A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

The Examen

1. Become aware of the presence of God - quieten yourself 

2. Review the day with gratitude
   Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. Walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights.

3. Pay attention to your emotions
   Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Ask what God is saying through these feelings.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
   Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the day that God thinks is particularly important. It may be a vivid moment or something that seems insignificant.

5. Look toward tomorrow
   Ask God to give you light for tomorrow's challenges.

St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend. End the Daily Examen with a conversation with Jesus. There are so many places that the grace of God works - often unseen by us - for which we need to be grateful. And maybe you need to ask for forgiveness for those times when God has been excluded. 

Ask for God's protection and help. Ask for his wisdom about the questions you have and the problems you face. Do all this in the spirit of gratitude which is the principal characteristic of our Christian lives. And of course we hope that tomorrow we might be ever more attentive.