THE EXAMEN
The Examen is a prayer of gratitude, petition, and awareness of the many graces God bestows on us daily. It begins with giving thanks, which leads us to grow in awareness of God’s love, and enables us to relate to Him personally with deep affection.
Then, emboldened by His love for us, we ask for insight to know our faults and how God sees our souls. We continue by asking for the gifts we desire to grow stronger in our faith.
We review the day, hour by hour, to notice more deeply the moments of interior joy or any experiences of heaviness in our souls and the thoughts and actions that arise from each.
By asking forgiveness for our faults, we seek to be free from all burdens on our hearts and then plan with the Lord how we may progress in His infinite love tomorrow.
Daily Examen Journaling Prompts
1. Give Thanks: The gifts and graces the Lord has given to me today are...
2. Petition: I ask the Lord to show me the state of my soul. I ask for the outpouring of His grace. Today I desire...
3. Review: Today's moments of joy in the Lord, interior heaviness, and the thoughts that arise from each are...
4. Pardon: The burdens of my heart that I wish to be free of are…
5. Progressing with God: As I look to the day ahead with gratitude, I will respond to His call for growth by...
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