A calm examination of conscience for seniors, with 26 questions on faith, patience, forgiveness and gratitude in later life. Tick the questions that apply to you and open your list when you are ready for confession.
Private: your ticks stay in this browser tab and are never sent to us. Close the tab and they are gone.
A prayer before you begin
Come, Holy Spirit. Help me to see my sins as you see them, to be sorry for them with my whole heart, and to trust in the mercy of the Father. Amen.
Read each question slowly. Tick the ones that apply to you; your list for confession builds itself.
Examination of Conscience for Seniors 26 questions
Faith, Hope, and PrayerGrowing Closer to God in Our Later Years
Charity and PatienceLove and Kindness Toward Others
Temperance and PrudenceWisdom and Self-Control in Daily Life
Humility and GratitudeAccepting God's Will with Thankfulness
What to say in confession
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross and say: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been (how long) since my last confession.
- Tell your sins simply. This is your list, in your own words:
You have not ticked anything yet. Go back to the questions, or tell the priest what is on your conscience.
- End with: For these and all the sins of my life, I am sorry.
- Listen to the priest and accept the penance he gives you.
- Pray an Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.
- The priest gives you absolution. Answer Amen, thank him, and do your penance as soon as you can.
How to use it
- Ask for light. Open “A prayer before you begin” in the tool, or pray in your own words.
- Read slowly and tick what applies. A few questions ask about a good habit; tick those only if the answer is no. They are marked.
- Open “My list for confession”. It turns your ticks into short sentences you can say to the priest, with the steps of confession and an Act of Contrition under them.
- Print it or keep the tab open on your phone in the confession line. Close the tab and everything is gone.
What the 26 questions cover
- Faith, hope and prayer (8 questions): daily prayer, spiritual reading, trust in God in sickness and loss.
- Charity and patience (7 questions): old grudges, gossip, sharp words, patience with family and those who care for you.
- Temperance and prudence (5 questions): food and drink, television, care of your health, money.
- Humility and gratitude (6 questions): envy of others’ health or family, self-pity, accepting help, thankfulness.
If you cannot get to church
If illness or age keeps you at home, ask your parish for a priest to visit. He can hear your confession at home, in hospital or in a care home, bring Holy Communion and give the Anointing of the Sick. You are not bound to Sunday Mass when you are truly unable to go, so that is not a sin to confess.
Other age groups
- Examination of conscience for kids (ages 7 to 12)
- Examination of conscience for teens (ages 13 to 18)
- Examination of conscience for young adults (ages 19 to 29)
- Examination of conscience for adults (ages 30 to 64)
- All five age groups on one page