New Year’s Blessings, FBC Family!
Today finds me thinking of the ancient character from Roman mythology, Janus, the god of gates and doorways. Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking behind him. The face turned toward the future was youthful and eager; the one facing the past was haggard, wrinkled and weary. It’s no surprise that Janus is the god for whom the month of January was named. He probably represents the place where many of us feel we're standing today, in this doorway between the old and the new.
The Examen: A Prayer Practice for 2020
On the brink of a new decade, I invite you to try with me a daily prayer practice that was initiated nearly 500 years ago by Ignatius of Loyola, the Spanish soldier-turned-mystic who co-founded the Catholic religious order called the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. St. Ignatius encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness through what has come to be called The Daily Examen. The Examen is a practice of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and to discern Love’s direction for us. One Jesuit priest likened the Examen to rummaginghttps://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/rummaging-for-god-praying-backward-through-your-day/ through a drawer full of stuff, feeling around, looking for something you’re sure must be there. In the Examen we look back on the previous day, rummaging through the “stuff” to observe God’s presence there.
Here's a simple 5-step version of St. Ignatius’ Daily Examen:
1. Become aware of God’s presence. Give thanks for God’s great love for you. Pray for the grace to understand how God is acting in your life.
2. Review the day with gratitude. This step is the heart of the Daily Examen. In the company of the Holy Spirit, look back on the events of the day. The moments may seem like a blur. Ask God to bring clarity and understanding as you ask:
• What were the events of the past 24 hours?
• Where did I find God in those events?
• Where did I get in the way of finding God in those events?
• Who wore Christ’s face to me? Did I see it and respond, or was I preoccupied by other things?
Pay attention to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw, the faces you encountered, the frustrations you felt, etc. God is in the details.
3. Pay attention to your emotions. Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Boredom? Elation? Resentment? Compassion? Anger? Confidence? What is God saying through these feelings?
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask Holy Spirit to direct you. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or pain. Or it may be something seemingly insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—whether intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude.
5. Look toward tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. “What will it look like for me to wear Christ’s face and to be Christ’s hands and feet tomorrow? What gift(s) from God do I need (patience, hope, strength, etc.)?” Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up.
Bonus: Examen for New Year’s Day
Just for fun, take your 2019 calendar and try praying an annual version of the Examen, noting one highlight from each of the last twelve months. Where did you see God in 2019? What will it look like for you to wear Christ’s face and to be Christ’s hands and feet in 2020? What gift(s) from God do you need?
May you see and know God’s loving presence daily in the year ahead.
Peace and grace,
P.S. Here are a few resources for diving deeper into The Daily Examen:
“Into the Examen”: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/into-the-examen-video/ This video from St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco features a student trying out the Examen for himself.
A number of links are listed on the Ignatian Spirituality website: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/