An Examen from Daily Prayer

I often pray the prayers from the Daily Missal, which I’ve mentioned here, one of which is ‘An Act of Adoration’.

Here is a part of that prayer:

Adorable Jesus! divine Pattern of that perfection to which we should all aspire, I will endeavor this day to follow Thine example: to be mild, humble, chaste, zealous, patient, charitable and resigned. … I am resolved to watch over myself with the greatest diligence, and to live soberly, justly and piously, for the time to come. I will take care of my words, that I may not offend with my toungue. I will turn away eyes, that they may not see vanity; and I will be particularly, attentive not to relapse this day into my accustomed failings, but to struggle against them with my heart, … Amen.

I would write the whole thing down, but I’d hate to break copyright laws.
Icons for Prayer

From that beautiful prayer though, we can gather a list of things to bring to mind either before Confession, or even as a simply nightly examen.

Have I been:

  • Mild? Or have I been wild?
  • Humble? Or Proud?
  • Chaste? Or given to lascivious thoughts?
  • Zealous? Or stiff necked and tepid in my fervor for wholeness of spirit?
  • Patient? Or an ass?
  • Charitable? Or merciless?
  • Resigned? Or filled with thoughts of avoidance when it comes to prayer, and doing Thy Holy Will?
  • Have I watched over myself with the greatest diligence? Or sacked out in front of the TV like a rutabaga?
  • Have I lived soberly? Or have I given my thoughts and emotions free reign with no temperance or wisdom?
  • Have I lived justly?
  • Have I lived piously?
  • Have I taken care of my words? Or offended with my toungue?
  • Have I turned away my eyes from what is evil, or have I looked upon vanity?
  • Have I relapsed this day into my accustomed failings, or struggled against them with my all my heart?

Le Mont Ste. Michel cloister garden

And this begs the question, what are my accustomed failings?

Have I hurt anyone in thought, word or deed, or through neglect?

If I have truly loved the Lord my God, with all my heart and with all my mind, then my actions will have demonstrated that throughout the day. Is that the reality of things?

Have I loved my neighbor as myself?

Examens: it’s the simple things in life which can often make life seem so difficult.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen