Examination of Conscience on Dispositions for Spiritual Exercises

1. Purpose of the exercises and true conversion
– Do I truly want to reform my life, or am I just looking for a nice experience without changing?
– Am I willing to leave sin behind and accept what God asks of me?
– Am I inwardly resisting conversion?
– Am I entering the exercises with a desire for conversion, or have I come to rest?

2. Right intention and the search for truth
– Am I doing the exercises for God or for other reasons—habit, duty, emotions?
– Am I truly trying to understand what I need to change from now on?
– Am I looking for my faults and the virtues I need to practise?

3. Attention and reflection in meditations
– Do I listen to the meditations with interest?
– Do I try to understand what is being said to me?
– Do I get distracted or listen half-heartedly?
– After the meditation, do I reflect on what I have heard and draw practical conclusions for my life?
– Do I move from one meditation to another without dwelling on what has struck me?

4. Concrete decisions and resolutions
– Are my resolutions concrete and practical, not vague or generic?
– Do I write them down and bring them to prayer, without procrastinating?

5. Faithfulness to resolutions and review
– Do I remember the resolutions from past exercises? Have I put them into practice?
– Do I keep falling into the same mistakes?
– Do I see concrete progress in my life?

6. Spiritual direction and sincerity
– Do I take advice from my spiritual guide, speaking with sincerity?
– Do I avoid confrontation out of pride or do everything on my own without guidance?
7. Generosity and detachment
– Am I generous in my decisions and do I truly give myself to God, without holding anything back for myself?
– Do I set aside useless occupations and distractions to safeguard the time dedicated to God?
– Am I looking for distractions?

8. Silence, recollection, and mortification of the senses
– Do I observe external and internal silence, avoiding useless words and voluntary distractions?
– Do I guard what I look at and listen to, without giving in to useless curiosity?
– Do I disturb others, not respecting the recollection of those who wish to pray?

9. Spirit of prayer and perseverance
– Do I pray with commitment and offer small sacrifices to live the exercises well?
– Do I carry on with the exercises to the very end, without getting tired halfway through or reducing my effort as the days go by?

10. Memory and faithfulness after the exercises
– Do I continue to meditate on the truths that have struck me and revisit my notes and resolutions?
– Do I not immediately forget what I have received and not let the fire that was lit die out?

11. Vigilance against spiritual laxity
– When I notice a spiritual decline, do I look for its cause and try to correct what is wrong?
– Do I let myself slip into lukewarmness or put off returning to a more fervent life?