Pray the Examen Now

Take a few quiet minutes. Breathe deeply, become still, and invite God to be with you. The Examen is a prayer of awareness that helps you pause and notice where God has been present in your day. St. Ignatius invited us to practise it daily as a way of deepening gratitude, learning from our experiences, and preparing to live tomorrow with greater freedom and love.

Step 1: Give Thanks

Look back over the past day. What are you most grateful for? Name one or two gifts — a moment of joy, a kindness received, the beauty of creation.

Pause and thank God for these blessings.

Step 2: Ask for Light

Pray for the grace to see clearly. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and heart to recognise God’s presence in your day.

“Lord, help me see as You see.”

Step 3: Review the Day

Walk through your day slowly, hour by hour. Notice the people you met, the work you did, the feelings you experienced. Where did you sense God drawing near? Where did you feel distant or distracted?

Step 4: Face Your Shortcomings

With honesty, bring before God the times you fell short — moments of impatience, missed opportunities for love, or failures to trust. Receive God’s mercy.

“Lord, have mercy. Give me the grace to begin again.”

Step 5: Look Ahead

Turn to tomorrow with hope. What challenges await? Where do you most need God’s help? Entrust your next steps to Christ.

“Into Your hands, Lord, I place my life.”

Closing Prayer

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. All that I have and possess, You have given me; to You, O Lord, I return it. All is Yours. Dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace, for this is enough for me.”
— St. Ignatius of Loyola