"Know thyself," said Socrates. "The unexamined life is not worth living." This has always been an important maxim, but for us it should take on a certain urgency during Lent. One of the best ways to know thyself is to take up an ancient spiritual practice: the examination of conscience.
"Examination of Conscience" sounds peculiar to modern ears. I teach high school. A typical teen reaction to "Examination of Conscience?"
"Eeeewwww. What is that?"
Well, believe it or not, it's not as scary as it sounds. At least, it usually isn't.
So, what is an examination of conscience? It is simply an opportunity to stop and honestly reflect, in God's presence, on the condition of one's soul and on the way in which one is living the Christian life. This reflection takes only a few moments.
We look at our day to see if we are living up to our baptismal promises. We look at our actions to see if they befit a child of God. If not, then we simply ask God to forgive us and give us the strength to do better. The whole point of the examination of conscience is to make progress in the Christian life.
There are three basic examinations we can make: preventive, particular, and general.
The preventive examination usually takes place in the morning. We look at our usual faults and make a simple plan for the day on how to improve in those areas.
The particular examination focuses on what is called our predominant fault. Everyone has a predominant fault. It is the one area in which we fall most often. It is usually bound up with our personalities. Pride, selfishness, envy, greed, anger - these are some examples of predominant faults.
These are ingrained sins that influence our daily actions and relationships. It is helpful to make the particular examination around midday. It is like a check-up: "How am I doing so far with this fault? What can I do better?"
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