St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, popularized the daily Examen in his classic work, The Spiritual Exercises. The Examen, or examination of conscience, is typically prayed at the end of the day, to reveal God's hand in our daily lives.
In an Examen, we take the time to quiet ourselves in order to recognize and acknowledge God. We look for moments of victory and failure, so we can learn from both, and grow spiritually. Then we ask for forgiveness, and the graces we need for tomorrow.
Why Examine Your Conscience Daily?
If we want to make progress in the spiritual life, we must know ourselves, our faults and weaknesses, our vices and root sins. We should also recognize our gifts - the "raw material" that helps us to obtain and utilize the graces we need to grow in holiness.
The daily Examen helps us to pause and contemplate all of that and more, then offer it back to God at the end of our day. In it, we thank him for His graces and blessings, then ask Him to help us to love Him and others better tomorrow.
It may take about 10 minutes, or it may require more or less time, depending on the events of the day and your ability to remain recollected as you unpack them.
Here is a basic method for an Examen you can pray in the evening:
1. Place Yourself in the Presence of God
Make the sign of the Cross. Remind yourself that you are beneath the gaze of God at all times, and He is with you in this moment. Ask Him to help you in your prayer, so you can know yourself better and more fully give yourself to Him.
You can pray any way you want. You might pray something simple like this;
"Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten me and strengthen me, that I may see how God worked in my life today, that I may know my sins, and that I may seek to live in a way that is good and pleasing to Him."
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2. Be Grateful
Recall several things from your day which you are particularly grateful. These are things that come quickly to mind, and can be as small as a patch of wildflowers, the warm sun on your face, or an interaction with a friend. These might be unexpected blessings and other gifts of grace you received during your day. Thank God for these special moments.
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3. Review the Day
Rewind your day, from beginning to end, ;replay it in your mind. Prayerfully and serenely review it, in a spirit of peace. Notice the moments where God was acting on your behalf, even if you did not realize it at the time.
Look for moments of victory - perhaps you did not lose your patience with a family member or coworker. These represent times when you opened yourself to God's grace. Also look for moments of failure, times when you sinned through weakness or distraction.
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4. Express Sorrow
Having the presence of mind and the time to recollect yourself, consider your sins of commission and omission as you replay the day chronologically. Briefly and contritely mourn the things you regret doing, but do not give in to discouragement. Your God is infinitely loving and He is revealing them to you for your good.
Don't stop there. While considering the sinful moments, ask yourself why you behaved as you did, and what you want to do differently next time. Resolve to take that path when faced with the same circumstance in the future. Express your sorrow to God, and ask for His forgiveness.
If you are tempted to despair over your shortcomings, offer a simple prayer to God, such as:
"You see, Lord, how weak I am, and how much I need you. Please give me the grace to do better.";
If your sin gravely affected another, pray about seeking forgiveness from that person and/or going to Confession.
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5. Revisit Grace; Resolve to Do Better
Return to a meaningful part of your prayer and speak intimately with God about how you felt. Share with the Lord what's on your heart. This is a moment where you can grow in intimacy with the God Who Loves You. At the close of your prayer, ask for His grace for tomorrow.
Resolve to serve Him faithfully and love others in a way that is pleasing to Him. Tell Him how much you love Him and need Him. Then rest the love of your Father, which is tender, personal, and infinite;
6.Pray It or Write It
If you find yourself too distracted, try the prayer as a writing exercise. You don't have to write a summary of the entire day. Just bullet point the special gifts and graces that come to mind, the big victories and failures, the realizations about why you behaved as you did. Jot down resolutions that will help you in the future. Writing your Examen may help you stay on course and avoid distraction or wandering thoughts.
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Gifts of the Examen
As you continue to pray the Examen, you will notice your root sins and common weaknesses. You will also notice God's presence in the moment, not just at the end of the day when you rewind it all. You will be able to see ahead to the moments that will cause spiritual struggles or personal challenges.
With that self-knowledge, you can ask God for what you need in real time, respond more favorably to difficult situations, and begin to master your faults.
By making St. Ignatius' brief Examen a part of your nightly routine, you will grow in virtue and in awareness of yourself and your Tender Heavenly Father. You will come to know the goodness of His grace every day, experience His forgiveness and healing, and feel gratitude as you recognize His loving and powerful hand in your life.
