mercy and forgiveness! Give thanks to God - St. John Paul II
for forgiving you again. Take time to pray in the church after your
Confession, especially if your penance was to say certain prayers.
V. You shall not kill.
Examination of Conscience o Have I physically hurt another person on purpose?
o Have I physically hurt myself on purpose?
Pray to the Holy Spirit, asking for the courage to see your sins and confess
o Do I make fun of other people, exclude them, and say things that I know will make them
them honestly. feel bad, either in person or on social media?
o Do I talk about people behind their backs in a negative way?
I. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me. o Have I encouraged someone to do something that we knew was wrong?
o Do I pray to God each day? o Do I keep feelings of hatred, resentment, or anger in my heart against another person?
o Do I choose sports, people, TV, video games, money, or sleep instead of making time for o Have I refused to forgive someone?
prayer or going to Mass, Faith Formation or other faith opportunities?
o Do I trust in good luck, witchcraft, Ouija, horoscopes, or superstition instead of the love VI. You shall not commit adultery.
and perfect plan of God? o Have I given in to acts of impurity with myself or with others (ie. passionate kissing or
o Have I purposely ever denied that I believe in God or that I am Catholic? touching, sending or asking for inappropriate photos, masturbation, etc.)?
o Do I care more about how I appear to others than how I appear before God? o Have I purposely watched TV shows/movies that include impure jokes or scenes, and
o Have I received Communion in the state of mortal sin? glamorize impure relationships?
o Have I ever purposely not confessed a serious sin before? I would like to confess it o Have I looked at pornography on the internet, movies, books, or magazines?
now… o Have I have purposely not dressed modestly, such as wearing tight or revealing clothes?
II. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. VII. You shall not steal.
o Do I swear or use inappropriate language? o Have I taken things that were not mine from someone else or a store?
o Have I used the Holy Name of Jesus or God in a cursing way? (“Like, ‘Oh my God!’) o Have I destroyed or broke another person’s property on purpose?
o Have I written on social media or said things that make fun of God or holy things? o Do I cheat in school, like copying answers on homework or on tests?
o Have I made jokes about God, Jesus, Mary, the Church in an irreverent way or laughed o Do I waste time at school or when I should be doing homework, stealing time and effort
at other people’s jokes that make fun of God or holy things? from my teacher, my parents, and myself?
o Do I treat holy items like my Bible with respect? o Am I careless with things that I borrow from others and give them back in a bad
o Do I watch movies/TV shows that mock God and/or the Church? condition?
o Have I encouraged others to make fun of God and holy things?
VIII. You shall not commit false witness against your neighbor.
III. Remember to keep holy the Lord's day. o Do I lie to others to get away with doing something wrong?
o Do I miss Mass on Sunday or any holy day of obligation or chose sports or another o Do I exaggerate things about myself to others to make myself look better?
activity instead? (Bad weather and being sick does not count) o Do I gossip about others, purposely sharing secrets with others that are often not even
o Do I try to pay attention at Mass, or do I just zone out? the whole truth?
o Do I save homework for Sunday, even though it is a day of rest? o Do I spread lies about another person, slandering their reputation?
o Do I eat or drink (besides water) 1 hour before receiving Communion, breaking the o Did I reveal secrets when I should have remained silent?
Communion fast, and still receive Communion, anyway?
o Do I regularly arrive at church late or leave early (before the final blessing)? IX. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
o Have I told impure jokes to others that go against the dignity of the human body?
IV. Honor your father and your mother. o Do I listen to music that has impure or dirty themes, lines, or jokes?
o Do I make fun of my parents behind their back to others? o Did I give my mind over to lustful thoughts, fantasies, or glances?
o Do I disrespect my mother/father, not listening to them, calling them names, making fun
of them, yelling at them? X. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
o Have I refused to help or cooperate with my parents? o Am I jealous of others—their clothes, talents, friendships, money, etc?
o I am unkind to my siblings, picking fights, making fun of them, criticizing them, making o Am I grateful to God or my parents for what I have?
them feel stupid or not good enough? o Do I care more about owning a lot of clothes, electronics, or other things than about
o Do I bully my siblings and take from them? giving to others or using what I already have?
o Do I apologize when I do something wrong to my family members? o Am I critical or negative in my thoughts or words towards myself or others?
o Have I respected others in authority, such as my teachers/coaches, etc?
