The Examen
The Examen is a prayer of reflection. There are no specific words, only guidelines for you as you review your day — your actions, thoughts, emotions, desires — with God.
The Five* Steps of the Examen
Here is a modern take of the Ignatian Examen based on The Spiritual Exercises:
Become aware of God’s presence.
Review the day with gratitude.
Pay attention to your emotions.
Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
Look toward tomorrow.
*In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius suggests five parts to this prayer. But there are many versions adapted for different circumstances and experiences. There is no set form or “correct” way to pray the Examen, only guidelines for you as you review your day with God.
Versions of the Examen
There are many helpful articles that explain what the Examen is (keep scrolling). But, the Examen is meant to be prayed, so here are some options to get you started.
Remember, you will likely pray differently tomorrow than you do today, so a particular version of the Examen may not be the best one for you right now. All of these are meant to help facilitate a conversation between you and God about your day. Find a version that helps deepen that conversation.
Article.
Consciousness Examen
by George Aschenbrenner, SJ (9 minute read)
IgnatianSpirituality.com
Go Deeper.
All the Things: A 30-Day Guide to Experiencing God’s Presence in the Prayer of the Examen
by Katie Haseltine
Video.
Daily Examen
This short video walks you through the steps of the Examen as found in the Spiritual Exercises.
by Jesuit Prayer and the Midwest Jesuit Province
(1 minute, 51 seconds)
Fun Fact:
St. Ignatius expected Jesuits to pray the Examen twice each day, once around midday and again before bed.