Praying the Examen
Let your fingers do the talking
A week ago our Discipleship Quad was introduced to the Examen prayer that was originated by St. Ignatius of Loyola. The five-step prayer is usually prayed in the evening before one retires for bed. It can take as little as five minutes to pray or could be expanded out to 15 minutes.
As we left the group last week we challenged each other to try to put the Examen prayer into practice. These are the five steps:
Give thanks. Reflect on the day and be grateful for it. Thank God for the little things (a good meal, beautiful weather, a conversation with a friend) and the big things (hey, you’re still alive!).
Ask for the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to reveal the day to you through God’s eyes. Where was he present? What was he calling you to do? Did you answer that call?
Recognize failures. Maybe it was something we did, or maybe it was something we should have done. Perhaps we were more selfish than giving, or desired comfort over holiness.
Ask for forgiveness and healing. God is bigger than our sins and weaknesses and rejoices in showing us mercy. Offer your faults to God.
Pray about tomorrow. Think through what will happen tomorrow and how it can be different with God’s grace and love at the center of your life. (Bob Rice, Discipleship Quad Guidebook, Part 2, Franciscan University of Steubenville)
Last evening we came back together and we shared how the week had gone. Jim, our current quad facilitator, shared a mnemonic device he came up with to help him remember the Examen while he is lying in bed. After struggling over the past week to remember the Examen, let alone pray it, last evening I used the five-finger mnemonic and successfully prayed my first Examen. Let your fingers do the talking!
Give thanks (thumb). The thumb starts with “T” and so does “thanks.”
Ask for the Spirit (pointer or index finger). The Holy Spirit should be #1 in our life.
Recognize failures (middle finger). This finger is the tallest finger and can represent our own self-importance—one of the key sources of our failures.
Ask for forgiveness and healing (ring finger). This finger reminds of our closest human relationship in marriage and helps us to seek to restore our relationship with God.
Pray about tomorrow (pinkie or baby finger). Our smallest finger reminds of the little ones in our lives—children or grandchildren—who will fill our tomorrows.
Thank you St. Ignatius, thank you Bob Rice, and thank you Jim for your mnemonic!