The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are a set of prayers, meditations and mental exercises organized to be indulged in over a 30 day retreat. The Exercises are divided into 4 “weeks”, each covering a particular subject matter: sin, the life of Jesus, the Passion of Jesus and the Resurrection of Jesus. Ignatius directed individuals through the Exercises for many years even before he was ordained as a priest, making them available to the general public rather than solely those in the priesthood. The purpose of the retreat is to develop and invigorate an individuals experience of faith and union with Christ. Given that many are unable to retreat from life for 30 days, the Exercises were modified slightly by Ignatius to allow for a longer, more drawn out experience over a nine month period. This longer term version of the Exercises is known as the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life, or SEEL. SEEL retreats, and 30 day retreats, are still being facilitated by Jesuits worldwide.2 Visit your local Jesuit parish or retreat center for more information, or visit the Jesuit website here. The Spiritual Exercises in Puget Sound, Washington, has a good website that includes information about SEEL in the Northwest United States.
A foundation of Ignatian spirituality, and of the Exercises, is a prayer form known as the Examen, or the Examen of Consciousness. The Examen is a daily spiritual self-review, encouraging self-knowledge and mindfulness. The importance of the Examen as an ongoing practice becomes clear in light of the Exercises, which for a limited time encourage discernment and self-spiritual awareness. The Examen is the ongoing daily discipline of maintaining discernment of the thoughts, emotions or spiritual forces interacting with us and affecting our life in Christ.3 I love this prayer, and for those in recovery from addiction of any kind, the Examen is a powerful tool for maintaining the daily spiritual program of recovery.
The general structure of the Examen is as follows:
1. Recognize that you are in the presence of God.
2. Recall your day with gratitude for the gifts recieved
3. Ask God to send you His Holy Spirit to help you look at your actions and attitudes and motives with honesty and patience.
4. Now review your day
5. Have a heart-to-heart talk with Jesus.
I’ve come across other versions of this prayer I find especially useful. Here are a few of my favorites:
A simple awareness examen based on Psalm 23:6
“Ah, how goodness and kindness pursue me every day of my life! My home, the house of Yahweh as long as I live!”
Begin: relax, and ask the holy spirit to deepen your awareness of Gods presence. Quiet down.
“How goodness and kindness pursue me every day of my life” - How did I experience the goodness and kindness of the Lord today? Be specific, “thank you Jesus, for …”
“My home” - that is, my being: How did I experience myself today? Anxious, joyful? Jealous? Angry? Pray about it: “Lord thank you for the gratefulness in me today. Heal my jealousy. Don’t analyze it – name it – claim it – and give it to God.
“…the house of Yahweh as long as I live“ – Let this be a prayer of companionship: “Jesus, walk with me. Help me to live always in your presence.”
And another:
An examen written by Jesuit John Veltri
Ask for the light of the Holy Spirit to see through God’s eyes:
- what gifts I have received during the day that I can be thankful for.
- where God has been working during the day in my life; where I am cooperating with God today; where I am cooperating with the sinful element within me and not doing what I want to do in the Lord.
- the forgiveness God offers for the times when I have not been attentive and responsive to God’s presence and love in my life.
- how God’s help will guide me through tomorrow, and that God’s Spirit will be with me.
And finally, my own take:
I start at the beginning of the day, remembering every gift and grace of the day…where did God love me today? In sun breaking through the clouds as I left for work…in the kind words from my boss, in the breakthrough with a client…etc. I thank Him for each grace…I love Him for loving me.
How did I experience myself today? How was I…at peace, stuck, happy or sad? Content? I thank Him for my contentment, my peace. Anxious, shameful? I try to identify the source…was there sin? I confess my sin, share my true sorrow with Him. I leave it at His feet.
I enjoy His presence…I let my heart ache with love for my Father…I accept peace…Lord, let me live every moment in your presence.
1 Source: www.norprov.org
2 Source: www.seelpugetsound.org
3 Source: www.norprov.org
Recent Comments