Examen

Someone famous once said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Those who begin the process of life examination will reap many rewards.-------Examen is an ages-old process recommended by St. Ignatius in The Spiritual Exercises. It is a very simple, but faith-building exercise. In the book Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life, Dennis, Sheila and Matthew Linn explain the process: Sit quietly (either by yourself, with a partner, or with a small group). Light a candle to symbolize God's presence. Then ask yourself two questions (with an approprate interlude between the questions): For what moment today am I most grateful? For what moment today am I least grateful? Another way of asking is "When was I the happiest today? When was I the saddest today? --------The Linns say, "examen makes us aware of moments that at first we might easily pass by as insignificant; moments that ultimately can give direction to our lives." You can use examen every night (Most Valuable) or at the end of the week or month.--------God constantly reveals himself to us in various ways; the examen process helps us to see Him more clearly.