od confession, and when, through the absolution, our sins are really
forgiven.

Q. 751. {193} How can we make a good examination of conscience?
A. We can make a good examination of conscience by calling to memory the
commandments of God, the precepts of the Church, the seven capital sins,
and the particular duties of our state in life, to find out the sins we
have committed.

Q. 752. {194} What should we do before beginning the examination of
conscience?
A. Before beginning the examination of conscience we should pray to God
to give us light to know our sins and grace to detest them.

LESSON EIGHTEENTH.
ON CONTRITION.

Q. 753. {195} What is contrition, or sorrow for sin?
A. Contrition, or sorrow for sin, is a hatred of sin and a true grief of
the soul for having offended God, with a firm purpose of sinning no
more.

Q. 754. Give an example of how we should hate and avoid sin.
A. We should hate and avoid sin as one hates and avoids a poison that
almost caused his death. We may not grieve over the death of our soul as
we do over the death of a friend, and yet our sorrow may be true;
because the sorrow for sin comes more from our reason than from our
feelings.

Q. 755. {196} What kind of sorrow should we have for our sins?
A. The sorrow we should have for our sins should be interior,
supernatural, universal, and sovereign.

Q. 756. {197} What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be
interior?
A. When I say that our sorrow should be interior, I mean that it should
come from the heart, and not merely from the lips.

Q. 757. {198} What do you mean by saying that our sorrow should be
supernatural?
A. When I say that our sorrow should be supernatural, I mean that it
should be prompted by the grace of God, and excited by motives which
spring from faith, and not by merely natural motives.

Q. 758. What do we mean by "motives that spring from faith" and by
"merely natural motives" with regard to sorrow for sin?
A. By sorrow for sin from "motives that spring from faith," we mean
sorrow for reasons that God has made known to us, such as the loss of
heaven, the fear of hell or purgatory, or the dread of afflictions that
come from God in punishment for sin. By "merely natural motives" we mean
sorrow for reasons made known to us by our own experience or by the
experience of others, such as loss of character, goods or health. A
motive is whatever moves our will to do or avoid anything.

Q. 759. {199} What d