To live our whole day in communion with Christ, we need not only to be aware of where the Lord is in the Eucharist and at Mass, but also in the everyday events of our lives—whether we are at school or work, relaxing at home, or spending time with our friends or family. Jesus wants to be involved all of it. He wants those graces we receive in the Eucharist and in our prayer to spill over into the rest of our lives so that they can bear fruit. He calls us at every moment not only to be aware of where he is, but also to be aware of where we are and how we are standing in relation to him.
One way to pay attention to what God is doing in our lives and how we have been responding to him is by praying a daily Examen prayer. Take a few minutes to pause either in the middle of our day or at the end of the day and reflect on:
- When in the last twenty-four hours did you feel happiest or most at peace with yourself and others? How was God present in these moments? Thank God for these gifts.
- What were the most difficult moments? How was God inviting you to respond in those moments? How did you respond? Pray for any graces you need in regard to the situation.
- Were there times you ignored God’s invitations or did not live as his child? What was the choice you made that led to this? Ask God for forgiveness.
- Looking to the day ahead, how do you want to live? Ask the Lord to stay with you.
Praying an Examen prayer like this helps us to take a step back and see areas where God’s grace is active in our lives, even in little ways that we might have otherwise missed. It helps us to cultivate a Eucharistic spirit of gratitude for all God has done and is doing for us. It also helps us to identify the times when we are pulling away from God and teaches us how to notice the sins that cut us off from God—not just the big things, but also those little sins and infidelities that can creep up on us or that we slowly slide into. We shine a light on these traits of ours so that we can bring them to God and receive his healing and forgiveness, and so that full relationship with him can be restored.
When we pray an examen regularly, over time we will discover that we can get a better pulse on the areas of grace in our lives as well as on the areas of sin that need more healing. It also helps us know when we need to go to Confession and be fully reconciled with God through the grace of the sacrament. (This is especially important in situations of serious sin that cut us off from being able to receive the Eucharist and its life-giving grace.) God desires to be close to us and bring us back to himself no matter how far we have fallen. The sacrament of Reconciliation is how he concretely reaches out to us and grants us his forgiveness, imbuing us with sacramental graces that restore and strengthen us as we move forward in our journey with him.
The graces we receive in the Eucharist and at Mass continue to unfold long after we leave the church building. Praying an Examen and frequenting the sacrament of Reconciliation help us remain close to Jesus as we go about our lives. By cultivating curiosity as to what God is doing in us and for us, and by seeking his help to remove the obstacles of sin that keep us from him, we allow the graces we receive in the Eucharist to take root and fully flourish in our lives.
If you want to learn more about how to pray an examen prayer, or if you need a little extra encouragement in going to confession, you may want to check out Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer. Sr. Orianne Pietra René and I wrote this little book as a companion for those who (like ourselves!) get nervous going to confession but want to take full advantage of that precious gift God offers through the sacrament. It also includes several guided examen prayers to help you reflect on your everyday experiences and recognize how God is at work there.
May God’s merciful love grant you courage!
