The Examen

This year, during "40 Days of Faith," one of the spiritual practices we are exploring together is called The Examen.

The Examen is a reflective prayer practice created by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. It involves prayerfully reviewing the events of our days in order to become more aware of God’s presence in and direction for our lives.

St. Ignatius “expected that God would speak through our deepest feelings and yearnings, what he called ‘consolation’ and ‘desolation.’ Consolation is whatever helps us to connect with ourselves, others, God and the universe. Desolation is whatever disconnects us.” (from Sleeping with Bread by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, and Matthew Linn)

On the "40 Days of Faith" Prayer Bracelet, the green bead will help us to remember that God is with us in our "consolations" and our "desolations" and will remind us to practice The Examen.

Instructions on how to practice The Examen are included below (and in the "40 Days of Faith" Guide). 

The Examen is especially powerful as we begin to notice trends over time. And so, it will be important to track your insights somewhere like a journal or a calendar, like the ones from Praying in Color (by Sybil MacBeth) included in the Guide.