Meet at the Wesley Cottage at 4 p.m.
Below is the prayer exercise we are using this week.
Work with it, see if you find it helpful and post your comments.
The Daily Examen of St. Ignatius Loyola–
Abridged and adapted by Kyle A. Tade
Prayer to begin the Examen:
Holy Spirit, help me to remember those
little moments you were with me, those seemingly insignificant glimpses I catch
of you in the surprising and unexpected places of my life, this and each day.
Allow me to be open to your presence now in this moment as I reflect upon the
day. Though I know my prayer is never truly complete, I ask that you guide me
through and strengthen me for the hope and the possibility of what tomorrow may
bring. Amen.
v Be Still & Remember
o Take some time to relax, take some deep
breaths begin to tune out the distractions and open yourself to the Spirit in
the silence.
o You are always in the presence of God,
but in this time of prayer we focus our energies, our bodies, our minds, and
our hearts on our creator.
v Give Thanks & Notice
o To God for the gifts of the day.
o The gifts you have received and what
you gave.
v Look & Call Upon
o At the ways you have responded to God’s gifts this day, both
those you have received and what God has enabled you to give this day.
o The Holy Spirit, to help you look at
your actions and responses, both positive and negative, being aware of and
understanding of your limitations.
v Review, Reflect & Ask
o Notice the details: from your dreams,
to waking up, and the context of all that happened throughout the day; reflect
upon how you acted. Ask yourself: what motivated me today? How did I feel
today: overall, at particular moments?
o Did I fail today? Where did I not feel
at my best? How conscious was I today of God’s presence and actions in my life?
For that matter, were there any barriers preventing me from feeling God’s
presence?
o Did I love today? If so, when and how?
If not, why and what stopped me?
o Are there any habits or vices that are
harming or preventing my ability to be open to God’s presence? Are there any
people?
o Are there times when God helped me to
respond positively to life? Are there times where, I could have been more
willing to accept help from God in my response?
v Open & See
o Allow yourself to look honestly at the
day and to be open and to see some of the unexpected and surprising ways God
has of appearing in your life; be it through people, through various sights on drives or walks, through conversation, through
the first deep breath upon waking, that first stretch in the morning, to the
meals shared with others or with the silence. Where have you seen God today?
Just knowing that I would be going through the Daily Examen helped me yesterday. I was chatting with my cousin yesterday and all the sudden realized that I have been chatting with her my whole life. We share our lives together despite the often huge gaps in time. In that moment I sensed a sacredness in this gift of family connection and was grateful. As the gratitude hit my heart, I realized that this was what the Examen was supposed help me cultivate in my life. Thanks!
ReplyDeletePeace,
rob