EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

Ignatius developed this method of examining our lives in prayer, which takes about 15 minutes to complete. It springs from the belief that God is at work all the time and everywhere. Jesuits practice it daily, and many laypersons find it an ideal way to incorporate contemplation into each day. Recall that you are in the presence of God Focus on the Spirit ever at work in you, and consciously embrace a state of reverence. Offer thanks for God’s many gifts The Holy is present in our successes and failures, the light and the darkness. Open your heart to all the moments that reveal God to you. Ask, how has God been at work in my life? The more we get into the habit of asking ourselves this question, it influences our whole day and how we go about it. Then ask, how have I responded to God’s presence in my life? If we are attentive to the ways we’re being invited and the quality of our response, the grace or opportunity will be revealed to us. Ask for forgiveness A group people having mass on the beach while holding hands You may feel shame or sorrow for your lapses. Anthony de Mello, S.J., suggests another way to sit with the moments you regret: “Be grateful for your sins. They are carriers Of grace.” Ask, how am I being called to respond now? We’re invited to look at the next 24 hours and begin to reinforce the goodness that is beginning to emerge in our lives. Prayers of St. Ignatius The following three prayers were central to St. Ignatius' spiritual life. Anima Christi (Soul of Christ) Soul of Christ, make me holy Body of Christ, redeem me Blood of Christ, inebriate me Water from Christ’s side, cleanse me Passion of Christ, make me strong O Good Jesus, hear me Hide me in your wounds Never let me depart from you Defend me from the evil enemy Call me at the hour of my death Bid me come to you That with your saints I may praise you Forever and ever. Prayer for generosity Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not count the cost; to fight and not heed the wounds; to toil and not seek for rest; to labor and not ask for reward, except to know that I am doing your will. Suscipe (Offering of Oneself) Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, understanding, my entire will, all that I have and call my own. You have given all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Do with it as you will. Give me only your love and your grace: That is enough for me. What we’re reading about the spiritual journey: Prayer for Finding God in All Things: The Daily Examen of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J. Ignatius Loyola: Spiritual Exercises, Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J. Passage through Mid-life: A Spiritual Journey to Wholeness, Paul Robb, S.J. The Presence of Absence: On Prayers and an Epiphany, Doris Grumbach The Healing Labyrinth: Finding Your Path to Inner Peace, Helen Raphael Sands Virgin Time: In Search of the Contemplative Life, Patricia Hampl