Ethos and Identity at Saint Ignatius College Geelong

Ethos and Identity at Saint Ignatius College Geelong

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/dotmagis-blog/

The Examen

S. Ignatius developed the Examen and thought that was a gift that came directly from God.

One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day.

It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.

The Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.

Lisa Kelly has developed what she calls an Examen “Cheat Sheet” as a way support us when praying the Examen.

Lisa writes:

I want the power that comes with knowledge of things beyond me and yet the only power I will ever have is how I respond to the feelings within me.

For all their centuries of scientific study and teaching in universities, the Jesuits emphasize the analysis of a situation is not the be-all and end-all of a situation. More important is recognizing evidence of the presence of God, beyond us, bigger than us, and infinite.

In the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius doesn’t ask us only to think about various readings but to recognise what is stirring inside. That can be new ideas or using our imagination, but when those thoughts stir something inside, we are to sit up and take notice. We are invited to name that feeling. Admit it for better or worse and then we can reflect on our feelings and where they are coming from.

Some may find it helpful to have a list of feeling words to use during the Examen, as a “cheat sheet” of sorts. Sometimes the right feeling word will jump out; sometimes the word stirs where I may have felt it during the day, even though I might have missed it at the time.

Naming the feeling moves us from analysing a situation and trying to control or resolve it, to identifying how I am letting the situation affect me and where God is calling me to be in it.

The cheat sheet can allow us to see patterns in our emotions (Yep, I’m feeling insignificant again; what’s that all about?), and that becomes the launching point for reflection. I don’t have to stamp it out or avoid it or embrace it or react at all. I just have to name it and notice it and discern if my feeling is moving me towards or away from the best version of myself.

Kind regards.

Paul Lewis

Deputy Principal - Staff, Identity and Operations