The Daily Examen · St. Ignatius of Loyola
Step 1 of 5 · Gratitude
Where did you feel grateful today?
St. Ignatius asked us to begin not with our failures, but with gratitude. Look back at the last 24 hours. Where did you notice something good — however small?
Step 2 of 5 · Awareness
Where did you feel God's presence today?
Not necessarily in a dramatic way. Sometimes He shows up in a kind word, a moment of unexpected peace, or a door that quietly opened. Where did you feel drawn toward something good?
Step 3 of 5 · Review
What troubled you today?
Look at your day without flinching. Where did you feel anxious, angry, disconnected, or not like yourself? Ignatius called this noticing the movements of the soul — not to judge, but to see clearly.
Step 4 of 5 · Sorrow & Forgiveness
Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Not to condemn yourself — Ignatius was clear that God does not meet us in shame. But honest acknowledgment makes room for grace. Is there a word, an action, an omission you want to bring to Him?
Step 5 of 5 · Hope
What do you ask of Him for tomorrow?
The Examen ends not in the past but in the future. What do you need from Him for the day ahead? Courage, patience, clarity, rest? Name it. He already knows — but naming it matters.
"You have done something most people will never do today — you stopped and looked honestly at your life in the light of His love. That is the whole practice. That is enough."
The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.— Joshua 1:9
✝ Carry the Light → The Prayer Halo
