How to Go for Confession…
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First, take small time pray quietly and read through the guide below to check your conscience. Take all the time wey you need.
Check Your Own Conscience
Checking Your Own Conscience – 10 Commandments
(Or, to check your conscience with the 7 Deadly Sins, scroll go down)
First Commandment: “Na Me be di Lord your God; make you no get strange gods before Me.”I don deny God? I don shame for my faith or deny am for other people front? I don mock wetin di Church dey teach or practise? I don neglect my prayers? I don use witchcraft, Wicca, or other occult practices? I don follow different kinds of superstition, like to consult people wey dey claim to tell di future or contact spirits of dead people, or to use ouija boards or tarot cards?
Second Commandment: “No use the name of the Lord anyhow.”
I dey use God name carelessly, when I vex, or when something surprise me? I don call evil down on anybody or anything?
Third Commandment: “Keep the Sabbath Day holy.”
Na my own fault make I miss Mass for any Sunday or any Holy Day of Obligation? I dey reach Mass late or comot early without good reason? I dey allow my mind wander during Mass?
Fourth Commandment: “Honour your papa and mama.”
I don disobey my papa and mama or treat dem without respect? I dey treat my family without respect, good manners or courtesy? I don neglect my work or my studies? I don dey help for my house? I don fail to take my studies serious and put enough effort? I don miss exam for school because of laziness? I dey treat old people without respect? I dey disobey the law of the land or people wey get authority, like police?
Fifth Commandment: “You no go kill.”
I don comot belle or help another person comot belle? I don cut off or badly damage any part of my body or another person body? I don try kill myself or seriously think about killing myself? I dey use violence fight or hit other people? I don keep hatred for another person for my mind? I don take illegal drugs or misuse medicine wey doctor prescribe? I don sell or share illegal drugs? I dey neglect to take proper care of my body? I dey chop too much or sleep too much? I dey drink beer or other alcohol too much? I don allow myself get drunk? I dey worry too much about my health or how I look? I dey deliberately keep wicked thoughts and thoughts of revenge against other people for my mind? I don take revenge? I don use harsh words or insult another person? I dey behave rudely, disrespect people, or mock dem? I don commit the sin of racism? I dey treat animals with cruelty?
Sixth & Ninth Commandments: “No commit adultery. No desire to take your neighbour wife.”
I don desire or do things wey no pure for sex matter? I don enjoy keeping thoughts or desires wey no pure for my mind? I don read things wey no pure, listen to music wey get words wey no pure, or look pictures wey no pure, whether na photos, television, films or Internet? I don stir up sexual desire for myself or another person through kissing, embracing or touching wey no pure? I don do sexual acts wey no pure by myself, that is, masturbation? I don do sexual acts with person wey be the same sex as me, or other sexual acts wey no follow nature? I dey use artificial methods to prevent pregnancy, whether na operation, things wey block sperm, or chemicals? I don dress in way wey no modest, or worry too much about how I look? I dey use vulgar language, or tell or listen to jokes or stories wey no pure?
Seventh and Tenth Commandments: “No steal. No let greed make you desire wetin belong to your neighbour.”
I don take anything wey no be my own? I don damage property wey belong to somebody or the public, or deliberately spoil how e look? I don steal things from shop? I don accept or buy stolen property, or help somebody steal? I don bribe somebody? I dey gamble too much? I don borrow something without the owner permission? I don fail to return something wey I borrow? I dey waste money or spend am anyhow? I don keep greed for money or worldly possessions for my heart? I don turn money or anything wey I get into false god? I dey waste things or food? I don cheat for tests or schoolwork? I don cheat for games or sports?
Eighth Commandment: “No give false witness against your neighbour.”
I don deliberately tell lie? I don swear say I go do something wey be sin or wey dey against the law? I don spoil other people name by saying dem commit sins wey dem no commit, or sins wey I no get evidence say dem commit? I dey gossip about other people or listen to gossip? I don reveal secret wey dem ask me to keep? I don betray the trust wey somebody put for me? I don criticise anybody without love? I dey judge people too quick and keep false suspicions about dem for my mind? I don deliberately mislead or deceive anybody? I don refuse to forgive somebody or keep grudge against am? I don fail to apologise or make amends to somebody wey I offend?
Other things to consider: I get greed, I dey think only of myself, or I dey pity myself too much? I get pride, I dey admire myself too much, or I dey show off? I dey concern myself only with outward things and things of this world? I dey exaggerate my success because I want make people praise me? I dey vex or feel hurt too easily? I dey turn even small oversight or lack of thought into insult or deliberate disrespect? I don dey boast? I don treat other people with arrogance? I don stubbornly defend actions wey be sin, whether na my own or another person own? I dey rebel against authority? I don waste time sitting down for front of television when I fit dey do things wey get more value? I dey envy wetin somebody get, and I dey desire too much make those things become my own? I dey enjoy other people misfortune?
(To check your conscience about the 7 Deadly Sins, scroll go down)
After you don take time think about your sins, just go to the confessional and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation like this:
Enter the confessional and talk, For the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Forgive me, Father, because I don sin. E don reach (how long?) since my last confession, and na these be my sins…(confess all your sins…no fear!).
Father go give you penance, then ask you to pray the Act of Contrition. You fit use this one:
PRAYER TO SHOW SORROW FOR SIN
O my God, I dey truly sorry from my heart say I don offend You, and I hate all my sins because of Your just punishment, but most of all because dem offend You, my God, wey good finish and deserve all my love. I don make strong decision, with the help of Your grace, say I no go sin again and I go avoid situations wey fit easily lead me to sin. Amen.
Then the priest go say the prayer of forgiveness (absolution).
If your penance na to say some prayers, abeg go back to your seat at once and say your prayers.
Na so! God don forgive you!
Examination of Conscience for Each Person – 7 Sins Wey Dey Bring Death
Pride: “Pride na false opinion wey we get about ourselves, false idea of wetin we no be.” For my thoughts, words or actions, I dey behave like say I better pass other people? I dey look down on people? The way I dey act or carry myself dey show pride and offend people? I dey place myself above other people? I dey demand make people recognise my importance? I always want be first? I dey seek advice? I ready to accept advice? I dey bully people in any way? I dey like to order people around? I dey talk bad about other people? I don tell lies about other people? I dey make other people faults known? I dey try put blame on other people and excuse myself? Anybody dey wey I refuse to talk to? Anybody dey wey I never talk to for long time? I dey easily enter argument? I dey offend people when I dey argue? When I dey argue, I dey behave like say I better pass others and na me know everything? I dey worry too much about how other people see me? Things dey touch me too much? My feelings dey easily wound?
Envy: “Envy na sadness wey we dey feel because good thing happen to our neighbour.” I dey feel sad when other people prosper? When dem succeed for games? For athletics? I dey rejoice when dem fail? I dey envy other people riches?
Laziness: “Laziness na one kind fear and dislike wey dey make us neglect and leave our duties undone, instead of to discipline ourselves.” I love rest too much, so tey I dey neglect my duties? I dey behave lazily? I too like rest? I dey stay for lazy posture when I dey answer prayers? I dey kneel carelessly like person wey dey relax? I dey enjoy talk wey no get use? I dey fail to serve God with zeal?
Bad desire for sex: “Bad desire for sex na love for pleasure wey dey against purity.” I don desire or do things wey no pure? I don take pleasure for keeping thoughts or desires wey no pure for my mind? I don read things wey no pure, listen to music wey get words wey no pure, or look pictures wey no pure, whether na photos, for television, for film or for Internet? I don stir up sexual desire for myself or another person through kissing, embracing or touching wey no pure? I don do things wey no pure by myself, that is, masturbation? I dey dress in way wey no decent, or I dey worry too much about how I look? I dey use dirty language, or tell or listen to jokes or stories wey no pure? I don give in to desire to commit adultery, even for my imagination?
Greed for property: “Greed for property na love for the goods of this world wey no dey in proper order.” I dey use my money well, or na only myself I dey think about? I dey do wetin justice require from me towards other people? I dey do wetin justice require from me towards the Church?
Greed for food and drink: “Greed for food and drink na love for eating and drinking wey no dey in proper order.” I dey chop so that I go live, or I dey live just to chop? I dey drink pass wetin I suppose drink? I dey get drunk? I dey misuse medicine wey doctor prescribe? I dey use drugs wey law no allow? I don allow myself become addicted to alcohol and/or drugs?
Vex: “Na feeling for the soul wey dey push us to forcefully reject anything wey hurt us or wey no please us.” I dey quick vex? Almost any small thing dey make me vex? I be person wey people dey call ‘person wey dey vex anyhow’? I dey fail to control vex as e just start? I dey fail to relate well with everybody? I dey keep thinking about insults or hurts wey people do me, or even assume say dem do me these things? I dey happy when bad thing happen to other people? I dey think of how to take revenge? How to ‘pay dem back’? I be person wey like argument? I dey always want oppose wetin other people talk? I dey like make mockery of people, places or things? E hard for people to relate well with me? I dey keep malice, or continue to quarrel with anybody? I dey talk about other people faults? I dey expose other people faults or weaknesses? I dey expose other people faults for wrong reason?