Praying the Examen
“Examen” means a time of reflecting on your life. This life-giving prayer practice takes 10-20minutes. There are five simple steps to the Examen:
Preparation
· Light a candle to honour the Spirit’s presence with you
· Sit in silence for a few minutes and breathe mindfully
Relish the moments that went well and all of the gifts you have today
· Be reminded of God’s presence, unfailing love and direction for your daily life
Request that the Spirit lead you through your review of the day
Review your day
· Allow some time to reflect on two questions
· In what moment did I feel the most gratitude today?*
· In what moment did I feel the least gratitude today?
· Ask yourself what was said and done in that moments that made it memorable. Breathe in the gratitude you felt and receive life again from that moment.
Write down your responses or if you’re doing this with others, share your responses with each other
Repent of any mistakes or failures
Resolve, in concrete ways, to live tomorrow well
· End by thanking God for the time together, for whatever you’ve experienced
*Other questions to substitute are:
o In what moment did I feel most loving?
o In what moment did I feel least loving?
o What was the high point of my day?
o What was the low point of my day?
o When did I feel most alive and energized?
o When did I feel least alive and lethargic?
o When today did I have the greatest sense of belonging to myself, others, God and the universe?
o When did I have the least sense of belonging?
o When did I feel closest to God?
o When did I feel far away from God?
*For further information on The Examen see “Sleeping with Bread – holding what gives you life” by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn.
*Reimaging the Ignatian Examen is a fresh and customized prayer app, a practice that helps you review your day in the presence of God. The app invites you to pray from where you are wherever you are. Choose from more than thirty guided reflections about relationships, pending decisions, and gratitude or select the day’s allotted reflection.