Daily Examen Archives - Catechist's Journey

Exploring the Examen: A Webinar with Ignatian Friends

An Examen Webinar to Help You Lead Others to Find God in All Things

One of the hallmarks of Ignatian prayer and spirituality is the daily Examen—a prayerful way to review the day to recognize God’s presence and movement in our everyday lives. We tend to think of this prayer as an adult exercise; however, many catechists and school teachers have found that this prayer is easily adaptable to children and can serve as a great tool for introducing young people to the contemplative aspect of our spiritual lives. […]

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Paul Mitchell

Joe Paprocki

In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, author Paul Mitchell talks about the need to let go and to allow prayer to be an emptying of ourselves. Paul has taught in Uganda, Chicago, Boston, and Egypt, and studied theology at the University of Notre Dame and the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He is the author of The Examen Book, which uses thoughtful rhymes and beautiful illustrations to introduce children to the practice of […]

Introducing Young Children to the Examen

Joe Paprocki

One of the centerpieces of Ignatian spirituality is the practice of the Daily Examen, a brief prayer exercise to help busy people recognize the presence and movement of God in their daily lives. Many wonderful books have been written to help adults practice this powerful prayer, with A Simple Life-Changing Prayer and Reimagining the Ignatian Examen being among the best. Previously, I have blogged about teaching young children how to practice the Examen. Now, thankfully, there […]

Daily Examen Journal

Joe Paprocki

The daily Examen is way to pray through the events and emotions of the day to find God with us. When practiced regularly, the Examen can help those who pray it identify God in all aspects of the day and see the patterns of God’s presence over time. It is a key way to pray in Ignatian spirituality. Introduce teens and adults to the Examen with our daily Examen journal—printable and foldable as a booklet. […]

The Examen Can Help Teens with Anxiety

Joe Paprocki

This pandemic has taken its emotional toll on all of us. Stephanie Clouatre Davis suggests that the Ignatian Examen can help teens with anxiety. She writes, “Praying the Examen can help teens become aware that God is gently accompanying them. And knowing that they are not alone can greatly reduce any feelings of anxiety.” Read the full article, Examen for Teens with Anxiety, on our sister site, LoyolaPress.com.

Pop-Up Catechesis: Praying the Daily Examen

Joe Paprocki

I’m fond of saying that God is most often recognized in the rearview mirror. In other words, we seem to be more capable of recognizing God in past events than in the present. St. Ignatius of Loyola thought along those same lines, which is why he promoted a simple prayer called the Daily Examen. In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we look at the practice of praying the Examen in order to recognize God’s presence in […]

Teaching the Daily Examen to 4- to 6-Year-Olds

Joe Paprocki

One of the hallmarks of Ignatian prayer and spirituality is, of course, the Daily Examen—a prayerful way to review your day to recognize God’s presence and movement in your everyday life. We tend to think of this prayer as an adult exercise; however, many catechists and school teachers have found that this prayer is easily adaptable to children and can serve as a great tool for introducing young people to the contemplative aspect of our […]

Bringing an Ignatian Flavor to V Encuentro

Joe Paprocki

It is no secret that the largest growing demographic in the U.S. Church is our Latino/Hispanic brothers and sisters. In order to better serve the needs of this vital and fast-growing segment of our Church family, the U.S. Bishops occasionally convene a process known as Encuentro—a multi-year process of ecclesial reflection and action that invites all Catholics in the United States to intense missionary activity, consultation, leadership development, and identification of best ministerial practices in […]

Praying the Daily Examen

Denise Gorss

Becky Eldredge, author of Busy Lives & Restless Souls, loves praying the Examen, a method of prayer that involves reflection on the past 24 hours of your life. She explains the steps of this defining Ignatian prayer in the below video. Pray this way with young people using Finding God Grades 7 and 8. The Examen is also a great prayer for families, as Eric Gurash explains in his article Where Have You Been, Lord? […]

reflective glasses - photo by Joel Mott on Unsplash

Reviewing Your Catechetical Year, Examen-Style

Eric Gurash

The ending of the catechetical year is the perfect time to reflect on the highs and lows, rejoicing in the graced moments in our programs and seeking to improve the more challenging areas. The Examen prayer, as outlined by St. Ignatius Loyola, provides us with a perfect guide to making just this kind of review. As you get set to begin this time of prayerful review, be sure to set aside at least 15–20 minutes, […]