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Particular Examen - General
Examen
 The
prayer that distinguishes Ignatian Spirituality more than
any other is 'the 'examen'. The word 'examen'
is none other than the Spanish name for 'examine' - A
prayer commonly known in traditional Catholic circles
as the Examination of
Conscience.
In his Spiritual Exercises Ignatius introduces us to two
forms of 'examen' what he terms the General Examination
and the Specific or Particular Examination. As these
terms imply, the general looks at what has been going
on generally in my day, while the particular looks at
some specific area where I am seeking to change.
Particular
Examen
I take some specific habit, sinful practice or habitual
way of behaviour that I would like to change.
It could be something like making nasty comments about
someone I don't like, or wasting time on internet games,
or eating to much.
- I start my day by acknowledging
the desire to change this particular area and asking
God for the grace to improve.
Twice in the day I spend a little time reviewing progress
so far:
- I give thanks to God for all the
good that I have received.
- Then I consider whether I have failed
in this specific behaviour so far today and if so, how
many times. I jot this
down.
- I keep the record of my lapses for
a week to see if, with effort and God's grace, I can
slowly get out of the habit and live a life more pleasing
to myself and God.
- To keep this area before my mind,
Ignatius suggest that I make a sign to myself each time
I fall into the offending behaviour.
Obvioulsy the idea is that with God's help, if I concentrate
on just one thing at a time I can bit by bit develop
a more Christian heart. Hopefully, day by day, week
by week, I shall get into good habits and out of bad ones.
General Examen
This has become a very popular prayer over the last few
years. Although in its original form it did tend to concentrate
more on how I might have fallen into sinful behaviour,
today it has been given a more positive spin, which many
people find more helpful.
At the end of the day (or just before I start the next
day if I am a 'morning person')
- I stop and quietly sit with my loving
God.
I consider all the good that has happened in the day:
everything I have done that I'm proud of.
Then I give thanks for all this good.
- I then ask for God's grace to see
what I might have done wrong, my sins and faults.
I consider too how I might have hurt others unintentionally.
- I become aware of my moods and feelings.
Overall how would I describe my day.
I then go over my day: all my thoughts, words and actions.
What are the good things that have brought me joy, consolation
and a sense of being alive?
What has disheartened me, made me uneasy, unhappy, bad
tempered and dispiritied?
- I ask God's pardon for my faults,
for hurting others, for not using my own time and gifts
wisely.
I give thanks for using my gifts well, for loving others,
for all that brings me joy and consolation.
- Looking back on the day; are there
good things I need to repeat and other things I need
to avoid?
I ask God's help to live a more fruitful and joyful
life.
- I finish my examen prayer by speaking
to God in my own words or using a formal prayer such
as the Lord's Prayer.
Beuno's 2007-8
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