Making Good Use of the Jesuit Daily Examen

by Randy Hain | July 28, 2010 1:00 pm

[1]I have had numerous discussions recently about organization and making time for prayer and reflection.  People have been interested in how I keep the Jesuit Daily Examen on my calendar, so I am sharing it here along with suggested times.  The Examen is one of the most effective (and easiest) ways I know to have scheduled reflection and prayer throughout the day.  Save it as an ongoing and daily occurrence on your calendar and try following it faithfully (3-5 minutes for each one)…it will make a real difference in your life!

Daily Examen for Busy Business People

1.    Thanksgiving                   6:45 am

Begin by relaxing into God’s presence in an attitude of thankfulness.  Find one thing to be thankful for-even if you are having a tough time.  Allow gratitude to take hold of you.

2.    Pray for Insight               10:15 am

Pray to the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you need at this time.  Consciously open yourself to God’s light.

3.    Finding God in All Things           1:15 pm

This is the heart of the prayer where you examine very concretely the events of the day.

• What happened since this morning?
• Who have you come in contact with?
• What occupies your thoughts today?
• How are you being drawn to God in your life today?  Now?
• Where is God calling you specifically this day?
• Is it time to make a tough decision that will affect the lives of many people?
• Should I simply bask in gratefulness to God for my life, career in family?

This is not a time for searching for faults.  Rather it is a chance to take a step back and recognize that God is active in the entirety of the day.

4.    Petition                5:30 pm

Express to God your desires.  Again be specific and frame your prayer here in a petition:  “Dear Lord, at this time I ask….for strength to…for courage to….for the resolve to…to be thankful for…”

5.    Resolve for the Future               9:00 pm

Finally, look to the future.  “How shall I live the rest of the day?”  “What shall I do?

Finish with a prayer, for example, the Our Father.

 

Randy Hain, Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life™, is the author of The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work which was released by Liguori Publications in 2011.  The Catholic Briefcase[2] is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online and your local Catholic bookstore. 

The Catholic Briefcase was recently voted the Best Catholic Book of 2011 in the About.com Catholicism Reader’s Choice Awards.

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Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2010/07/making-good-use-of-the-jesuit-daily-examen/

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