Books

Teaching

Lent and the examen

Father Michael Sparough | The Practice

On Sunday (03.08.15) night, Fr Michael Sparough SJ gave one of the most insightful, winsome, and compelling messages I’ve heard in a long time. The way he talked about Lent both stretched and deepened how I engage this holy season. And, of course, his invitation into The Examen was brilliant.

May his words invite us deep into active practice. And may the practice invite us deep into the heart of God, for the sake of the world.

listening to god in prayer: the examen

Father Michael Sparough | The Practice

What a joy it was to have Father Michael with us last night! Father Michael managed to both introduce the Examen to those of us unfamiliar with it, and take those who were familiar more deeply into its practice. A holy habit of practicing the Examen, Father Michael explained, seeks to change our consciousness so that we become more aware that we are always in the presence of God.

After an introduction, Father Michael led us into a particular Examen, one that helps us to examine a virtue God is inviting us to develop or some sin with which we are struggling. We can form our prayer around the examination of this vice or virtue in a way that invites God into our work, so that our growth is formational, flowing through God’s work in our everyday life.

Contemplative prayer & the Examen

Fr. Rick Ganz | Bridgetown Church

More than anything else, prayer is about being in active relationship with a Person. If one understands this, then he or she will quickly recognize how being in active relationship with a person includes the practice of all kinds of habits of communication by which the relationship is experienced, grown, deepened, and challenged. 

Sometimes this means talking; sometimes it means not saying a word, but sharing times of easy silence together; sometimes one shares a special landscape (a forest or an ocean beach, etc.) with the friend, walking with him or her in it; sometimes one shares music; sometimes it means acting for the other – being of help; sometimes it means listening to the friend, letting the other give or show or teach or guide as the friend wishes.

In short, prayer is not as much about “saying prayers” or as much about learning new “techniques” of prayer, as it is about doing whatever is necessary to deepen our friendship with God and making sure to set aside time daily to do that. However, learning from others how to do friendship skillfully, – and, in particular, friendship with God – and learning “techniques” or “habits” or “traditions” given us from the greatest of the friends of God, is still of great value.

Videos

Audio Resources

Examen For Children | A Special Examen Prayer For Children