Examen

The Examen is a simple and short review of the day where you look for how God has impacted your life.

It was gifted to St. Ignatius Loyola by God, who then spread this practice to others.¹

It is a staple practice of the Jesuit order and is practiced by many Catholics.¹

Be grateful to God for everything you have received today

Look for all the most treasured and touching moments of the day, whatever they may be, and thank God for them. As your spiritual life deepens, you’ll start to notice that everything is a gift from God. On days you don’t feel grateful, it is all the more important to thank God.

Ask for the grace to find and uproot your sins

Ask God to let you see your life the way God sees it so that you can see past your own illusions by the light of the Holy Spirit. You might think you are greater or lesser than you actually are in certain things and this can taint your ability to evaluate yourself truthfully.

Examine your day from the beginning to the present, looking at your thoughts, words and actions. Did they come from love or from sin?

This is the heart of the Examen. With God, examine your day, hour by hour, from the moment you woke up until the present moment. What were your thoughts? What were your words? What were your actions? Where did they come from? Did they come from love or from self-centredness?

Thank God for His grace and ask for pardon for your faults

As you review the day, you may notice beautiful moments when God’s grace touched your day. Thank and praise God for these moments.

You may also notice moments when sin was driving your actions. Take note of how far you may have moved from God, repent, turn back to Him and ask for his forgiveness (Act of Contrition). It is not useful to feel shame, because shame only focuses on you. Rather, be repentant and contrite, which will turn your attention to God.

There may be moments when you do not “feel” contrition. That is okay. Talk to God about this and ask God for His forgiveness.

Resolve to amend your ways with God’s grace and say the Lord’s Prayer

Now that you know your faults, ask God for the grace to resolve these faults and become holier that you may better serve Him and grow closer to Him tomorrow.