The Examen · Prayer

The Examen is a short prayer, usually prayed at the end of the day, in which you look back over the hours just past with God, to see where he was at work, where you responded to him and where you did not. It comes from St Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Jesuits, who set it out in his Spiritual Exercises, a handbook of prayer and retreat. It takes about ten minutes, needs no book, and over time it changes how you see an ordinary day.

Where it comes from

Ignatius was a Basque soldier whose leg was shattered by a cannonball in 1521. During a long convalescence he read a life of Christ and lives of the saints, and noticed that some thoughts left him peaceful and others left him restless and empty. That habit of noticing became the root of his spirituality. The Spiritual Exercises, which he worked on for many years, include a "general examen" in five points, meant to be prayed every day (Spiritual Exercises 43).

The Examen rests on something the Church teaches about conscience: that we need to be present to ourselves, to step back from the noise of life and look inward, if we are to hear God's voice and follow it (CCC 1779).

The five steps

Here are Ignatius's five points, in plain words.

Gratitude. Begin by thanking God for the gifts of the day. Be specific: the conversation at lunch, the sunlight, the work that went well, the person who was kind. Ignatius puts gratitude first because everything is gift, and because grateful eyes see more truly (cf. CCC 2637–2638).
Ask for light. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the day as God sees it: honestly, without excuses and without harshness. This is not self-analysis but prayer.
Review the day. Go through the day hour by hour, from waking until now. Where did you notice God? Where did you love well? Where did you fall short, in thought, word, deed or omission? Notice your moods, too: moments of peace and moments of agitation can show you where you were moving towards God or away from him.
Sorrow and forgiveness. Tell God you are sorry for what was wrong, and ask his forgiveness. If you hurt someone, ask for the grace to make it right. Then accept that you are forgiven; the Examen is not a courtroom.
Resolve for tomorrow. Ask for God's help with the day to come, and make one small, concrete resolution. Ignatius ends with the Our Father.

A ten-minute version

If you have never prayed the Examen, try this tonight, perhaps in bed before sleep or on the way home.

One minute. Settle. Make the Sign of the Cross. Remember that God is with you and glad that you have come.
Two minutes. Name three things from today you are grateful for. Thank God for each.
One minute. "Holy Spirit, show me my day as you see it."
Four minutes. Replay the day like a film, from waking. Stop at the moment that stands out most, for good or ill. Talk to God about it.
One minute. Say sorry for what needs it. Receive his mercy.
One minute. Look at tomorrow. Where will you need help? Ask for it. Pray the Our Father.

Some days the review will be full of thanksgiving; some days it will be mostly sorrow; most days, a bit of both. All are good Examens.

The Examen and an examination of conscience

The Examen is related to the examination of conscience before confession, but they are not the same thing.

An examination of conscience prepares you for the sacrament of Reconciliation. It looks back over the whole time since your last confession, usually guided by the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes or the teaching of the apostles, so that you can name your sins, especially any serious ones, and confess them (CCC 1454, 1456).

The Examen is broader and more frequent. It looks at a single day. It begins with gratitude, not sin. It notices God's gifts and the movements of your heart as much as your faults. Its aim is not only to find what to confess but to grow in awareness of God, day by day.

The two help each other. Someone who prays the Examen daily will find it much easier to prepare for confession, because the habit of honest, prayerful review is already there. And regular confession gives the Examen a place to bring what it uncovers. The Catechism lists the examination of conscience among the everyday ways conversion is lived (CCC 1435).

Going deeper

What prayer is: thanksgiving, petition and the battle of prayer.
Reconciliation: the sacrament the Examen prepares the ground for.
Conscience: what conscience is and how it is formed.
In the Catechism: CCC 1776–1802 on moral conscience, and CCC 1430–1439 on interior conversion.