A phrase that I hope you all come to know and love during my time here at Sts. Joseph and Paul. I know that in my short time here, I truly feel this way as your warm welcome continues to fill me with joy. Thank you for the many kind words and introductions. In addition to expressing my gratitude, I also write to share with you the examen prayer that I mentioned during the homily this weekend.
St. Ignatius of Loyola developed the Spiritual Exercises as a means for inviting people to walk with Christ in their life. One of the great tools of this experience is the examen prayer. It is a brief couple of moments examining your day that allows us to grow closer to God. We are all called to strive for sainthood and the examen prayer assists us in becoming the saints we are called to become.
There are five steps to the examen prayer, and if you have never tried it before, I encourage you to take five to ten minutes each day for the next week to see what good the Lord has done in your life.
The five steps are as follows:
1. You first pause and recall the presence of God within your life. All prayer begins with acknowledging God’s presence.
2. Give thanks to God for the many good things that God has done in your life.
3. Ask God for insight to examine your day well. During this stage ask Him to see clearly the events of the day.
4. Acknowledge how God has worked and how you have responded to His call this day. If you have fallen short, express your contrition and ask Him for the grace to carry on.
5. The final step is to prepare for the next day. Briefly recall what is to happen the next day and ask God for the grace to live that day as best as you can.
If you find the examen prayer helpful, Fr. Timothy Gallagher has a wonderful book entitled the Examen Prayer which may be a great resource for you. I pray that you have a week filled with many blessings and great grace!
In Christ,
Fr. Will Thompson
