At a public conversation between an agnostic and a bishop about the existence of God, both sides made their case, and at the end the floor was opened for questions.

A man raised his hand and said: “You’ve both been talking about reasons for and against the existence of God. That’s all well and good, but personally I have my own reasons. For years I was trapped in an addiction, and I tried everything to break free: I fought spiritually, I made promises to God, I prayed, I saw a psychologist, I sought out support, I tried different therapies... and nothing worked. Eventually I lost hope and stopped asking. Then one year I went to the Easter Vigil. I walked into that church exactly as I was. It didn’t even occur to me to ask for anything; I just told God, ‘Here I am, Lord. You see me as I am.’ And when I walked out of that Easter Vigil, out of nowhere, without having done anything different, the addiction was gone. I’ve been free for years. All I know is that I used to be an addict, and now I’m not. That’s my reason for believing in God.”

This story helps us understand that the most powerful sign of Christ’s work in our lives is his power to set us free. God can free us in a miraculous way, just as He did for this man. But ordinarily, that freedom comes through a long and demanding interior struggle. In this man’s case, the miracle came after he had been fighting for many years, persisting through circumstances that looked like failure. Our effort to be close to God is never pointless.

Below are some questions to help you take an honest look at different areas of your life before Jesus. Maybe you too want to say, like that man: “Here I am, Lord. You see me as I am.” This can be a powerful way to prepare yourself inwardly to receive Christ’s liberating grace in confession.

🗃️ Download the examination of conscience as a PDF

I. Digital life and freedom

1. Do I own my time, or does my phone own me? Is it the first thing I reach for when I wake up and the last thing I look at before bed, leaving no space for God?
2. Do I use social media to fish for affection and validation? Do I feel anxious when a post doesn’t get likes? Do I constantly compare myself to other people’s seemingly perfect lives, feeding envy?
3. Do I hide in video games or endless scrolling to avoid my responsibilities, my loneliness, or my problems? Have I let my duties (like studying, family, or prayer) slip because I can't set limits?

II. Purity and real love

1. Have I fallen into the trap of pornography? Do I understand that it damages my ability to truly love because it trains me to see people as objects for my own pleasure?
2. Do I ask Jesus for a clean way of seeing? Do I make an effort to see other people as persons with dignity, not just bodies for my selfish desires?

III. The value of effort

1. Am I drifting through life without a clear purpose, letting the days go by without goals or any real desire to grow? Do I let laziness win, putting things off in search of the easy option?
2. Do I run from everything that takes effort? Do I always look for the path of least resistance? Am I capable of working hard for things that genuinely matter (studying, serving others, building character)?

IV. Image and identity

1. Am I obsessed with how I come across to others? Do I lie or pretend to be someone I’m not just to get people to like me or to fit in?
2. Do I love myself the way God loves me? Do I put myself down over my looks or my failures, forgetting that my real worth comes from being a child of God?
3. Am I a slave to brands or trends? Do I look to clothes or money to make me feel superior or secure? Do I value people for what they have rather than who they are?

V. Self-control and character

1. Do I turn to alcohol or other substances to numb my pain or to fit in with the crowd? Have I lost control of my actions at parties, damaging my own dignity or someone else’s?
2. Do I let hate, resentment, or aggression take over, especially on social media or with my own family?

VI. God and others

1. Am I genuinely sensitive to the suffering of the people around me? Do I live inside a comfortable shell, ignoring the needs of my parents, grandparents, or friends because I don’t want the hassle?
2. Have I drifted away from prayer? Have I stopped going to Mass or talking to God simply because I don’t feel anything or because I can’t be bothered?
3. Am I willing to ask Jesus for help, sincerely? Do I recognise that I can’t change my addictions on my own, and that I need Him to come into my life and set me free?

Closing prayer

Lord Jesus, here I am. You see me as I am. I give You my chains and my weakness. Help me to prepare for a good confession, and help me trust that You can set me free from everything that weighs me down. Amen.