Saints LightThe Daily Examen: How Do You Review a Day with God?
The Examen is a ten minute prayer at night in which you thank God for the day, ask for light, look honestly at what happened, ask forgiveness, and plan one change for tomorrow.
What this lesson teaches
- The Examen is St Ignatius of Loyola's short prayer for reviewing each day.
- Its five steps: give thanks, ask for light, review the day, ask forgiveness, resolve for tomorrow.
- It looks for God's gifts first, and only then for our failures.
- It is a path to peace and growth, not a scorecard or a source of anxiety.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 1779
- CCC 1454
- CCC 2648
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: Psalm 138:23-24 (139:23-24 in most modern Bibles); 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
A sample question from this lesson
What is the first step of the Examen?
- List every sin of the day
- Plan tomorrow's schedule
- Give thanks for specific gifts of the day
- Recite the Act of Contrition
Show the answer
Give thanks for specific gifts of the day. Ignatius begins with gratitude. The Examen looks for God's gifts first, and only then for our failures.
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Examen
- St Ignatius's daily prayer of reviewing the day with God.
- Scruples
- An anxious, exaggerated fear of having sinned when one has not.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"The Daily Examen: How Do You Review a Day with God?" is lesson 6 of Learning to Pray. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
Every course is open free for your first 14 days. After that, one payment of $14.99 unlocks every course. There is no subscription.
Related lessons
- Living as a Christian: Love, Commandments and Virtue (Start Here, free)
- How Do I Make My First Confession? (Becoming Catholic, free)
- The Great Commandment and the Beatitudes (The Commandments)
- Conscience: Forming It and Following It (Grace and Virtue)