This Lent we are offering a prayer exercise, “From Ashes to Glory,” based on Ignatius’s Examen. It is by Joseph Tetlow, SJ, a writer and esteemed spiritual director who has had a lot to do with the growing popularity of the Examen.
“From Ashes to Glory” posts will appear here on Ash Wednesday and at the beginning of each week of Lent. On Sundays, Fr. Tetlow will reflect on a theme:
- Give Thanks
- Pray for Light
- Find God
- Anything Wrong?
- What Now?
- The Cross
- Glory (Easter Week)
The themes of the first five weeks of Lent correspond to the five steps of the Examen.
On Mondays, Fr. Tetlow will share a Scripture passage, a five-step Examen, and a closing prayer. You can use these posts as the basis for daily Examens throughout the rest of the week.
“The Examen from Ashes to Glory keeps us aware of what we are actually doing,” says Fr. Tetlow. He continues:
If we intend to find God in all things, we are seeking a busy God, constantly creating all things and redeeming humankind. When we really find the Father, we will find what Jesus meant when he said that “the Son can do only what he sees the Father doing.” So if we want to be with God, we will be at work. How we are doing that work is what we set ourselves to examine.
This quote is so appropriate! In my late 60s, I wear many hats and never get enough sleep. For me, it’s a constant balancing act between the needs of family and my own desire and call to write books. Somehow, personal care always comes in last. I look foward to this series to help me be even more intentional about how I do all the work that God gives me to do. That includes the increasing responsibility of caring for my health, which is essential for much of what I’m called to.
OK lets get our Lenten journey started