An examination of conscience is a prayerful review of your thoughts, words, and actions to identify sins before you come to confession. It’s preparation work. You’re getting ready to meet with your priest, and you want to remember what you actually need to confess.
Think of it as spiritual inventory. But it’s not just counting up bad things you did. The Orthodox approach looks at the beginnings of sin, the patterns and passions that lead you away from God. You’re not tallying moral failures to present a complete legal case. You’re identifying symptoms of spiritual sickness so the priest can help you heal.
What it looks like
Most Orthodox Christians use a set of questions to guide their examination. Your parish might have a handout, or you can find lists online. These questions walk through the commandments and the major categories of sin: pride, anger, lust, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth. They ask about your relationship with God, with other people, with yourself.
You sit quietly, usually before an icon. You pray Psalm 50 (the one that starts “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy”). You ask the Holy Spirit to help you see clearly. Then you go through the questions honestly.
Did I miss my prayers? Did I gossip? Did I lose my temper at my kids? Did I look at things online I shouldn’t have? Did I refuse to forgive someone? Did I judge my neighbor? Did I waste time when I should’ve been working? Did I lie to make myself look better?
Some sins are obvious. You know when you’ve done something seriously wrong. But the examination also helps you see the smaller things, the habits you’ve stopped noticing. That’s what the Antiochian materials mean when they talk about recognizing “even the beginnings of sins.” You’re looking for the roots, not just the fruit.
Why we do this
If you come from a Protestant background, you might wonder why you can’t just confess directly to God. And you can pray to God anytime. But the Mystery of Repentance is something different. It’s a sacramental encounter where you receive not just forgiveness but healing and guidance. The priest isn’t replacing Christ. He’s exercising the authority Christ gave the Church to bind and loose, to pronounce absolution, to offer pastoral care for your soul.
The examination prepares you to make that encounter real and honest. Without it, you’d probably forget half of what you need to say. Or you’d speak in generalities. “I’ve been struggling with anger.” Okay, but what does that mean? When? At whom? What triggered it? The examination forces specificity.
Catholics also practice examination of conscience, and the mechanics look similar. But the theological framing differs. We’re not primarily concerned with satisfying divine justice or working off temporal punishment. We’re seeking healing. Sin is a disease, and confession is medicine. The examination helps you describe your symptoms accurately so your spiritual father can prescribe the right treatment.
The practical part
You don’t need to do this every day, though some people find a nightly review helpful. Most Orthodox Christians do a thorough examination before they go to confession. That might be during Great Lent, before receiving Communion, or whenever your spiritual father recommends. If you’re new to Orthodoxy, you’ll probably confess more frequently at first as you’re learning to recognize the patterns in your life.
When you’ve finished your examination, you go to confession. You don’t need to bring a written list, though some people do. You confess what you remembered, succinctly. The priest might ask questions or offer counsel. He’ll give you guidance, maybe a penance (usually prayer or fasting or acts of mercy). Then he’ll read the prayer of absolution over you.
St. John Climacus wrote about this in The Ladder of Divine Ascent. He said the person who’s truly repentant doesn’t just list sins but shows the wounds to the physician. That’s what examination helps you do. You’re not performing for the priest or trying to impress him with your thoroughness. You’re showing him where you’re hurt so he can help you heal.
And here’s the thing people often don’t expect: examination of conscience can actually be freeing. Not fun, exactly. Nobody enjoys facing their own sins. But there’s relief in naming what’s wrong, in bringing it into the light instead of letting it fester in the dark. When you’ve done a good examination and made a good confession, you walk away lighter. The weight’s gone. You can start fresh.
If you’ve never done this before and you’re preparing for your first confession, don’t panic. Ask your priest for an examination guide. Pray for help. Be honest. That’s all you need.
