Excerpts From the Manual of the
Eucharistic Crusade of the Apostleship of Prayer

2. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE.

Already in the second and third stage, but especially among the more advanced adolescents, we must insist on the examination of conscience. Without this, progress in the spiritual Life is im¬possible, and no real cultivation of the life of the soul will ever be achieved. Sins and defects will never be truly and seriously attacked and uprooted. Unless there is such examination there always remains a grave danger that the whole interior life - if anything of the sort exists - will remain superficial and that the way to mortal sin will lie wide open.

By insisting on the daily examination of conscience, we are practically forcing the children and young people to regularity and diligence in the spiritual life, and especially training them to cultivate purity of ,conscience. And the more the desire for purity of conscience is cultivated, the more powerful will it be in the fight against temptation and every evil influence; for this is the fruit of a tender conscience.

Children should then be exhorted to include the examination of conscience in their night prayers. The method proposed to them should be very simple. First they should think of the defect they most frequently commit (in this way they are already making a sort of "particular examination "). Then they should go through the whole day, either by recalling the different places they have been (home, school, playing fields, etc.), or by recalling the various people with whom they have come in contact (parents, brothers, sisters, friends at school, in the Crusade, teachers, the poor), or by recalling their thoughts, words and deeds.

Once the examination has been made, they should make a sincere act of perfect contrition in which they express sorrow for their sins out of love of God and Christ. The examination should finish with a firm purpose of amendment, which includes the strong resolution to avoid all mortal sin. and as far as possible, all venial sin, but especially the one to which they are most inclined.

3.REGULAR CONFESSION.

Regular confession is a specially important and useful means for acquiring purity of heart and sound virtue. For its effects are so many - remission of sins, purity of soul, reception of graces to overcome temptation and conquer evil inclinations and to increase in virtue - that its importance for the spiritual life is only sur¬passed by that of the Holy Eucharist itself.