The Examined Conscience — The Sins No One Thinks to Confess

I.

The Book

One book. Six examinations. The sins that hide inside an ordinary faithful life.

These are not the sins a man goes to confession for. They are the six that sit underneath the ones he does — the grudge behind good manners, the talk he calls honesty, the Communion he takes without a thought, the case he holds against God, the heaven he has quietly decided he is owed, and the prayer that has gone to habit. Six examinations, set in order, each with the Scripture and the Catechism paragraph it rests on, the questions to ask at your own table, and the words to say. The book states what is at stake plainly, from the Catechism at 1030-1032 and 1472. This is reflective writing by a layman, friend — it is not a substitute for the sacrament of Reconciliation or for the guidance of your own priest. And it is not medical advice: grief is not a sin and depression is not a sin, and for anything of the body or the mind you see your doctor.

Illustrated ebook · Six examinations · Instant PDF

The complete book — six sins, the Scripture and Catechism each one rests on, and the exact words to say.

Unforgiveness kept behind politeness. Detraction passed off as honesty. Holy Communion received by routine. Then the three that grow quietly in later years: bitterness toward God over what was taken, presumption that heaven is owed, and acedia behind a prayer said every day. Six examinations in two parts — and a closing that sets out the four steps, because I am a carpenter and a carpenter likes steps, and a full index of every passage and Catechism paragraph the book cites.

$37 $102 $102 total value — launch price, first 200 copies

What you get for $37:

The Examined Conscience — the complete ebook, six examinations in two parts, written plain $47
The Index of Citations — every passage of Scripture and every Catechism paragraph the book rests on, gathered in one place $19
The Four Steps — printable, one page, to keep where you will see it before you go $19
Lifetime updates — every future edition, free $17
The Kitchen Table Examination — a free companion book, the questions to ask yourself written out, yours at no extra cost FREE
Total value $102
You pay today $37

Your free bonus is reserved — leaving this page in 6:00:00

+

FREE

Included today — no extra cost

You also get The Kitchen Table Examination — free.

A companion book — the questions to ask yourself, written out, so you can sit down with a pencil and the back of an envelope and work through them one at a time. It is yours the moment you get the book today. This free companion will not stay on the page much longer.

Get the Book · $37

Instant PDF · Pay once · Yours forever

II.

The Worth Of It

What this book puts in front of you. And what it stops you carrying in silence.

Folks ask what a layman’s book of examinations is really worth. So here it is plainly: on the left, six things a faithful person can carry for forty years and never once bring into words, because he has no name for them. On the right, the same six, named — with the Scripture and the Catechism each one rests on, the questions to ask at your own table, and the words to say when you go.

Carrying it unnamed The weight

A grudge kept behind good mannersyear after year
Talk about a man, passed off as honestyhabit
Communion received without a thoughtevery Sunday
A case held against God for what He tookunspoken
Heaven quietly assumed to be owedunexamined
Prayer said with the mouth onlydry

In the end Unexamined

The way a good man can go to confession for forty years and never reach any of the six

What the book puts in your hands For good

The grudge named, and what our Lord says of itplainly
Honest speech told apart from detractionclear
Communion approached awake, and prepared forready
The bitterness brought into words at lasthonest
Presumption seen for what it issober
The dry prayer, and what to do with itsteady

In the end Examined

Every line has an examination in the book, with its Scripture, its Catechism paragraph, and the words to say

Worth far more than $37 — not in dollars, friend, but in what you finally bring with you instead of leaving it at home. Keep it on the shelf and it will sit with you for many years, because these six do not go away by themselves.

III.

What's Inside

Six examinations, friend — in two parts, and a closing.

Each examination is written the same way: what the sin actually is and why it hides so well, the Scripture and the Catechism paragraph it rests on, the questions to ask yourself at your own kitchen table, and the exact words to say in confession. It is built to be read one sin a night. Remember what this is and is not: it is reflective writing by a layman and it is no substitute for the sacrament of Reconciliation or for the guidance of your own priest. Grief is not a sin. Depression is not a sin. For anything of the body or of the mind, you see your doctor.

The six examinations, in two parts · and the closing

Three sins inside an ordinary faithful life, three that grow quietly in later years, and then the four steps and the index.

Part One — Three Sins Inside an Ordinary Faithful Life
Unforgiveness Kept Behind Politeness · Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:21-35; CCC 2840, 2843
Detraction Passed Off as Honesty · James 4:11; Matthew 12:36; CCC 2477, 2479, 2487
Holy Communion Received by Routine · 1 Corinthians 11:27-29; CCC 1385, 1456, 1457, 1458
Part Two — Three That Grow Quietly in Later Years
Bitterness Toward God Over What Was Taken · Job 2:10; CCC 2094
Presumption — “Heaven Is Owed to Me” · Luke 18:9-14; Philippians 2:12; CCC 2011, 2092
Acedia Behind Routine Prayer · Isaiah 29:13; Revelation 3:15-16; CCC 2733
The Closing · The Four Steps — because a carpenter likes steps
The Closing · The Index of Every Passage and Catechism Paragraph Cited

IV.

A Taste Of It

The kind of examination you’ll find on these pages.

Here are three honest tastes of what is inside — written so you can hear how plain and how close they are. These are illustrations of the examinations themselves, friend, not promises; every conscience is its own, and yours is between you, your confessor, and God.

From the kitchen table · Unforgiveness

I worked beside a man for nine years and never once raised my voice at him. I handed him the level, I said good morning, I stood at his mother’s funeral. And the whole nine years I would not have crossed the road to help him, and I called that keeping the peace. Politeness is not forgiveness. This examination is about the grudge that learns to wear good manners — what our Lord says of it in Matthew 6:14-15, and what the Catechism means at 2843 when it will not let us call forgiveness a feeling.

— From Examination One, Unforgiveness Kept Behind Politeness

From the kitchen table · Bitterness

Anne died four winters ago. At the funeral I said what a man says — the Lord gives and the Lord takes away — and for two years afterward I meant something colder by it than anyone in that church knew. Hear me plainly: grief is not a sin, and sorrow that will not lift is not a sin either, and if it will not lift you go and see a doctor the same as you would for your chest. But there is a thing that can grow underneath grief, quietly, and it is a case held against God for what He took. That is what this examination is for — Job 2:10, and the Catechism at 2094.

— From Examination Four, Bitterness Toward God Over What Was Taken

From the kitchen table · Acedia

I have sat in the same pew for over fifty years, third from the front on the left side. I can get through the whole of a Sunday with my mouth and think about nothing but the lumber I have to collect on Monday. Isaiah 29:13 is about me. So is Revelation 3:15-16. The Catechism names the thing at 2733 and does not pretend it is small. This examination is about prayer that has gone to habit, and how a man tells the difference between dryness the Lord permits and simply not caring any more.

— From Examination Six, Acedia Behind Routine Prayer

Illustrative passages of the examinations in the book. Reflective writing by a layman; general reflection only. Not a substitute for the sacrament of Reconciliation or for the guidance of your own priest, and not medical, psychological, or financial advice. Grief and depression are not sins; consult a qualified professional. Individual circumstances vary.

V. About the Writer

Who wrote this.

I am a layman, friend. Not a priest, not a deacon, not a religious — a retired carpenter. I cannot hear a confession and I cannot absolve anybody of anything, and no layman can. I have sat in the same pew for over fifty years, third from the front on the left side, and I went to confession all that time.

I was married forty-six years. Anne died four winters ago. We have a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Clare. Most of what is in this book I did not understand until I was well past seventy, and some of it I did not understand until I was sitting alone at the kitchen table with a pencil and the back of an envelope, working out why I kept confessing the same three things and leaving six others where they were.

So I wrote them down, in order, the way I would frame anything: what the sin is, why it hides, the Scripture and the Catechism paragraph it rests on, the questions to ask yourself, the words to say. And at the close, four steps, because a carpenter likes steps. Take it to your own priest. That is what it is for.

It is not a book about other people’s sins, friend. It is the list I had to write for myself, at my own kitchen table, with a pencil and the back of an envelope.

The Examined Conscience

VI.

Order the Book

$37 once. No subscription. Yours forever.

Instant PDF — in your inbox within a minute of payment. Read it on any phone, tablet, or computer, or print it and keep it on the kitchen shelf where you will see it before you go. 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked — if it is not for you, friend, just send a note and the $37 comes right back. And as a gift, a free companion book — The Kitchen Table Examination — comes included with your order, at no extra cost.

Illustrated ebook · Six examinations · Instant PDF

The complete book — six sins, the Scripture and Catechism each one rests on, and the exact words to say.

Unforgiveness kept behind politeness. Detraction passed off as honesty. Holy Communion received by routine. Then the three that grow quietly in later years: bitterness toward God over what was taken, presumption that heaven is owed, and acedia behind a prayer said every day. Six examinations in two parts — and a closing that sets out the four steps, because I am a carpenter and a carpenter likes steps, and a full index of every passage and Catechism paragraph the book cites.

$37 $102 $102 total value — launch price, first 200 copies

What you get for $37:

The Examined Conscience — the complete ebook, six examinations in two parts, written plain $47
The Index of Citations — every passage of Scripture and every Catechism paragraph the book rests on, gathered in one place $19
The Four Steps — printable, one page, to keep where you will see it before you go $19
Lifetime updates — every future edition, free $17
The Kitchen Table Examination — a free companion book, the questions to ask yourself written out, yours at no extra cost FREE
Total value $102
You pay today $37

Your free bonus is reserved — leaving this page in 6:00:00

+

FREE

Included today — no extra cost

You also get The Kitchen Table Examination — free.

A companion book — the questions to ask yourself, written out, so you can sit down with a pencil and the back of an envelope and work through them one at a time. It is yours the moment you get the book today. This free companion will not stay on the page much longer.

Get the Book · $37

Instant PDF · Pay once · Yours forever

🔒 Secure Checkout·Visa · Mastercard · Google Pay · Apple Pay·7-day refund

VII.

FAQ

Questions folks ask before they click.

What is this book, exactly?

Six examinations of conscience on sins that hide inside an ordinary faithful life — each with the Scripture and the Catechism paragraph it rests on, the questions to ask yourself at your own kitchen table, and the words to say in confession. It is reflective writing by a layman, friend, not a ruling on anybody, and it does not stand in for the sacrament of Reconciliation or for what your own priest tells you.

Who is this book really for?

For any Catholic who has gone to confession for years and come out with the feeling that the real thing was never said. If you keep confessing the same three items, if there is somebody you are polite to and nothing more, if you are angry with God about something He took and have never once said so out loud — this book was written for you.

Was this written by a priest?

No. By a layman who learned late — a retired carpenter, no priest, no deacon, no religious. I cannot hear your confession and I cannot absolve you of anything. This book is not a substitute for the sacrament of Reconciliation or for the guidance of your own priest; it is meant to be worked through at your table and then taken to him.

How is the book delivered?

Instant PDF — sent to you within a minute of payment. Read it on any phone, tablet, or computer, or print it to keep on the kitchen shelf. No app, no subscription. Yours forever.

How many examinations are inside?

Six, in two parts — three sins inside an ordinary faithful life, and three that grow quietly in later years. Then a closing that sets out the four steps and a full index of every passage of Scripture and every Catechism paragraph the book cites. It is built to be read one sin a night.

Will I get updates later?

Yes. When I make an examination clearer, or set out a citation more carefully, you get the new edition at no extra charge. Buy it once and the latest is always yours.

What if it’s not for me?

Seven days, no questions asked. Send a note and you get a full refund, and the book stays yours.

Forty years of confession, and I never once named these six — written down at last.

One book. Six examinations. The sins that hide inside an ordinary faithful life.

The complete book — six sins, the Scripture and Catechism each one rests on, and the exact words to say.

You also get The Kitchen Table Examination — free.

What this book puts in front of you. And what it stops you carrying in silence.

Carrying it unnamed The weight

What the book puts in your hands For good

Six examinations, friend — in two parts, and a closing.

Three sins inside an ordinary faithful life, three that grow quietly in later years, and then the four steps and the index.

The kind of examination you’ll find on these pages.

Who wrote this.

$37 once. No subscription. Yours forever.

The complete book — six sins, the Scripture and Catechism each one rests on, and the exact words to say.

You also get The Kitchen Table Examination — free.

Questions folks ask before they click.

Take all six with you the next time you go.