Episode 104 -- Imitation of Christ IV.7 -- Examination of Conscience Before Mass

Should we examine our conscience before receiving Holy Communion?

Yes! Thomas a Kempis provides a fairly comprehensive examination of conscience in chapter 7. He points out areas of improvement that will touch everyone's lives. He encourages us to be sorry in general for our sins, to be sorry in particular for our daily faults, and to confess to the Lord how wayward our passions are. Of course, if we have serious sins on our souls, we need to go to the sacrament of Confession. "If you forgive the sins of any," Jesus told the Apostles, "they are forgiven."