Our Lady of Hope Maine

The Daily Examen

Jun 22, 2022 | Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Spiritual Life

Illustration of St. Ignatius walking with buildings behind him

The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us.

The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.
The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises.

St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

For details about each step of the Examen, read How Can I Pray?
From IgnatianSpirituality.com

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