Inviting God into Your Life: A Practical Guide for Prayer

by William M. Watson, SJ 2003

2.
The Examen:
A Day's-End Prayer
The Constitutions of the J esuit Order written by St. Ignatius
require that a J esuit spend fifteen minutes twice a day in a
form of prayer called the Examination of Conscience. The
prayer was so important to Ignatius that he once said that
even if aJ esuit missed all other spiritual: disciplines in his day,
he should not miss the Examen. One J esuit spiritual writer
calls this traditional Ignatian prayer th~examination of con-
sciousness.
The word consciousness conveys to contemporary
Christians this prayer's deeper meaning1 What Ignatius wants
aJ esuit to cultivate twice daily isconsciousness of the presence
of God in his lifeas well as how hehas J '~~P~~(i~'d'~~G~d';~~
'---" .---' '" '. ',' .1.... .. ....... . ..",...... --. ,....",,"
day. This is why it isso important to do-regularly, especially if
one misses aU,other spiritual disciplines. Forgetting about
God is one of the most common spiritual ailments in the
Christian life.
If you take thC!.!jmeto open your heart and mind to God
even once a d';;- with'the 'i~~~ntion. of examining how G'~d's
g~-;--h:~;b~~n"'p~~~~nt and how you' have' (or' have no~)
r~~p~~dedto that grace, 'your spiritual life and responseto
G~d"~ill grow significantly. And if you missed all yourother
'"--......-..... ,~,.''. -. -. ,
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THE EXAMEN: A DAY'S-END PRAYER
spiritual disciplines that day, you will probably discover the
reason why. '
~~en'you take time to ask God to help you to listen to
the deepest part of Y~~r.:h~~rt,you can examine and become
consci?us of what causes true joy and peace. You will also dis-
cover those things that are robbing you of freedom and hope.
Surprisingly, most peopleI have encountered in my years as a
priest and spiritual director lack this basic knowledge of the
heart. Many also lack an awareness of God's presence in their
lives. '
The goal of the Ch'ristian life is to grow in union with
God. Becoming conscious of what moves you toward or away
from God is absolutely critical if you are to grow spiritually.
Praying this way, Ignarius could' discern the voice of God
within his own heart and experience constant, daily growth in
familiarity with God's will and God's presence in his life. You
will too.
The Examen helps us cultivate an awareness of both the
grace and the sin in our lives. Now you may feel positive about
the blessing side of the equati:ea,lmt: most of us are fearfu~of
our sinfulness and of seeking forgiveness and healing when we
fall short of love. But listen very carefully: Contrary to mak-
ing you feel discouraged, the awareness of your failings in
~ght of God's lovefor youwiilsignifican tly increase your peace,
hope, and trust. Yo.,-!:_~.~lliearn~ha~your very identity, secu-
., - ,,_.~ ~ H~
rity, and peace are based not on your ability to be perfect, but
on God's perfect ~ercy~~d love for you in your weakness,
A growth in the knowledge of your weak and sinful
nature won't make you grow slack in your spiritual quest nor
will it discourage you. Your growing awareness and gratitude
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INVITING GOD INTO YOUR LIFE
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of J esus who loved you "while you were still a sinner" will
work to increase your desire both to serve and to love.
Remember that God is the one who prays in you. As you
begin your Examen, call upon God's grace to to~ch your
memory and conscience. God will give you sensitivity to your
own spirit-its longings, its powers, and its source inithe Holy
Spirit. If you are faithful to the Examen prayer you will grad-
ually develop an awareness of God's many blessings in your
life and also how particular temptations and patterns of sin
cut you off from your true self. i
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The pattern detailed below will help you understand
the Examen prayer and its basic outline. Read the ritual over
enough times to learn the substance of each section. To help
you with the third movement, you might want jto refresh
your memory with the examination of conscience from part 1,
section 4of this book.
Become familiar with the parts of the Exa~en so that
when you do it at midday or at the end of the day; you won't
need to read from a sheet. (Even though I call it ~day's-end
prayer, it might fit your schedule better at ~id~ar Or do ~t
twice a day as recommended by St. Ignatius in: the [esuit
Constitutions). I
If you decide to do the Examen daily or twice daily,
determine ahead of time how long you want to spend on it
(five, ten, or fifteen minutes). Whenever you do it or for how-
ever long, approach this prayer as anatural conversation with
the Lord, not a mechanical, step-by-step process.ilf you find
yourself doing the steps out of order, don't worry. It is acon-
versation with God and we don't always have perfect order in
our conversations.
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THE EXAMEN: A DAY'~-END F-R-A-U-R- _
Finally, the word exarnen suggests an intellectual activity
that Iinitiate. You will notice in looking at the outline below
that the Examen prayer asks you t~remember various aspects
of your day-its blessings, etc. So ~on't spend time trying to
think too much as you move through the prayer. Trust instead
that God will work to touch your ~emory and s~rface in your
heart what is most important. Let pod do the work.
First Movedtent:
Be Mindful That You Are in God's Presence
No matter how you experience your life at this particu-
lar moment, recall that you are achild of God. God's creation
is vast but he knows and loves you personally by name. Ask
God to grace you with an open heart and attentive spirit.
Pause briefly as you ask Godfor thisgrace.
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Second Movement:
Give Thanks to God for the Gifts
of Life and of the Day
Spend amoment looking at 'gifts received. Be very con-
crete and don't forget the simple giftsoflife. Recall the gifts of
food, awarm shower, the beauty of'astorm or asunny day, the
smile of a stranger, an act of kindness done for you, a letter
received from afriend, the gift of the Eucharist at Mass or the
forgiveness offered in the sacrament of reconciliation. Pause
briefly and be thankful for what fir~t comes to mind.
Now spend amoment pondering the fundamental gifts
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that made it possible for you to move through the day. Recall
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INVtTING GOD INTO YOUR LIFoE
your particular strengths in times of difficulty, your ability to
hope in times of weakness, your sense of humor and your life
of faith, your intelligence and health, your family and ftiends.
God has given you these basic gifts to draw you into t~e full-
ness of life. Pause and thank God for the one fundamenfal gift
that first comes to mind.
Third Movement:
Review Your Day for Personal Failings or Loss of'Hope
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Ask the Holy Spirit for the grace of seeing your lifehon-
.estly and compassionately as God sees it. Invoke the Holy
Spirit for this grace, speaking out loud if that helps :you in
your prayer.
Now briefly review the day listening to your hearu What
were your hesitations and failings? Did you lose your femper
or speak badly about a friend or acquaintance? Can ypu feel
where you acted or failed to act as Christ would have acted in
, ;
a similar situation? Have you lost hope in a part of yopr life?
Remember that J esus sits beside you and supports yO\!while
you ponder your day in this way. Pause briefly and con,ider the
first thing =:the line;' of what has just been deseri ed that
comesxo mind. .
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.,
Fourth Movement: '
Ask for God's Healing, Mercy, and Forgivenbss
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Having reviewed your day with J esus by your side, be
aware that J esus looks upon you with compassion. Tell God
you need him. In your heart, see J esus on the cross and tell
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THE EXAMEN: A DAY'S-END PRAYER
,
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him the specific things you want him to forgive. Again, be con-
crete when you speak to Jesus. J esus wants to free you of the bur-
dens of the day. If you realize you need to go to confession for
something, resolve to go that week. YQugive Christ a gift by
allowing him to forgive you because the reason he lived, died,
and was raised by the Father was to bring you forgjyeness and
peace. You are taking advantage of what Christ J esus wants to
do for you, and this brings him joy. Realize that Christ is joy-
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ful when you trust him enough to forgive you. He knows that
you will behappier and more at peacel
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Fifth Movement:
Close witl1;the Lord's Prayer
End your Examen by praying th~Lord's Prayer. Believe
that the Father looks upon you with love as you pray for the
coming of the kingdom in your own life and in the world.
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Listen closely to the meaning of the wor4s as you pray.
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