You will remember how you were taught to go to Confession. Perhaps you still have the little booklet you were given at the time, helping you to examine your conscience using the Ten Commandments as a guide. We still use such booklets – and they are very helpful – a refresher course is often necessary and good.

The Ten Commandments are of universal application – to all mankind. They do not apply exclusively to the Hebrews to whom they were addressed. They are, in fact, written on the human heart – every human heart – because the human heart was made for God’s law.

However, whilst they give the only proper framework for relationships (1.) between God and man, and (2.) between men, simply keeping the Ten Commandments falls into the category of necessary, but not sufficient.

“I’m a good person” – is a phrase not infrequently heard. Most often it is heard in the context of self-defence – excusing the non-practice of religion, or expressing a generalized doubt as to the necessity of worship, as long as you treat others correctly.

But this is woefully inadequate. To treat others correctly can only happen if you treat yourself correctly – and to deprive your soul of the worship of God is to leave it cut off from the vine, liable to be parched and wither in the fierce midday heat, unable to put down its own roots.

To come into right worship, then, is to enter into a relationship of transformation from within. The sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit have related fruit – but if we do not show that fruit in our life, how can we say we have received the gifts?

St. Paul gives us the list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. It is quite a list.

Not infrequently I use it as a suggestion for an examination of conscience, because it expands upon the bare minimum requirements of the moral law, to express what kind of people we should be. I commend it to you to help you prepare for that wonderful Sacrament of God’s healing power.