The examen of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, is a practice of spiritual self-care. Ignatius recommended that the brothers examine their lives twice each day – at lunch and night before bed. For me, doing it once a day is hard enough! I do it before falling asleep at night. If something that happened during the day is bugging me, I can let it go and focus on finding gratitude for what went well.
I use the examen questions as interpreted by the authors of Sleeping with Bread, a book by Dennis, Sheila and Matthew Linn:
For what moment today am I most grateful? For what moment today am I least grateful?
When did I give and receive the most love today? When did I give and receive the least love today?
When did I feel the most alive today? When did I feel the life draining out of me?
Practicing the examen cures one of the spiritual illnesses of resentment and envy. The practice reminds me of how much I have to be thankful for – even on a very bad day!
This message is excerpted from “How do you renew your spirit during Lent?” by Kate Elliott from the March 5, 2020, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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