The Examen

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Luke 6:36

One of the prayers that I find very helpful is the Examen, given to us by St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. One could actually incorporate this prayer into the silence at the end of the day, if that was helpful.  The Examen is simply, prayerfully going through the events of the completed day and seeing where God was vividly present.  God was certainly present in the entire day--every single minute! But, sometimes combing through the events of the day helps us to see God where we may not expect to see God. We could note certain promptings or inclinations that may have occurred through the day. How did we respond?  Can we see where God is present as we look back where maybe we didn't see God while the events were happening?  Are there times we can say, "Wow, I wish I'd done THAT differently!"  Or, "I sure could have gone without saying THAT!" (If that pops up for you, welcome to my head).  The Examen is a time to connect at the end of the day to see the God tracks throughout the day.  It helps us to see how God is very active and present throughout our daily work-a-day lives.  It also helps us to see the times we may want to do a bit better next time.  Love, heidi