The Ten Commandments name the boundaries of love; the Beatitudes describe its face, which is the face of Christ. The Church commends both as a basis for examining one's conscience. An examination on the Beatitudes is especially useful for the person who goes to confession regularly and finds the same short list every time: it reaches past actions to attitudes, and asks not only 'what have I done?' but 'whom am I becoming?' Read each Beatitude slowly from Matthew 5, then ask the questions.

What you need

• A Bible open at Matthew 5:1-12, or the text of the Beatitudes
• Fifteen quiet minutes
• The Act of Contrition, and a confession time to go to

When to pray it

Before confession, particularly for those who confess often; also as a retreat exercise or on a Friday in Lent.

Steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Begin by reading the Beatitudes

   Make the Sign of the Cross▾, ask the Holy Spirit for light, and read Matthew 5:1-12 slowly. Jesus is not giving eight new commandments; he is describing the kind of person the Kingdom makes, and the one who first lived every word. Ask him to show you where you resemble him and where you do not.

2. 2

   Step 2: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

   Do I depend on God, or on my money, competence and connections? Am I attached to possessions, comfort and security in a way that crowds him out? Have I been proud, self-sufficient, unwilling to ask for help or to admit need? Have I hoarded, or been stingy with the poor? Do I pray as one who needs God?

3. 3

   Step 3: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted

   Do I grieve over my own sins, or shrug them off? Does the suffering of others move me, or have I grown numb to it? Have I run from grief into distraction, drink or busyness? Have I stood with the bereaved, the sick and the lonely, or avoided them because it was uncomfortable? Have I let God comfort me, or refused consolation out of pride?

4. 4

   Step 4: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth

   Have I been quick to anger, harsh in words, impatient with slow or difficult people? Do I need to win every argument and have the last word? Have I been domineering at home or at work? Have I been gentle with those weaker than I am, with children, with the elderly, with those who serve me? Do I accept correction, or bristle at it?

5. 5

   Step 5: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied

   Do I actually want to be holy, or only to be comfortable? Have I been lukewarm in prayer, in the sacraments, in learning the faith? Have I been complacent about injustice around me, in my workplace, my city, the treatment of the unborn, the poor, the immigrant? Have I told myself that holiness is for other people?

6. 6

   Step 6: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

   Is there anyone I have not forgiven? Do I hold grudges, keep score, or wish someone ill? Have I been quick to judge and slow to excuse? Have I performed the works of mercy: fed the hungry, visited the sick or imprisoned, instructed, counselled, borne wrongs patiently, prayed for the living and the dead? Have I been merciful to myself, as God is?

7. 7

   Step 7: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

   Have I been chaste in thought, look and deed according to my state in life? Have I used pornography or fed impure fantasies? Beyond chastity: are my motives pure, or do I do good to be seen? Am I honest, or do I say one thing and mean another? Is there a hidden compartment of my life that I keep from God and from those who love me?

8. 8

   Step 8: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God

   Have I sown discord by gossip, sarcasm or taking sides? Have I made peace between people who were at odds, or enjoyed the conflict? Have I apologised first, or waited for the other to come to me? At home, have I been a source of calm or of tension? Have I prayed and worked for peace in the Church and in the world, or merely complained?

9. 9

   Step 9: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

   Have I hidden my faith to avoid mockery or disadvantage? Have I compromised the truth to keep a job, a friend or my reputation? Have I complained bitterly about small slights while the Church suffers real persecution elsewhere? Have I prayed for persecuted Christians, and for those who persecute them? Have I rejoiced, as Jesus commands, when I suffered something for his sake?

10. 10

    Step 10: Be sorry, resolve to change, and pray the Act of Contrition

    Looking over what you have found, ask God for true sorrow: not mainly fear of punishment, but grief at having offended the One who loves you. Decide on one concrete thing you will change, with his grace. Then pray the Act of Contrition▾, and then the Prayer of Saint Francis▾, asking to become an instrument of the peace the Beatitudes describe. Bring to the priest every mortal sin you have found, by kind and number as best you can, and whatever venial sins trouble you most. Nothing you say will surprise him, and nothing leaves the confessional.

Tips

• The Beatitudes reveal venial sins and omissions more than mortal sins. Still confess any grave sin you find, by kind and number.
• Do not be discouraged: the Beatitudes describe Christ, and no one measures up. They show the direction, not the exam grade.
• Pick the one Beatitude that convicts you most and make it your penance and your resolution for the month.

Related practices

• Ignatian Examen
• Lectio Divina

Related saints

• Saint Francis of Assisi