Look there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Last weekend we encountered John the Baptist, baptising Jesus, his cousin in the Jordan River. This weekend John is proclaiming that Jesus is the Lamb of God, this proclamation we ourselves proclaim each time we attend Mass.
These words of John are as alive today as they were in his day, because he states very clearly that Jesus is the one who will take away the sins of the world. Sins that prevent each of us from coming closer to Jesus in our lives because they grow, fester and destroy us through our human weaknesses.
Jesus knows our human limitation and the failings that make up our lives. That is why he gave us the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) in order that we could come to him and confess these sins, weaknesses that try to control our lives from time to time.
In this year of 2005 we could make a pact or an agreement with Jesus that we would go to confession at least once a month in order to keep the evil one at bay and prevent him from trying to take over our lives through his temptations.
This agreement would help us to keep the ten Commandments in order to live and lead good and faithful lives in the service of God and through our example we may lead people back to God. In order to make a good confession, an examination of conscience is most essential.

Year of the Eucharist:
Pope John Paul ll has declared this a year of special devotion to the Eucharist. As the year begins why not give thought to making Daily Mass a part of your day? If that is not possible maybe a short visit to Our Best Friend who awaits us in the Tabernacle, in the Sacrament of his love? The door to the human heart is opened only from the inside!

******************

Examination Of Conscience

Read through the following questions and see where you have fallen and have committed a sin.

· Did I deny or doubt God's existence?
· Did I believe in horoscopes, fortune tellers, dreams, good luck charms, or reincarnation?
· Did I ever deny that I was a Catholic?
· Did I entertain the idea of leaving my Catholic faith?
· Did I despair of or presume God's mercy?
· Did I neglect my prayers for a long time?
· Did I blaspheme God or take God's name in vain, curse or break an oath or vow?
· Did I miss Mass on Sunday or a holy day of obligation through my own fault?
· Am I always reverent in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament?
· Was I inattentive during Mass?
· Did I come to Mass late?
· Did I leave Mass early?
· Did I keep the Lord's day holy?
· Did I disobey or show disrespect to my parents, elders?
· Did I fail to actively take an interest in the religious education and formation of my children?
· Did I neglect my duties to my spouse, children or parents?
· Did I fail to educate myself on the true teachings of the Church?
· Did I cause scandal by what I said or did, especially to the young?
· Was I the cause of anyone leaving the faith?
· Was I impatient, angry, envious, unkind, proud, lazy, jealous, vengeful, hateful toward others?
· Did I show bad examples, abuse drugs, drink alcohol to excess, fight or quarrel?
· Did I physically injure or kill anyone?
· Did I commit or advise anyone to have an abortion?
· Did I participate in or approve the practice of mercy killing?
· Did I attempt to commit suicide?
· Did I wilfully entertain impure thoughts or desires?
· Did I dress immodestly?
· Did I use impure or suggestive words? Tell impure stories? Or listen to them?
· Did I deliberately look at or watch obscene shows on TV, plays, pictures, or movies?
· Did I deliberately read pornographic materials?
· Did I perform impure acts by myself (masturbation) or with others?
· Did I marry or advise another to marry outside the Church?
· Did I abuse my marital rights? Have I been unfaithful to my marriage vows?
· Did I have an illicit relationship with someone else's spouse?
· Did I practice artificial birth control or had myself or my spouse sterilized?
· Did I steal, cheat, help, or encourage others to steal, or keep stolen goods?
· Did I make restitution for stolen goods?
· Did I tell lies to deliberately deceive or injure others by my lies?
· Did I commit perjury?
· Did I gossip or reveal others' faults and sins?
· Did I fail to keep secrets told to me in confidence?
· Did I eat meat on Fridays of Lent or Ash Wednesday?
· Did I fulfil my Easter duties?
· Did I ever go to Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin?
· Did I fast for one hour from food and drink before partaking of the Holy Eucharist?
· Did I ever make a bad confession?