I’m currently reading a book on Ignatian spirituality written by a Jesuit, Father James Martin. The title is a little embarrassing so I won’t type it out. It’s a good introduction to Jesuit spirituality and the rule of life established by Ignatius.
I’ve learned that Ignatius came to church and faith later in life. At 30 his leg was shattered by a cannonball and he was left left with a rather severe deformity. In order to fit in with current fashions that showed off slender (yet still manly) legs in tights, Ignatius had a painful, cosmetic surgery to remove a bone fragment protruding from his limb. This increased his recovery time, and, looking back on the ordeal, he thought it was a vain decision.
But, it was while recovering from his injury and surgery that Ignatius began to read books on the lives of the saints and the life of Jesus. Before reading these accounts, Ignatius was taken with tales of chivalry and knights coming to the rescue of fair maidens. In the tales of the saints, Ignatius discovered a different kind of honor, one directed towards God. Ignatius went on to establish the Society of Jesus, creating a religious order that refused to withdraw from society but sought a spirituality for the real world of business and school and marriage and life.
At the heart of Ignatian spirituality is the Prayer of Examen. Instead of retreating from this world to the “spiritual” or “ethereal” or “getting lost in prayer,” Ignatius wanted people to think about the ins and outs of their everyday life and look for places where God was working. Here are the five steps to the prayer of Examen:
1. Gratitude: Recall anything from the day for which you are especially grateful, and give thanks.
2. 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.
3. Sorrow: Recall any actions for which you are sorry.
4. Forgiveness: Ask for God’s forgiveness. Decide whether you want to reconcile with anyone you have hurt.
5. Grace: Ask God for the grace you need for the next day and an ability to see God’s presence more clearly.
Many times I go through life wondering where God is, or if he’s even there. The Prayer of Examen is an opportunity to see God in what’s happened, not what’s happening. Like a ship moving through water and leaving wake, perhaps God’s movement is best found by looking behind, not ahead.
My days are filled with books and classes and people and deadlines, and I don’t want to leave all of that behind when I pray. My fear is that I will go to pray and then return to my classes and family and people and deadlines and leave God behind. The Prayer of Examen helps me to focus on God’s daily provision and gives me hope that those mercies will continue into the next day.
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