It is time! Today we are called to self-examination. We are invited to look within and notice our habits, our mannerisms, our motivations, and the ways which we have or have not lived Christ-love in relationship with others. The invitation to the Lenten spiritual disciplines of repentance and self-examination is not solely an individual pursuit. It is time that nations and our global community assess how we notice the presence of Christ within the other. The wonder is how do we as individuals influence the communal season of self-examination and repentance?
St. Ignatius of Loyola provides wisdom. Ignatius was a contemporary and counter reformer to Martin Luther. He called the Catholic Church to reformation. His story is one of an ordinary zealous for life person. He was a high-ranking military officer in the Spanish war. When injured by cannonball fire, which shattered his leg, he endured a yearlong convalescence. His first choice to occupy his time as he remained in bed was to be brought romance novels. However, there was only stories of the lives of the saints and the Bible where he convalesced.
Over the course of time as he read ravenously of the saints, Ignatius became zealous for God. He wanted others to know the amazing and transforming presence of God among humanity. After recovering, he dedicated his life to teaching others how to deepen relationship with God. He founded the order of the Jesuits and wrote The Spiritual Exercises. A mainstay of The Spiritual Exercises is the prayer practice of Daily Examen.
The Scripture
The retelling of Jesus 40 days in the desert wilderness provides fodder for the practice of Daily Examen. Luke 4: 1-13 tells us that Jesus was tempted for the entire 40 days. And at the end of that time, when he was weak and hungry the Devil came and spoke with him. The goal of these temptations was to lure Jesus to act independently of God.
First is the question of God’s provision and care. How deeply do we trust that? Next is the temptation to abandon loyalty to God and worship Satan. This would have had Jesus taking the uncomplicated way out excusing himself of that lay ahead in his ministry. He could have left behind rejection and suffering for quick access to power. For Jesus true service was to be allied to God. And finally, Jesus is tempted to test God’s providential care.
Today’s Prayer Practice
Today’s prayer practice is a call to community prayer. It is not just about individual Daily Examen. It is a call to invite others into community with you for the practice of communal Examen. Prayerfully consider what community to invite into weekly Examen for the next six weeks during Lent. Once you discern the community that you will pray with and make plans for gathering, then upon your first meeting begin the practice of weekly Examen.
There are five steps to Ignatius Daily Examen. I have modified them from Examen website. Invite each personal to share personally and then reflect about the attributes of your community.
- Thanksgiving (Personally and for your community)
- As community, what are we grateful for today?
- How much do we take for granted?
- Seeking to be open before God to notice what God would like to reveal to you. (Personally, and for your community)
- Is our gratitude in proportion to what God gives to us?
- Pray that our eyes and spirit are open to God’s revealing wisdom.
- Examination of consciousness – Consolation. Notice where and how your community has been very conscious of God’s presence and activity. In this step we become like an archaeologist seeking the gems of God. (Personally, and within your community)
- How have we experienced God’s care, nourishment, and love?
- Have we been a sign of God’s presence and love to the people we met today?
- How were we aware of God’s work in our own locality, country, in other nations of the world, in the Church at large?
- Examen of Desolation – Sorrow – when we were not consciously aware of God’s presence. (Personally, and within your community)
- When have we sought to act independently from God?
- Is there some part of our life still untouched by Jesus Christ and where He is calling us to a change of heart?
- When have we been tempted to test God?
- Hope for the Future (Personally and within your community)
- What will you do differently during this next week to notice even more of God’s activity among my life, the world, and our community?
Enjoy praying.
