Daily Examen

A way to reflect on

and pray from the

events and experiences

of your day

Developed by St Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, the Daily Examen is a way to reflect on and pray from the events and experiences of your day.

1

Become aware of God’s presence. Look back on the events of the past 24 hours. Ask God to bring clarity and understanding. Pause for silent reflection.

2

Review the day with gratitude. Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. Look with thanks at your interactions, thoughts, experiences. Pay attention to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw, and other seemingly small pleasures. God is in the details. Pause for silent reflection.

3

Pay attention to your emotions. Our feelings are a gift of God. Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Boredom? Elation? Resentment? Compassion? Anger? Confidence? What is God saying through these feelings? Pause for silent reflection.

4

Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to focus your prayer on one aspect of your day. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow your prayer to arise from it —whether a prayer of intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude. Pause for silent reflection.

5

Look toward tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up. Are you doubtful? Cheerful? Apprehensive? Hopeful? Pause for silent reflection. Then, allow these feelings to turn into prayer. Seek God’s promise for you in the day to come.

Adapted from a resource found at www.IgnatianSpirituality.com