Examen Of Consciousness

By Ignatius of Loyola

There are five steps to this Examen of Consciousness.

1st Step: Give Thanks

We must begin this period of prayer with the
awareness that all we are and have is God's gift to us. We owe him
everything. So naturally, we will thank him for them. Such awareness will
deepen our faith in God. We will realize how utterly poor we are, how
dependent on God, how good God has been to us and thank him. This sense of
gratitude when evoked, often will become an attitude that will remain with
us constantly throughout the day. Gradually we will experience that all is a
gift. This awareness alone could change our lives into a thanks living, not
just thanksgiving. Thank God for everything, especially for his gifts in the
part of the day just completed. As we look over the events of the day, we
may discover gifts from God that we did not realize had been given.

2nd Step: Pray for light

It is not possible for us to look clearly into spiritual matters with our human eyes or mind alone. We depend on God's grace for everything but especially when it comes to our relationship with God himself. Pray that we may learn to become more and more open to all the ways in which the Spirit speaks to us, so that we let our lives be directed more and more by the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to enlighten us as to how he has been directing us since the morning, in events and in people. Pray that we may be sensitive to his gifts of peace, love, kindness, joy, patience, fidelity, gentleness and self-control. Pray that we may become more and more aware of our negative attitudes like anxiety, restlessness, anger, jealousy and resentment which are clear signs of our lack of response to God's will and love.

3rd Step: Examine our experiences and actions

Look back slowly over the events, persons and circumstances of the day. Listen to the Lord and allow him to show us where he was meeting, encountering, challenging and being present to us. Do not force ourselves to remember things but let them surface in their own way. In what way was God present in them?

Did we always behave in a Christ-like manner? Were our attitudes and
feelings and actions in keeping with gospel values? Were there opportunities
for service, for doing something for the glory of God that we let pass?

We could ask ourselves further questions like: Did I feel drawn by the Lord
anytime today through a companion, an event, a good book, nature, etc.? What have I learned today about God and his ways? How did I meet God in my fears, joys, misunderstandings, work and suffering? How did God's word come alive in me today during my prayer time, in scripture, other readings? In what
ways have I encountered Christ through the members of my family, my
community? How have I brought Christ to them? In what ways have I been the
sign of God's presence and love to my companions, my friends, the people
with whom I work, to the people I have met today? Have I been moved to go
out of my way in concern for the lonely, sad, discouraged, the needy? In
what area of my life is Jesus not yet Lord?

4th Step: Express Sorrow

The awareness of our failure to respond to God's love, whether in events or people, will arouse in us mixed sentiments like sorrow for our sins and yet wonder at how God constantly brings us to newness; Or a growing mistrust of self and a firm trust in God; or a humble awareness of our weaknesses and a sense of deep joy and gratitude that we have been saved by Christ. There will always be some selfish attitude, action or inaction by which we showed our lack of adequate response to God's love. Express our sorrows over these.

5th Step: Resolve to become and do better

We must determine to keep our spirit filled with gratitude and to take steps to get rid of mind-sets that stand between us and God. We must be open to accept the challenges that God places before us. Pray for grace to recognize the ways in which the Lord is calling us in each situation of the future, and to respond to his call with deeper faith, humility, courage, especially if he is calling us to a painful conversion in some areas of our heart. Ask to be filled with hope and optimism, knowing that Christ has been victorious over evil and death.

Here are the five steps again:

Give thanks;
Pray for light;
Examine our experiences and actions;
Express sorrow;
Resolve to become and do better.

We could end these fifteen minutes of prayer with the prayer that Jesus
himself has taught us or with St. Ignatius' own prayer for generosity which
runs as follows: Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you
deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the
wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for
reward, except that of knowing that I do your will.

If we are faithful to this method of prayer of St. Ignatius, we will feel
the presence of God leading us forward in our spiritual lives.