There are five steps in this method. Ordinarily it is made once a day, in the evening.

First point. I will thank God our Lord for the graces, both spiritual and temporal, that I have received, particularly for those received since my last examination of conscience.

Second point. I will ask for the grace to know my sins and to struggle to rid myself of them.

Third point. I will review my conduct, hour by hour, or period by period, from the moment I woke up in the morning until the time of making this examination. I shall examine first of all my thoughts, then my words, then my actions, or I will use some other formula that may be better suited to me.

Fourth point. I will sincerely ask pardon from God our Lord for the faults I have committed.

Fifth point. I will make the resolution to amend my life with God’s grace. In order to make this amendment I will try to foresee the difficulties that lie ahead from the time of this examination to the next, and I will ask God our Lord to enlighten me and come to my help when I face them.

I will end my examen the same way I end my meditations, that is, with an Our Father.

Important note: this type of examination of conscience takes about fifteen minutes, but the five steps are more important than the duration of the examen itself. To devote the whole fifteen minutes to thanking God might be a good prayer, but it would …not be an examen. If I spend but a few minutes on the final steps of the examen, my examen might be hasty and superficial, but it would still be an examen.

First time. In the morning, immediately after getting up, I ought to resolve to be on the alert during the whole day to guard against the particular sin or fault that I seek to overcome or remedy.

Second time. Either before or after lunch, I will ask the Lord for what I want, namely, the grace to be aware of all the times I have fallen into that particular sin or defect and the grace to correct it and to make amends.

Then I will make my first particular examen. Here I examine myself with regard to the particular sin or fault I have resolved to get rid of. I shall do this by passing in review each hour or the various projects that have filled my schedule since the time of my rising until the moment of my present examination of conscience.

If it is helpful, I will register in some kind of notebook the number of my failures. This practice might enable me to keep a daily or weekly record of the results of my endeavors.

Finally, I will renew my resolution to struggle against this sin or particular fault during the second half of the day.

Third time. Either after dinner or just before going to bed, I will make the second examen in the same way I made my first. As before, I shall go over each hour that has passed, but now it will concern the time from my afternoon examen until the present time.

Important notes:

(1) The purpose of the particular daily examen need not be restricted to correcting defects. It can also be used to help acquire some particular virtue and to put it into practice.
(2) During the retreat a person can use the particular examen to remove the faults and negligences with regard to his fidelity in following the directives pertaining to the Exercises.

Is It Good to Make a General Confession during or after the First Week of the Exercises?

There is no obligation in this matter. Each one should feel free. Making a retreat is one thing; going to confession is another.

However, the person who spontaneously decides to make a general confession will find many advantages in doing so, among which are these three:

(1) There is more profit and merit attached to making a general confession than in making an ordinary confession because of the greater sorrow one feels for his sins and for all the evil in his whole life.

(2) During the time when one is making the Spiritual Exercises, he has far more personal insight into his sins and their perversity than at any other time. Moreover, as a result of this awareness and sorrow, he will draw from his confession greater spiritual profit and merit than he would draw at another time.

(3) As a result of his making a better confession and being better disposed, he will be more prepared to receive the Holy Eucharist. Communion not only helps one avoid sin but also constantly increases grace in us.

If the person chooses to make a general confession, it is best to do so immediately after finishing the exercises of the First Week. See no. 10 in “Explanatory Remarks” on p. 22.