Predispositions for Discernment: Interior Freedom: rid the soul of inordinate attachments....

Predispositions for Predispositions for Discernment:Discernment:

Interior Freedom: Interior Freedom: rid the soul of rid the soul of inordinate attachments. inordinate attachments.

– Ignatius referred to inordinate Ignatius referred to inordinate attachments as “honor, riches and attachments as “honor, riches and pride.”pride.”


KnowledgeKnowledge: Understanding one’s : Understanding one’s limits and patterns of temptation is limits and patterns of temptation is needed for the naming and claiming needed for the naming and claiming of one’s deepest desires. of one’s deepest desires.

Also, understanding of the Also, understanding of the complexities of a given situation.complexities of a given situation.


Imagination:Imagination: The ability to imagine The ability to imagine new possibilities and imagine things new possibilities and imagine things could be other. could be other.

Transcendence begins when one Transcendence begins when one imagines things could be other. imagines things could be other.


Patience: Patience: The ability to wait The ability to wait attentively for an answer is key. attentively for an answer is key.

The ability to delay gratification The ability to delay gratification and discipline one’s self to listen and discipline one’s self to listen for the movement of the good or for the movement of the good or the spirit.the spirit.


Courage:Courage: The courage to act, to The courage to act, to make the change or choice once one make the change or choice once one knows the good. knows the good.

Goal of the ExamenGoal of the Examen

The Examen consists of a spirit-guided The Examen consists of a spirit-guided exploration of one’s life. exploration of one’s life.

It is built on the premise that we are It is built on the premise that we are seeking to grow gradually into the truest seeking to grow gradually into the truest being that God has made us to be.being that God has made us to be.

Authentic growth necessitates true Authentic growth necessitates true insight. insight.

I.I. Prayer for Enlightenment Prayer for Enlightenment

The prayer for enlightenment is a The prayer for enlightenment is a humble request to God for insight humble request to God for insight into the mystery of who we truly are into the mystery of who we truly are in the eyes of God. in the eyes of God.


The prayer of enlightenment is a The prayer of enlightenment is a transparent disrobing before God. transparent disrobing before God.


It takes seriously the Psalmist’s It takes seriously the Psalmist’s depth filled chant: depth filled chant:

““You formed my inmost being; you You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb … my knit me in my mother’s womb … my very self you knew … my days were very self you knew … my days were shaped before I even came to be.” shaped before I even came to be.”


The prayer of enlightenment opens The prayer of enlightenment opens our hearts and minds to God to our hearts and minds to God to inform us of our deepest self through inform us of our deepest self through the resonating echoes of our the resonating echoes of our thoughts and feelings in response to thoughts and feelings in response to life.life.


So, the prayer of enlightenment is to So, the prayer of enlightenment is to recall that we are in the presence of recall that we are in the presence of God and humbly ask God to God and humbly ask God to illuminate the movements of the illuminate the movements of the spirit in the days activity. spirit in the days activity.

II. II. Prayer of Reflective ThanksgivingPrayer of Reflective Thanksgiving::

The prayer of reflective thanksgiving The prayer of reflective thanksgiving grounds us in the fundamental grounds us in the fundamental stance of the Christian. stance of the Christian.

Our basic human nature is one of Our basic human nature is one of dependence on God. dependence on God.


Of ourselves, we possess nothing and Of ourselves, we possess nothing and yet we are gifted by God at every yet we are gifted by God at every instant in and through everything.instant in and through everything.


Our gratitude to God for God’s good Our gratitude to God for God’s good gifts on two different levels:gifts on two different levels:

1.1. Gratitude that we are at all. Gratitude that we are at all. – Thanksgiving for being created and Thanksgiving for being created and

sustained by a loving God.sustained by a loving God.

2.2. The second level is for the particular The second level is for the particular gifts of this day.gifts of this day.

III. III. Practical Survey of Actions:Practical Survey of Actions:

Sifting through the activity from the Sifting through the activity from the day and attend to the thoughts and day and attend to the thoughts and feelings that we experienced in feelings that we experienced in response to our activity. response to our activity.

The primary quest in the survey of our The primary quest in the survey of our days activity is to find how God has days activity is to find how God has been active in our everyday life.been active in our everyday life.

III. III. Practical Survey of Actions:Practical Survey of Actions:Uncovering the movements of God’s Uncovering the movements of God’s loving activity in our daily lives.loving activity in our daily lives.

Our interior moods, feelings and Our interior moods, feelings and urges and movements in response to urges and movements in response to our world are “spirits” that draw us our world are “spirits” that draw us towards or away from God.towards or away from God.


The “spirits” need to be sifted out The “spirits” need to be sifted out and discerned so that we can more and discerned so that we can more readily know and understand God’s readily know and understand God’s presence in our thoughts, feelings presence in our thoughts, feelings and actions. and actions.


The sifting is the naming and The sifting is the naming and claiming of the consolation and claiming of the consolation and desolation in our lives. desolation in our lives.

IV. IV. Prayer for HealingPrayer for Healing::

The prayer for healing invites healing The prayer for healing invites healing and reconciliation into the broken and reconciliation into the broken places and the areas of desolation in places and the areas of desolation in our own lives. our own lives.


It enables the natural movement of It enables the natural movement of our heart’s longing to be made whole our heart’s longing to be made whole for those times during the day where for those times during the day where we have failed to be gentle, kind, we have failed to be gentle, kind, patient, caring and compassionate.patient, caring and compassionate.


It opens the desolate thoughts, It opens the desolate thoughts, feelings and actions of our day to feelings and actions of our day to Christ’s healing Mercy.Christ’s healing Mercy.


It opens the desolate thoughts, It opens the desolate thoughts, feelings and actions of our day to feelings and actions of our day to Christ’s healing Mercy.Christ’s healing Mercy.

– Out of the practical survey of our Out of the practical survey of our actions, we become aware of how actions, we become aware of how we have lacked God and failed to we have lacked God and failed to bring to life our truest self.bring to life our truest self.


It invites God to make whole the It invites God to make whole the desolate areas within one’s being desolate areas within one’s being and reconcile the harm that one’s and reconcile the harm that one’s actions, motivated by desolation, actions, motivated by desolation, have caused.have caused.

V. V. Intention of Hope for the FutureIntention of Hope for the Future::

The organic development of the The organic development of the Examen leads us to face the future Examen leads us to face the future by integrating the consolation from by integrating the consolation from the day and Christ’s healing of our the day and Christ’s healing of our brokenness into our lives.brokenness into our lives.

The intention of hope is essentially The intention of hope is essentially an act of surrender to reality and our an act of surrender to reality and our truest selves.truest selves.


It is saying “yes” to God’s grace in It is saying “yes” to God’s grace in our lives.our lives.

– It means bringing into It means bringing into consciousness how we hope that consciousness how we hope that growth and change will unfold as a growth and change will unfold as a result increased awareness and result increased awareness and prudence in our daily lives.prudence in our daily lives.


In naming and claiming the In naming and claiming the consolation in our lives, we name consolation in our lives, we name and claim our true self. and claim our true self.

– Our true self is always a self for Our true self is always a self for others oriented towards the others oriented towards the common good.common good.


Our intentions of hope are composed Our intentions of hope are composed of possible concrete actions towards of possible concrete actions towards the common good flowing organically the common good flowing organically from the grace of our Examen.from the grace of our Examen.

What is the purpose of What is the purpose of praying the Examen?praying the Examen?

Integration!Integration!


The ExamenThe Examen fundamentally fundamentally necessitates the unity of the necessitates the unity of the affective and the rational, the affective and the rational, the wholeness of the human person.wholeness of the human person.


Affectivity and reason inner Affectivity and reason inner penetrate each other and are in penetrate each other and are in constant interaction.constant interaction.

Our feelings and desires are stirred Our feelings and desires are stirred by what we understand, know, by what we understand, know, reason about, and evaluate.reason about, and evaluate.


This is a constant mutual interaction This is a constant mutual interaction between the affective life and the life between the affective life and the life of the mind. of the mind.

Integration calls us to Integration calls us to harmonyharmony: :

Which is different for every person. Which is different for every person.

Some of us are heady people who Some of us are heady people who need to integrate our affect. need to integrate our affect.

Some are oozing masses of feeling Some are oozing masses of feeling and we need to integrate our and we need to integrate our thoughts to reason things out. thoughts to reason things out.

Integrity requires harmony between Integrity requires harmony between both.both.

Obstacles that block our Obstacles that block our conscious awarenessconscious awareness::

Physical factorsPhysical factorsphysical health - physical health factors provide obstacles to factors provide obstacles to discernment. discernment.

– Time and resources can prevent Time and resources can prevent obstacles as well.obstacles as well.


Psychological and emotionalPsychological and emotional – – Important to discern the difference Important to discern the difference between clinical depression and between clinical depression and acute anxiety.acute anxiety.


Addictions and attachments Addictions and attachments – These – These limit a person’s effective freedom. limit a person’s effective freedom.

– Not only drugs, gambling and sex Not only drugs, gambling and sex but also things like shopping, but also things like shopping, fantasy, daydreaming, fantasy, daydreaming, entertainment or work.entertainment or work.


Rigidity in attitudes Rigidity in attitudes – An extreme – An extreme need for certitude or a need for need for certitude or a need for complete ambiguity and total complete ambiguity and total freedom.freedom.


Lack of imagination Lack of imagination – The inability to – The inability to make use of our imagination to think make use of our imagination to think of what could be other.of what could be other.


Fragmentation Fragmentation – Not experiencing – Not experiencing the fullness of our affectivity: anger, the fullness of our affectivity: anger, aggression, resentment, jealousy, aggression, resentment, jealousy, envy greed and so on.envy greed and so on.


Fear Fear – It can lead us to control and – It can lead us to control and manipulate rather than to be open to manipulate rather than to be open to the spirit.the spirit.

Social or cultural FactorsSocial or cultural Factors- Political - Political and social systems that impose and social systems that impose external limitation of our choices.external limitation of our choices.


Theological Factors Theological Factors – our image of – our image of God can impede our confidence and God can impede our confidence and trust in God’s love. trust in God’s love.

– To be truly Human means to accept that To be truly Human means to accept that

we can potentially know and do the we can potentially know and do the good at all times and in all places.good at all times and in all places.


Images of self Images of self – distorted self – distorted self perception or the lack of ability to perception or the lack of ability to accept one’s real self works accept one’s real self works destructively by creating a habitual destructively by creating a habitual discontent with one’s self.discontent with one’s self.

EnlightenmentEnlightenment::

By bringing about enlightenment By bringing about enlightenment (wisdom, loving kindness, (wisdom, loving kindness, compassion, non-duality and compassion, non-duality and interdependence), the Examen interdependence), the Examen provides the basic reference points provides the basic reference points for our understanding and acting in for our understanding and acting in the world. the world.

Innerconnectivity:Innerconnectivity:The Examen connects us to the world The Examen connects us to the world around us by illuminating the inner-around us by illuminating the inner-connectivity of all creation. connectivity of all creation.

The “inner” and the “outer” are deeply The “inner” and the “outer” are deeply connected. connected.

The Examen reveals our co responsibility The Examen reveals our co responsibility with others for the state of thingswith others for the state of things

Enjoy the ProcessEnjoy the Process::The Examen teaches us that means are The Examen teaches us that means are just as significant as ends and in fact are just as significant as ends and in fact are ends. ends.

The reality of our daily lives is just as The reality of our daily lives is just as important as our accomplishments. important as our accomplishments.

Kindness and compassion is far more Kindness and compassion is far more important than the content of our resume important than the content of our resume or the size of our bank statements.or the size of our bank statements.

Social TransformationSocial Transformation::

The Examen leads to social action The Examen leads to social action and social transformation based and social transformation based upon reconciliation, rather than upon reconciliation, rather than victory from one side. victory from one side.

This harmony and reconciliation This harmony and reconciliation starts with the self through the starts with the self through the Examen and moves out into Examen and moves out into cooperation for a just society.cooperation for a just society.

Conclusion:Conclusion:

The Examen leads us into The Examen leads us into habituallyhabitually doing the greater doing the greater good.good.


The greater good is that which, if put The greater good is that which, if put into effect, would “give praise, into effect, would “give praise, reverence and service to God.” It reverence and service to God.” It gives a greater praise or glory to gives a greater praise or glory to God.God.


Given the possibilities and limitations Given the possibilities and limitations of our given circumstances, the of our given circumstances, the greater good is usually the choice greater good is usually the choice that most embodies the reign of God.that most embodies the reign of God.


Using ones gift to create a world in Using ones gift to create a world in which the dignity of all people is which the dignity of all people is upheld.upheld.

The greater good is always the The greater good is always the more universal good. It always is, of more universal good. It always is, of necessity the common good.necessity the common good.

Predispositions for Discernment: Interior Freedom: rid the soul of inordinate attachments....

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