Examination of Conscience
Based on Luisa’s Reflections and Practices
For The Hours of the Passion
5PM—Jesus takes leave of His Most Holy Mother
Before starting any action, let us always invoke the blessing of God, so that our actions may have the touch of the Divinity, and may attract His blessings not only on us, but upon all creatures.
6PM—Jesus departs from His Most Holy Mother and goes toward the Cenacle
Are we ready to sacrifice even the most legitimate and holy affections in order to fulfill the Divine Volition?
Do we walk on the street being modest and composed, so as to be an example for others?
What do we say in our conversations?
When the opportunity arises, do we make the passion of the Divine Redeemer the object of our conversations?
Do we place in our conversations the intention of relieving Jesus Christ?
Do we try to do them in the Will of God, infusing in others the spirit of Jesus Christ?
7PM—The Legal Supper
And when we pray, can we say that the angels were pleased; that we have been recollected and reverent, in such a way that they were joyously carry our prayers to Heaven, just as they carried those of our Jesus?
Or do they rather remain saddened?
8PM—The Eucharistic Supper
What should we do in our hiddenness? In order to become similar to Jesus Christ, we must hide everything in Him: thoughts, glances, words, heart beats, affections, desires, steps and works; even our prayers—we should hide them in the prayers of Jesus.
9PM—First hour of Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
In order to conform to Jesus in everything, we must go back into ourselves, applying these reflections to ourselves: in all that we do, can we say that there is a continuous flow of love running between us and God?
But do all these actions run toward God with love?
Does Jesus find in us the sweet enchantment of His Love running toward Him, so that, enraptured by this enchantment, He may overflow with us with more abundant love?
Do we let ourselves be worked by the divine hands, as the Humanity of Jesus let Itself be worked?
All that we feel within ourselves—inspirations, mortifications, graces—is nothing other than a crafting of love. Do we take those things as God wants?
Do we give Jesus the freedom to work, or by taking everything in a human manner and as meaningless, do we rather reject the divine crafting, forcing it to bend its arms?
Do we abandon ourselves in His arms as though we were dead in order to receive all the blows which the Lord will dispose for our sanctification?
10PM—Second hour of Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
Do we always pray, in whatever mood we may be—cold, hard, tempted?
Do we give Jesus the pains of our soul as reparation and relief in order to copy Him completely, thinking that each mood of ours is a pain of Jesus?
Do we lose heart, or do we remain at the feet of Jesus with courage, giving Him all that we suffer, so that Jesus may find His own Humanity in us?
That is, are we His Humanity for Jesus?
What did the Humanity of Jesus do? It glorified Its Father, expiated, pleaded the salvation of souls. And we—do we enclose within ourselves these three intentions of Jesus in everything we do, so as to be able to say, ‘We enclose in ourselves all the humanity of Jesus Christ?’
Do we place in our darkness the intention of making the light of truth shine in others?
And when we pray with fervor, do we place the intention of melting the ice of many hearts hardened in sin?
11PM—Third hour of Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
And we–do we ask for help from Heaven in any painful circumstance?
And if we turn also to creatures, do we do this with order, with those who can comfort us in a saintly way?
Are we at least resigned, if we do not receive those comforts which we are hoping for, in using the indifference of creatures to abandon ourselves more in the arms of Jesus?
Jesus was comforted by an Angel. And we—can we say that we are the angels of Jesus by remaining around Him to comfort Him and share in His bitterness?
12AM—Jesus is arrested
In the deceptions, in the betrayals of creatures, are we ready to forgive as Jesus forgave?
Do we take from the hands of God all the evil that we receive from creatures?
Are we ready to do all that Jesus wants from us?
In the crosses, in the strains, can we say that our patience imitates that of Jesus?
1AM—Thrown from a cliff, Jesus falls into the Cedron stream
And we—do we abandon ourselves at the mercy of the Will of God?
In our weaknesses and falls, are we ready to stand up again to throw ourselves in the arms of Jesus?
And we—do we abhor any stain and shadow of sin?
Are we ready to give shelter to Jesus in our heart, not to make Him feel the nausea which other souls give Him with sin, and to compensate for the nausea that we ourselves have given Him many times?
2AM—Jesus is presented to Annas
And we—are we intrepid and courageous when it comes to glorifying the Lord, or do we let ourselves be won by human respect?
In our speaking, do we always look for the glory of God?
In order to exalt the glory of God, do we bear everything with patience like Jesus?
Do we always avoid speaking ill of the neighbor, and do we excuse him if we hear that others run him down?
Do we watch over the Heart of Jesus, so that He may not receive any offense which has not been repaired by us?
Do we watch over ourselves in everything, so that our thought, gaze, word, affection, heartbeat and desire may be as many sentries around Jesus, watching over His Heart, and repairing for all the offenses?
And in order to do this, do we pray Jesus to watch over each of our acts, and to help us watch over our own heart?
Are we ready to answer when our Jesus calls us?
3AM—Jesus in the house of Caiphas
And we—when the Lord allows that we be slandered and unjustly accused, do we look only for God, Who knows our innocence; or do we rather beg esteem and honor from creatures?
Does truth always arise on our lips?
Are we adverse to any trick and lie?
Do we bear with patience, the mockeries and confusions that creatures give us?
Are we ready to give our life for their salvation?
4AM—Jesus at the mercy of the soldiers
And we—are we constant during repeated sufferings, or do we lament, get irritated and lose peace; that peace of heart which is necessary to allow Jesus to find a happy dwelling place within us?
Do we look at those who offend us with the same love [as Jesus]?
Is the love which we show them so great as to be a voice for their hearts—so powerful as to convert them to Jesus?
5AM—Jesus in prison
And we—are we happy to be alone with Jesus, or do we look for the company of creatures?
Isn’t Jesus alone our only breath and our only heartbeat?
Are we happy to be bound by Jesus in that prison in which His love places us—that is, obscurity, oppressions and other things?
Do we feel the firmness and promptness to imprison ourselves in Jesus for love of Him?
Do we long for Jesus alone to come and keep us company, to free us from the chains of every passion, and to bind us with the stronger chains of His Heart?
Do we place our pains as a court around suffering Jesus in order to remove from Himthe spit and mud which sinners send Him?
Is our prayer constant with Jesus?
6AM—Jesus before Caiphas again, who confirms His condemnation to death and sends Him to Pilate
When we go out, do we let ourselves be directed by Jesus?
Is our composure an example for others, and our steps like magnets which call souls around Jesus?
Is our life always the same or do we change it for the worse, depending on the encounters that we have?
7AM—Jesus before Pilate, Pilate sends Him to Herod.
Do we feel the same with everyone?
Do we try to conquer our natural evil if we don’t like someone?
In dealing with creatures, do we always try to make Jesus known, and to make the light of truth shine in them?
And we—when we are slandered, mocked, insulted, or derided, do we think that the Lord wants to give us a divine likeness?
In the pains, in the scorns, and in all that our poor heart may feel, do we think that it is Jesus Who gives us sorrow with His touch, Who transforms us into Himself with His touch, and gives us His likeness?
And as suffering returns to us, do we think that Jesus, looking at us, is not satisfied with us, and therefore gives us another squeeze in order to render us completely like Him?
Following the example of Jesus, can we say that we have dominion over ourselves; and that in adversities, we prefer to remain silent instead of answering?
Do we ever let ourselves be won by curiosity?
8AM—Jesus is brought back to Pilate and put after Barabbas. Jesus is scourged.
And we—are we stripped of everything?
Do we let ourselves be bound by love?
Don’t we see that in that gave [of Jesus] there is also a reproach for us, since we too contributed to binding Him?
And we—are we pure in the mind, in the gaze, in the words, in the affections, so as not to add more blows on that innocent Body?
Are we always bound to Jesus, so as to be ready to defend Him, when creatures strike Him with their offenses?
9AM—Jesus is crowned with thorns. Presented to the people: “Ecce Homo!” Jesus is condemned to death.
And we—do we avoid sentiments of pride?
Do we attribute to God the good that we do?
Do we consider ourselves as being inferior to others?
Is our mind always empty to any other thought in order to give rise to grace?
When Jesus makes Himself felt in our mind and in our heart, do we reciprocate His inspirations, or do we place them into oblivion?
And we—do we respect all the holy things?
Do we use all the reverence which befits them, as if we were touching Jesus Christ Himself?
Are we ready to accept any pain to prevent Jesus from being offended and from suffering?
How do we sympathize with the pains which Jesus suffers in seeing many souls snatched from His Heart?
Do we make His pains our own so as to relieve Him from all that He suffers?
Do we strive to let Jesus live on earth?
Are we ready to give our own life so that beloved Jesus may be relived of all the offenses, or do we rather imitate the Jews, people so much favored—almost as our own souls, which are loved so much by Jesus—and shout like them, “Crucifigatur” (let Him be crucified)?
10AM—Jesus takes up the cross and walks toward Calvary, where He is stripped.
And we—do we love suffering like Jesus?
Can we say that our heartbeats echo His divine heartbeats, and that we to ask for our cross?!
When we suffer, do we have the intention of becoming companions of Jesus in order to relieve Him from the weight of His Cross?
How do we accompany Him?
As He receives insults, are we always ready to give Him our little sufferings as relief for His pains?
In working, in praying, and when we feel the hardship of our suffering under the weight of interior pains, do we let our pain fly to Jesus, which, like a veil, may dry up His sweat and cheer Him, as we make His hardship our own?
11AM—Jesus is crucified
And we—do we rest in Him in all our pains?
Can we say that we prepare a bed for Jesus in our heart with our patience and with our love?
Do we remain completely crucified to Him, at least with our main senses?
Do we always keep our mind, our heart, and all our being as nailed with the nails of His Most Holy Will?
Do we look with love at those who offend us, for love of Him?
12PM–First Hour of Agony on the Cross–The first word of Jesus
And we—do we try to live detached from the world, from creatures, and from all that tastes of earth?
Does our love for Jesus reach the extent of finding rest in suffering?
Do we make the prayer Jesus our own in order to continuously excuse sinners before the Father, and to plead for mercy for them, even for those who may have offended us?
1PM—Second Hour of Agony on the Cross—second, third and fourth word of Jesus
And we—do we pray always for the souls of the so many dying who need a prayer, so that hell may be closed to them, and the gates of Heaven opened?
And we—do we give everything to Jesus?
In all that we do—prayers, actions and other thing—do we always have the intention of absorbing new love in ourselves, so as to give everything back to Him?
When the lord gives us fervor, light and love, do we use them for the good of others?
Do we try to enclose souls in this light and in this fervor, so as to move the Heart of Jesus to convert them; or do we selfishly keep His graces for ourselves alone?
What use do we make of the great gift of His Mama, Whom He gave to us?
Do we make the love of Jesus, the tendernesses of Jesus and all that Jesus did our own, so as to make His Mama content?
Can we say that our divine Mother finds in us the contentment that she found in Jesus?
Are we always close to her, as faithful children; do we obey her and imitate her virtues?
Do we try anything in order not to escape from her maternal gaze, so that She may keep us always clinging to Jesus?`
In everything we do, do we always call the gazes of the celestial Mother to guide us, so as to be able to act in a saintly way, as true children of hers, under her compassionate gaze?
And we—can we say that our love for souls is similar to that of Jesus?
Are our prayers, our pains and all our most tiny acts united to the acts and to the prayers of Jesus in order to snatch souls from hell?
How do we sympathize with Jesus in His immense sorrow?
2PM—Third hour of Agony on the Cross—fifth, sixth and seventh word of Jesus–the death of Jesus
Do we burn with thirst for Jesus?
Do our thoughts and affections have always the purpose of quenching His ardent thirst?
And we—do we strive, in each thing, to be a continuous consummation of love for Jesus?
Do all of our acts, words and thoughts move us to be consumed for love of Jesus?
Do we fulfill the Will of God in everything?
Do we abandon ourselves perfectly in His Volition without looking at whether it is advantageous for us or not, just being content to find ourselves abandoned in His most holy arms?
Is the dying to ourselves a continuous love for Jesus?
Can we say that, although we live, we do not live; that we are dead to everything in order to live not from our own life, but only from the life of Jesus?
Does all that we do, think, desire and love recall the living of Jesus within us, so as to make our word, our step, our desire and our thought die completely in Jesus?
3PM—Jesus, dead, is transfixed by the blow of a lance–The deposition from the Cross
And we—do we let ourselves be wounded in everything by the love of Jesus; or do we rather let ourselves be wounded by the love of creatures, by pleasures, and by attachment to ourselves?
And we—do we deposit all our fears, our doubts and our anxieties in the arms of our Mama?
Do we let Jesus rest by casting away our fear and our agitations?
4PM—The Burial of Jesus—Most Holy desolate Mary
And we—do we hid from the gazes of creatures; are we indifferent if everyone forgets us?
In holy things, do we remain indifferent, with that holy indifference which leads us continuously to Him?
And do we form with our constancy a sweet chain, so as to attract Him toward us?
Is our gaze buried in the gaze of Jesus, so we look at nothing but that which Jesus wants?
Is our voice buried in the voice of Jesus, so that if we want to speak, we do not speak but with the tongue of Jesus?
Are our steps buried in His, so that as we walk, we may leave the mark of the steps of Jesus, not our own?
And is our heart buried in His, in order to love and desire as His Heart loves and desires?