The Daily Examen is a 500-year-old Ignatian prayer technique, developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, designed to help individuals recognize God’s presence and work throughout their day. The word Examen is Latin for “Self-Knowledge,” and the goal of this prayer is to help you see and know yourself in your current reality, understanding where you stand in proximity and response to God as Creator, Christ, and Spirit.

During the season of Lent, we will adapt this ancient practice by combining the Lord’s Prayer with the Daily Examen to transform Jesus' model of prayer into a formation tool for daily reflection. By using each petition of Jesus’ prayer as a lens to review your past 24 hours, you will be able to detect God’s presence in all things, bringing daily alignment in your life and preparing for the day ahead.

We are not responsible for growing our souls; we are only responsible for positioning ourselves for growth. Lent offers us an opportunity to position ourselves to be nurtured and shaped by our Heavenly Father and Mother. God is simply asking us to show up — to take some time to focus our attention on who God is, and notice what God is doing in our lives, and how we might be able to reflect a more Christlike way in our tomorrows.

The Examen is composed of two postures: the examen of consciousness and the examen of conscience. In the first posture, we attune our soul to God's loving presence throughout the day, recognizing and reflecting on our attitudes and responses. The second posture involves contemplating areas in our lives that require growth, healing, cleansing and/or repentance, focusing on God's endless grace and our ongoing invitation to seek transformation, rather than self-criticism and condemnation

Preparing for Examine

• Duration: This can take as little as 5 minutes or as long as 20.
• Timing: Done at the end of each day, although traditionally this practice was done twice a day, once at noon and at bedtime.
• Journal: Some choose to journal through each movement, keeping a record of each day. But Journal is not required for practice.

Begin by taking a deep breath in and holding for a moment—Slowly exhale. Repeat if needed. Now settle into a posture of looking and listening. Ask God to bring the light of awareness.

[i] Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name"

Presence: Pause to recognize that you are in God’s presence.

• Invitation: Become aware of how God is always present and at work in your life.

• Reflection: Acknowledge how God is present as a good divine parent, always mothering and fathering you. Hold the holiness, sacredness, and otherness of all that God is as Creator, Christ, and Spirit. Reflect on where you saw God’s holiness, sacredness, and otherness arise today. What moments—a sunset, a kind word, or a sense of peace—pointed you toward God’s goodness?

[ii] "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"

Review: Recount the ways you followed God’s good will today

• Invitation: Review your day in chronological order or by focusing on specific moments that the Spirit brings to mind.

• Reflection: Recall moments where you enacted the spirit of love. Alternatively, identify where you resisted the Spirit’s promptings. Look for moments when God’s kingdom/will was present (joy, love, kindness, etc.) and when it was absent (selfishness, fear, anger, etc.) because you chose your own way over love.

[iii] "Give us today our daily bread"

Gratitude: Thank God (Creator, Christ, Spirit) for specific, concrete blessings from the last 24 hours.

• Invitation: Acknowledge the provision of personal and communal needs.

• Reflection: Take notice of God’s goodness that sustained you today. What physical or spiritual "bread" sustained you today? Where might you implicitly or explicitly notice God’s provision and/or generosity today—meals, health, answers to prayers, support from a neighbor, etc.?

[iv] "Forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven our debtors"

Confession: Ask for the Spirit’s light to see your day with humility and grace.

• Invitation: Face shortcomings and, if necessary, seek or give forgiveness.

• Reflection: Where did you neglect to love God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and spirit, and/or love your neighbors like Jesus? Bring to mind times you had an opportunity to love someone as you would want to be loved. Reflect on whether you are holding any grudges or if there are steps you might take to make amends and also consciously seek to forgive those who wronged you today.

[v] "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one"

Anticipation: Look toward tomorrow.

• Invitation: Identify upcoming challenges that might lead you away from God’s love and peace.

• Reflection: Where might your faith be challenged tomorrow, and how can you anticipate relying on God’s strength and wisdom? Pay attention to what emotions arise when you consider the potential tasks, meetings, and interruptions ahead of you. Do you feel fear or joyful anticipation, eagerness or resistance? Ask for the specific graces—like courage, wisdom, or self-control—that you will need to walk with God in all things in the day ahead.

[vi] "For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

Surrender: Embrace trust and surrender tomorrow to the God of love.

• Invitation: Take a moment of silence to behold all that God (Creator, Christ, Spirit) has revealed in this examen.

• Reflection: Surrender your day to God, trusting that God is making all things new.

End with praying the Lord’s Prayer in its fullness.

• We have curated 7 versions of The Lord’s Prayer for each day of the week. Click below to view today’s version.