The Daily 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.

The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. 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.

How to Make the Examen Part of Your Day
Variations on the Examen
Reflections on Praying the Examen
Handouts on the Examen

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.

2. Review the day with gratitude.

3. Pay attention to your emotions.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.

5. Look toward tomorrow.

For details about each step of the Examen, read How Can I Pray?

dotMagis Posts About the Examen
From the category archives of the dotMagis blog.

How to Make the Examen Part of Your Day

Rummaging for God: Praying Backwards through Your Day
By Dennis Hamm, SJ
Fr. Dennis Hamm, SJ, a scripture professor at Creighton University, calls the Daily Examen “rummaging for God.” He likens it to “going through a drawer full of stuff, feeling around, looking for something that you are sure must be there.” That’s an accurate description of what it’s like to pray the Daily Examen. We look back on the previous day, rummaging through the “stuff,” and finding God in it. We know he is there.

Consciousness Examen
By George Aschenbrenner, SJ
Considered a classic. This is a reprint of the original 1972 article by Aschenbrenner exploring the how and why of practicing the Examen.

Reflection and Our Active Lives
By David L. Fleming, SJ
The tools and methods of Ignatian spirituality, particularly the Examen, instill in us habits of prayerful, thoughtful reflection.

The Examen Video
A six-minute video about the Examen, produced by the Jesuits of the California Province.

An Examen on MP3
Peter Filice, SJ, guides you through a Daily Examen.

Review of the Day (MP3 format)
Review of the Day (wma format) (3.9 MB)
The “Review of the Day” is an eight-minute Examen provided by the Jesuits in the UK. To play, click on the link above. To download, right-click on the link and choose “Save Target As” from the drop-down menu.

Examen Video Trailer
This appealing video was created by staff and students at San Francisco’s St. Ignatius College Prep to introduce the practice of the Ignatian Examen to the student body.

Into the Examen
This follow-up video to “Examen” from St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco features a student trying out the Examen for himself. Several people think it is the best video they have seen about the Examen.

Examen III: Called to Love
The third and longest (11 min.) in a series of Examen videos from St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. There is less focus on the “how to” of the Examen and more on the “when it would be good to do.”

Variations on the Examen

Communal Examen (PDF)
By Philip Shano, SJ
The author describes a “communal” examen of consciousness, an exercise based on the realization that Ignatian spirituality is applicable to communities, not just individual men and women.

Ecological Examen (PDF)
By Joseph Carver, SJ
The Examen is presented from an ecological perspective.

Examen Me
Examen.me describes itself as a “modern approach to ancient devotional practices.” The site does not refer to Ignatius and, although its ownership is hard to trace, it is based in Fort Worth, TX. Examen.me offers six different types of examens, with only one being close to the traditional Ignatian version.

The Prayer of Examen (Guided Version) (PDF)
Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan guides the reader through a four-part version of the Examen, with questions and suggestions for proceeding.

Reflections on Praying the Examen

Examen (PDF)
Based on an original article by Father George Aschenbrenner, SJ
This guide calls readers to take another look at the Examen through a consideration of the goal and shape of the prayer. It’s an abbreviation of an article by Aschenbrenner. The present format was prepared by Fr. John English and has been further amended by members of the British Province of the Society of Jesus.

Finding God on the Metro
By William Blazek, SJ
God is present in all things—even on the subway during the morning commute.

On the Sofa with God
By Paul Brian Campbell, SJ
One image to consider in practicing the Examen is sitting on the sofa next to God.

Tom McGrath Responds in Blog-alogue about Examen
As part of a conversational blog exchange about the Examen, Tom McGrath recounts a wonderful image about telling your story to God, who then tells your story back to you.

Handouts on the Examen

The Examen: Finding God in All Things (PDF)
A printable guide to the Examen which seems eminently suitable for beginners in Ignatian spirituality.

The Prayer of Examen Handout (PDF)
A printable booklet to guide you through the Examen (which appears slightly confusing until it is printed). Use of the terms consolation and desolation means that it is better suited to those already somewhat familiar with Ignatian spirituality.