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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
James Martin
Started reading
November 27, 2018
it is a way of prayer, a way of being with God.”
For Ignatius many things—no matter how seemingly inconsequential—are occasions for gratitude. You recall them and you “relish” or “savor” them, as he would say.
Savoring is an antidote to our increasingly rushed lives.
Savoring slows us down.
We pause to enjoy what has happened.
“You sanctify whatever you are grateful for.”
The second step in the examen is asking for the grace to “know my sins,” to see where you have turned away from the deepest part of yourself, the part that calls you to God.
Reflecting on your sinfulness sounds like an unhealthy outgrowth of the stereotypical Catholic emphasis on guilt.
The voice of our conscience, which tells us we did something wrong and moves us to make amends, is a voice that can lead us to become more loving and, ultimately, happier.
helpful idea
in the New Testament, when Jesus condemns people for sinful behavior, he typically does not
condemn weak people who are trying to do better, that is, public sinners struggling to make amends. Time and again Jesus reaches out to people who are ready to change and invites them to conversion.
Sin, in Father Keenan’s words, is often a “failure to bother.”
Be careful never to omit them.
an admission of our own sinfulness, or our inability to do what is right, helps not only to move us closer to God, but also to become more loving people.
This second step of the examen reminds us of our humility. We become more aware of the way that we hurt others and can move away from those parts of ourselves that prevent others from loving us back.
Guilt is a means to an end, not the end of the story.
Awareness of one’s sinfulness is important for spiritual growth.
“Be grateful for your sins. They are carr...
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third part of the examen is the heart of the prayer, a r...
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“What happened...
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Notice what made you happy, what made you stressed, what confused you, what helped you be more loving.
sights, sounds, feelings, tastes, textures, conversations. Thoughts, words, and deeds,
The First Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits I have received. The Second is to ask grace to know my sins and rid myself of them. The Third is to ask an account of my soul from the hour of rising to the present examen, hour by hour or period by period; first as to thoughts, then words, then deeds, in the same order as was given for the particular examination. The Fourth is to ask pardon of God our Lord for my faults. The Fifth is to resolve, with his grace, to amend them. Close with an Our Father.
when we feel resistance to something in prayer, it’s often because we’re resisting God’s invitation to growth.
“Perhaps you were feeling God’s compassion for her,”
“You will quickly find that you start to look out for God’s presence and his action in places you would not have thought to look before.”
The fourth step of the examen is asking for forgiveness from God for anything sinful that you’ve done during the day.
Asking for forgiveness for our sins can be freeing, reminding us of God’s desire to welcome us back—like the father in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son—no matter what we’ve done, if we are truly sorry.
the emphasis in confession needs to be not on how bad I am, but on how good God is.
last step of the examen you ask for the grace of God’s help during the next day, and you can clo...
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“There is no ‘right’ way to pray,”
pray it in whatever way draws you closer to God.
Before you begin, as in all prayer, remind yourself that you’re in God’s presence, and ask God to help you with your prayer.
Gratitude: Recall anything from the day for which you are especially grateful, and give thanks. Review: Recall the events of the day, from start to finish, noticing where you felt God’s presence, and where you accepted or turned away from any invitations to grow in love. Sorrow: Recall any actions for which you are sorry. Forgiveness: Ask for God’s forgiveness. Decide whether you want to reconcile with anyone you have hurt. Grace: Ask God for the grace you need
for the next day and an ability to see God’s prese...
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it’s easier to see God in retrospect rather than in the moment.
“looking back” to find God.
to Moses in the Book of Exodus (33:19–20) God said, “You cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” God says that Moses will see his back as he passed by him.
The examen helps you see God in retrospect.
while we frequently ask God for help in specific areas of life, we just as frequently fail to recognize God’s help when it comes.
God often works gradually—which reminds me of one of my favorite images of God.
God, an elderly Jesuit once suggested to me, is something like an old carpenter in a small village in Vermont. If you ask the townspeople where to turn for carpentry work or repairs, they will say, “There’s only one person to call. He does excellent work. He’s careful, he’s precise, he’s conscientious, he’s creative, he makes sure that everything fits, and he tailors his work exactly to fit your needs. There’s just one problem: he takes forever!”
Finding God in your examen makes you more likely to look for him during the day.
Finding God in all things also means finding God in all people.
“Lord, let me know you. And let me know myself,”
“I never knew that my yesterday was so beautiful.”
“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?”
where God already exists in your life,
“The Little Fish.”
