I'm clearly no Socrates, who said it best: "An unexamined life is not worth living.
I'm going to reprint something from Loyola Press which I hope will have a positive effect on you. It's an exercise called the Daily Examen, and it was started by Iganatius of Loyola.
Prayerfully Reviewing Your DayThe Daily Examen
Part of the rich tradition of the Catholic Church is recognizing the need to reflect on the day's activities—to remember God's invitation and our response or lack of response. Saint Ignatius of Loyola developed a simple method by which you can review each day in a way that will help you grow in self-understanding and free you to follow God's will. This practice is often called the Daily Examen. Many people choose to practice this prayerful review of their day before going to bed at night by following the five steps below.
Stillness: Recalling God's PresenceRelax in God's presence in your favorite prayer place and posture. Be aware of how God shows his love for you in all his gifts to you. Be thankful as you think of God the Father's love, the love of his Son Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and to help you to look honestly at your actions this day and how you have responded in different situations. With the Spirit's inspiration you can recognize what draws you close to God as well as what pulls you away from God.
Gratitude: Expressing ThankfulnessReview your day and give thanks to God for his gifts. Try not to choose what to be thankful for but rather to see what springs to mind as you reflect. Think of the concrete details of your day—the aroma of coffee brewing, a smile from a co-worker, or a beautiful rainbow. Recall the gifts that God has given you that you can share with others—your ability to help in a crisis, your sense of humor, or your patience with children. Pause and express your gratitude to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Reflection: Looking Back on Your DayAgain review the events of the day and notice how you acted in the many situations in which you found yourself. Recall your feelings and motives to see whether you considered all of the possibilities and freely followed God's will. Ask yourself when you were conscious of God's presence. Think about opportunities you had to grow in faith, hope, and charity. When we think about why we did or did not take advantage of these opportunities, we can become aware of how we might change our actions in the future. Be grateful for the occasions when you freely chose a course to help others. Perhaps you let a shopper with a small order go ahead of you in line or did not join in a conversation critical of a co-worker. These are examples of responding freely as God wants us to. When we reflect on the times we did or didn't act with God's grace, we can be more sensitive to developing habits of positive responses.
Sorrow: Asking for ForgivenessAfter you have asked for the Holy Spirit's guidance in recalling and reflecting on the actions of your day, spend time talking with God or Jesus. Express sorrow for the times you failed to follow his direction and ask him to be with you the next time you encounter a similar situation. Give thanks to God for the grace that enabled you to follow his will freely. Feel the sorrow and gratitude in your heart as you converse with God.
Hopefulness: Resolving to GrowAsk God to help you as you look forward to a new day tomorrow. Resolve to cooperate and trust in the loving guidance of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Conclude the day's prayerful review with the Lord's Prayer.
By prayerfully reviewing your day, you will experience the difference it can make in the way you live. If you make a habit of practicing the Daily Examen, you will grow closer to God in your thoughts and deeds and will be free to choose to follow him.
This is a great pattern for daily time with God. Of course, reading your Bible, or a verse or two each day is important, but the Daily Examen is trying to apply what you've learned in Scripture against the hard reality of life. This is an excellent elixir to anxiety, too, because as you stop and are still before the Lord, you begin to see how his work in your life compliments what you already know is true: God loves you and wants to be your Father.
Think how different this is than our normal prayers - Lord, help me pass my test, or help heal Auntie Em. We're not asking anything from God except forgiveness. You can think of this as Havin' a Cuppa with God.
So let's begin:
Be still. I felt God's presence this week in planning, implementing and creating a labyrinth at Central Ave. Elementary. I love that God's presence is permanently embedded on the pavement there. I took some time this morning to pray the labyrinth there.
Gratitude: I thank God for the story he gave me to tell to the youth group Wed. I felt like they totally bought in to the premise of the story and I can't wait to share with the congregation on Maundy Thursday. I love being creative, and combining my knack for stories with the truth of Scripture.
Reflection: I met with my awesome Splash Group leaders first thing this morning, followed by a spirited class discussion on the perils of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism with my confirmation class. After a take-out lunch at Famous Daves, I got some new cleats for softball (3 pm) and Ultimate Frisbee (5 pm), which I went to after my Sunday nap. Got home and put away the overdue laundry while watching the end of the Yankees/Red Sox game. Looking forward to TV Time/Popcorn in a few minutes. Overall, one of the better days of the year so far! Thank you God!
Sorrow: While I was very active, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with my wife, so that was not ideal. As my schedule gets busier, I'll need to spend more time with my partner.
Hopefulness: (I love that it ends with Law and Gospel!) My hope for this week is that I can knuckle down and work on my confession paper for Christian History. I'm excited to start, but haven't gotten over that initial hump yet - so what better week than Holy Week?
My other hope is that you will all spend some time tonight - tomorrow night - the next night - examining the amazing life God has lent you.
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