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The Ten Commandments

First Commandment#

I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
Have I...

  • Reserved or harbored hatred for God?
  • Disobeyed the commandments of God or the Church?
  • Refused to accept what God has revealed as true, or what the Catholic Church proclaims for belief?
  • Denied the existence of God?
  • Neglected to nourish and protect my faith?
  • Neglected to reject everything opposed to a sound faith?
  • Deliberately misled others about doctrine or the faith?
  • Rejected the Catholic faith, joined another Christian denomination, or joined or practiced another religion?
  • Joined a group forbidden to Catholics (Masons, communists, etc.)?
  • Despaired about my salvation or the forgiveness of my sins?
  • Presumed God's mercy? (Committing a sin in expectation of forgiveness, or asking for forgiveness without interior conversion and practicing virtue.)
  • Loved someone or something more than God (money, power, sex, ambition, etc.)?
  • Let someone or something influence my choices more than God?
  • Engaged in superstitious practices? (Incl. horoscopes, fortune tellers, etc.)
  • Been involved in the occult or occult practices? (Séances, Ouija board, worship of Satan, etc.)
  • Formally attempted to leave the Catholic Church?
  • Hidden a serious sin or told a lie in Confession?
  • Knowingly read any heretical, blasphemous or anti-Catholic literature?

Second Commandment#

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have I...

  • Used the name of God in cursing or blasphemy?
  • Failed to keep vows, promises, or resolutions that I have made to God? [specify in the confessional which one; the Priest has authority to remove the obligations of promises and resolutions if they are too rash or unjust]
  • Spoken about the Faith, the Church, the saints, or sacred things with irreverence, hatred or defiance?
  • Watched television or movies, or listened to music that treated God, the Church, the saints, or sacred things irreverently?
  • Used vulgar, suggestive or obscene speech?
  • Belittled others in my speech?
  • Behaved disrespectfully in the church building (e.g., talking immoderately in church before, during, after holy Mass)?
  • Misused places or things set apart for the worship of God?
  • Committed perjury? (Breaking an oath or lying under oath.)
  • Blamed God for my failings?

Third Commandment#

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
Have I...

  • Missed Mass on Sunday or Holy Days (through own fault w/o sufficient reason)?
  • Neglected to set time aside each day for personal prayer to God?
  • Committed a sacrilege against the Blessed Sacrament (thrown Him away; brought Him home; treated Him carelessly, etc.)?
  • Received any sacrament while in the state of mortal sin?
  • Habitually come late to and/or leave early from Mass?
  • Shop, labor, practice sports or do business unnecessarily on Sunday or other Holy Days of Obligation?
  • Knowingly eaten meat on a forbidden day (or not fasted on a fast day)?
  • Eaten or drunken within one hour of receiving Communion (other than medical need)?

Fourth Commandment#

Honor your father and your mother.
Have I...

  • Shown disregard for my parents wishes, displayed contempt of their demands, and/or disdained their very being?
  • Neglected the needs of my parents in their old age or in their time of need?
  • Harbored hatred for my parents?
  • Brought shame on them?
  • Lived in humble obedience to those who legitimately exercise authority over me?
  • Broken any just law?
  • Supported or voted for a politician whose positions are opposed to the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church?
  • Failed to pray for the deceased members of my family . . . the Poor Souls of Purgatory included?

Fifth Commandment#

You shall not murder.
Have I...

  • Unjustly and intentionally killed a human being (murder)?
  • Have I been guilty, through negligence and/or lacking of intention, of the death of another (killing)?
  • Been involved in an abortion, directly or indirectly (through advice, encouragement, providing money, or facilitating it in any other way)?
  • Seriously considered or attempted suicide?
  • Supported, promoted, or encouraged the practice of assisted suicide or mercy killing(euthanasia)?
  • Deliberately desired to kill an innocent human being?
  • Unjustly inflicted bodily harm on another person?
  • Unjustly threatened another person with bodily harm?
  • Verbally or emotionally abused another person?
  • Gossiped, slandered, detracted, calumniated?
  • Hated another person, or wished him/her evil?
  • Been prejudiced, or unjustly discriminated against others because of their race, color, nationality, sex or religion?
  • Joined a hate group?
  • Purposely provoked another by teasing or nagging?
  • Recklessly endangered my life or health, or that of another, by my actions?
  • Driven recklessly or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs?
  • Abused alcohol or other drugs?
  • Sold or given drugs to others to use for non-therapeutic purposes?
  • Used tobacco immoderately?
  • Over-eaten?
  • Encouraged others to sin by giving scandal?
  • Helped another to commit a mortal sin (through advice, driving them somewhere, dressing and/or acting immodestly, etc.)?
  • Caused serious injury of another by criminal neglect?
  • Indulged in unjust anger?
  • Refused to control my temper?
  • Been unfaithful to, quarreled with, or willfully hurt someone?
  • Been unforgiving of others, especially when mercy or pardon was requested?
  • Sought revenge or hoped something bad would happen to someone?
  • Delighted to see someone else get hurt or suffer?
  • Treated animals cruelly, causing them to suffer or die needlessly?

Sixth & Ninth Commandments#

You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
Have I...

  • Neglected to practice and grow in the virtue of chastity?
  • Given in to lust? (The desire for sexual pleasure unrelated to spousal love in marriage.)
  • Used an artificial means of birth control (including withdrawal)?
  • Refused to be open to conception, without just cause? (Catechism, 2368)
  • Participated in immoral techniques such as in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination?
  • Sterilized my sex organs for contraceptive purposes?
  • Deprived my spouse of the marital right, without just cause?
  • Claimed my own marital right without concern for my spouse?
  • Deliberately caused male climax outside of normal sexual intercourse? Masturbated?
  • Willfully entertained impure thoughts?
  • Purchased, viewed, or made use of pornography?
  • Watched or promoted movies and television that involve sex and nudity?
  • Listened to music or jokes that are harmful to purity? Read books that are immoral?
  • Committed adultery? (Sexual relations with someone who is married, or with someone other than my spouse.)
  • Committed incest? (Sexual relations with a relative closer than the third degree or an in-law.)
  • Committed fornication? (Sexual relations with someone of the opposite sex when the two are not married to one another or any others.)
  • Engaged in homosexual activity? (Sexual activity with someone of the same sex)
  • Committed rape?
  • Engaged in sexual foreplay (e.g., “petting”, or excessive touching) reserved for marriage?
  • Preyed upon children or youth for my sexual pleasure (pedophilia)?
  • Engaged in unnatural sexual activities (anything that is not inherently natural to the sexual act; e.g., sex toys, even in the context of marriage)?
  • Engaged in prostitution, or paid for the services of a prostitute?
  • Seduced someone, or allowed myself to be seduced?
  • Made uninvited and unwelcome sexual advances toward another?
  • Purposely dressed immodestly?

Seventh & Tenth Commandments#

You shall not steal.
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
Have I...

  • Stolen? (Taken something that doesn't belong to me against the reasonable will of the owner.)
  • Envied others on account of their possessions?
  • Neglected to live in a spirit of Gospel poverty and simplicity?
  • Neglected to give generously to others in need?
  • Not considered that God has provided me with money so that I might use it to benefit others, as well as for my own legitimate needs?
  • Allowed myself to be conformed to a consumer mentality (buy, buy buy, throw away, waste, spend, spend, spend?
  • Neglected to practice the corporal works of mercy?
  • Deliberately defaced, destroyed or lost another's property?
  • Cheated on a test, taxes, sports, games, or in business?
  • Squandered money in compulsive gambling?
  • Make a false claim to an insurance company?
  • Paid my employees a living wage, or failed to give a full day's work for a full day's pay?
  • Failed to honor my part of a contract?
  • Failed to make good on a debt?
  • Overcharge someone, especially to take advantage of another's hardship or ignorance?
  • Misused natural resources?

Eighth Commandment#

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Have I...

  • Lied?
  • Knowingly and willfully deceived another?
  • Perjured myself under oath?
  • Gossiped?
  • Committed detraction? (Destroying a person's reputation by telling others about his faults for no good reason.)
  • Committed slander or calumny? (Telling lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)
  • Committed libel? (Writing lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation. Libel is in substance different from slander because the written word has a longer "life" of damage)
  • Been guilty of rash judgment? (Assuming the worst of another person based on circumstantial evidence.)
  • Failed to make reparation for a lie I told, or for harm done to a person's reputation?
  • Failed to speak out in defense of the Catholic Faith, the Church, or of another person?
  • Betrayed another's confidence through speech, deed, or in writing?