Day 7
The Examen — Learning to See
The daily practice of Ignatian awareness
c. 1600s
Grace to ask for
Lord, teach me to find You in all things — and to notice when I have missed You.
"You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar."
Psalm 139:1–3
Composition of Place
The Examen is not a retreat exercise — it is a daily practice that Ignatius considered more essential than any other single prayer. It is the art of looking back at the day with God, finding where He was, and noticing where you missed Him.
Points for Meditation
Gratitude
Begin with a moment of gratitude. Do not begin with your failures — begin with the gifts. What were the moments of goodness in the past 24 hours? Name them specifically. The smell of coffee, a conversation that went well, a moment of unexpected beauty. God is in all of these. Training yourself to see them is training yourself to see Him.
Review
Walk through the day slowly, as if watching a film. Where were the moments of consolation — peace, joy, love, generosity, courage? Where were the moments of desolation — anxiety, anger, selfishness, apathy, fear? Consolation moves us toward God; desolation moves us away. Learning to distinguish them is the heart of Ignatian discernment.
Sorrow and resolution
Where did you fall short? Name it specifically — not globally ("I was bad today"), but precisely ("I was impatient with her at 3pm and said something unkind"). Ask for forgiveness. Then ask: what is God asking of me tomorrow? One small, concrete thing. Not a resolution to become a saint by Tuesday — one thing.
Colloquy
The Examen ends in conversation, not in assessment. You are not filing a report — you are talking to someone who loves you. Tell God what you noticed. Ask Him what He noticed. Ask for the grace to see more clearly tomorrow what you missed today.
Remain in silence for a few minutes.
Do not rush to the next exercise.