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PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES

OF THE IGNATIAN EXAMEN

Hedwig Lewis SJ

“Perspectives and Practices of the Ignatian Examen” is a guide to the Examen of Consciousness, or simply Examen, a prayer method designed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. It has the overtones of an ‘examination’, as the name suggests. It is a tool of self-examination in a spiritual context. The lead question is: “Where have I experienced the touch of God in the hours just passed?” The ‘examination’ follows. The question evokes a spiritual consciousness and we are gently ushered into prayer. Thus, the Examen is a process by which we assess our ‘spiritual quotient’ - SQ, rather than our IQ (intelligence). The Examen, in a word, is a quest, not a test, to “find God in all and all in God”.
 

The Examen, to use a relevant imagery, is like stepping into the customized shoes of Saint Ignatius in order to walk the spiritual pathway and reach the spaces where we can find God. In essence, it raises our consciousness – opens our interior eyes – so as to discern (with depth vision) God’s presence “in all things”... to “find” God in the complexity our being.

This book contains a vast collection of tried and tested adaptations of the Examen Prayer, drawing on the “perspectives and practices” of Jesuit scholars and other practitioners of Ignatian spirituality. It helps us in responding to our “quest-ion” in creative ways. It offers styles of praying the Examen of Consciousness that are innovative and user-friendly at the personal and community levels for Jesuits and non-Jesuits, including Religious and Christians, old and young. It can be adapted for use by people of other Faiths.

For information about the book click here

CONTENTS

SECTION ONE

1.   FUNDAMENTALS................................................................... 3

A.   Contexts of the Examen........................................................ 3

B.   Specifics of the Examen........................................................ 8

C.   Perspectives........................................................................ 24

D.   Dimensions.......................................................................... 27

E.   Valuing our feelings............................................................ 32

F.   Apostolic outlook................................................................. 34

2.   DYNAMICS........................................................................... 36

A.   Overview............................................................................. 36

B.   Basic tenets......................................................................... 44

C.   Practical applications.......................................................... 49

SECTION TWO

In-depth understanding of the steps

1.   TRANSITIONAL PHASE........................................................ 61

2.   GRATITUDE.......................................................................... 68

3.   ENLIGHTENMENT................................................................. 81

4.   REVIEW............................................................................... 89

5.   FORGIVENESS................................................................... 100

6.   LOOKING FORWARD.......................................................... 109

SECTION THREE

1.   VARIED APPROACHES TO THE EXAMEN............................ 117

A.   Practicing the Examen...................................................... 117

B.   Formats:  Set I................................................................... 117

C.   Formats:  Set II ................................................................. 131

2.  ADAPTATIONS OF THE EXAMEN........................................ 144

A.   Daily Examen.................................................................... 144

B.   Annual Examen................................................................. 152

C.   Examen on Themes........................................................... 156

      1.   Spiritual growth........................................................... 156

      2.   Personal Examen........................................................ 163

      3.   Ecological Examen...................................................... 179

3.   EXAMEN IN COMMON......................................................... 185

A.   Examen during discernment in common........................... 185

B.   Community Examen.......................................................... 185

C.   Guided Examen................................................................. 191

4.   FRUITS OF THE EXAMEN................................................... 210

5.   RESOURCES...................................................................... 218

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