-
June 4, 2021As I consider my final years as a pastor, I am ever more convinced that my most important task is to teach people to pray. I invite everyone to join us for the School for Disciples gathering this Wednesday at 5:30 in the churchyard. We’ll be discussing the following notes from chapter #9 of Fr. James Martin’s book, Learning to Pray. The Examen is an awesome prayer exercise.The Daily ExamenThe examen, or examination of conscience, is a quick prayer to help you see where God was active in your day that was popularized by St. Ignatius Loyola in his classic text The Spiritual Exercises. Its purpose is to help us see where God is “affecting and moving us.” It is a review of the day in the presence of God. It is an attitude more than a method.
Here are the five steps as Fr. Martin outlines them.- Presence: Remember that you’re in the presence of God in a special way when you pray. Ask God for help in prayer. Asking God to be with you helps to remind you that you are with Someone else. St. Ignatius says it helps to imagine God looking at you.
- Gratitude: Shift the focus from problem solving and what didn’t go well by recalling two or three things that happened today for which you are especially grateful. Savor them and thank God for these gifts. It’s a bulwark against entitlement. “The more deeply we live in faith, the more we become aware of how poor we are and how gifted; life itself becomes humble, joyful thanksgiving” (G. Aschenenbrenner)
- Review: Review your day from start to finish, noticing where you experienced God’s presence. How has God spoken to you through the events of the day? Notice everything from large to small: from an enjoyable interaction with a friend to the feel of the sun on your face. When did you love? When were you loved? Try to remember the day with as much specificity as you can. Try to get the whole picture. Review the example on pp. 145 – 148. Digressions and even recognition of one’s shortcoming can be seen as an invitation from God to a new life.
- Sorrow: You may have sinned today or done something you regret. “Where did I fail to bother to love today?” “Looking at our faults allows us to take responsibility for them. We possess them; they no longer possess us [allowing us] to become the people God created us to be. (J. Manney) Express your sorrow to God and ask for forgiveness. If it’s a grave sin, pray about seeking forgiveness from the person offended, or seek out the sacrament of reconciliation. The particular examen is explained on p. 151.
- Grace: At the close of the prayer look forward and ask for God’s grace for the following day, especially any challenges you may be facing. This is a reminder that we are always in need of God’s grace, which Fr. Karl Rahner called God’s “self-communication.”
Mr. Rami Qumsieh is a friend, a Catholic Palestinian from Bethlehem, and a fellow Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher. He will be here next weekend to speak on behalf of the Christians in the Holy Land. We share a passion for keeping a living Christian presence in the land where Jesus walked. After Mass he will have religious images for sale that have been hand-carved by Christian Palestinians in the Holy Land.Taking the Gospel Home: He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." (Mark 14:22) How will the Body of Christ that you receive today make a difference in what you say and do this week?
