Day Four: On Calling Meditation Email

Every evening I try to set aside five or ten minutes to pray what Saint Ignatius called the prayer of Examen. After putting our toddler down, I lie on the futon next to his bed, quiet my thoughts, and hit the “play” button on the video of my day. I think about the people with whom I’ve spent time, the conversations I’ve had, the places I’ve been, a

The Examen is a practice for paying attention to your life: reflect on God’s presence; review your day in a spirit of gratitude; become aware of your emotions before God; pray over one feature of your day; and then intentionally look forward to tomorrow.

We pray for a spirit of awe and gratitude for the gifts of God in our lives. We hope to experience a deeply felt sense of God’s unconditional love for us.