EXAMEN has been at work and present in your day
through events, people and places.
LAWRENCE KOHLBERG – Psychologist
1927-1986
1. The child/individual is good in order to
avoid being punished. If a person is
punished, they must have done wrong.
2. Good boy/The child/individual becomes
aware of the wider rules of society, so
judgments concern obeying the rules in
order to uphold the law and to avoid guilt.
3. People at this stage have developed their
own set of moral guidelines which may or
may not fit the law. The principles apply to
everyone.
Consciousness Examen
Awareness- being aware having a knowledge
consciousness- being aware and responding
The examen is a prayerful reflection from
the Spiritual Exercises which has become a
key part of Jesuit life and which can have a
powerful impact on the lives of those who
use it.
It consists of setting time aside each day (for
Ignatius twice a day, at midday and the end
of the day) to reflect prayerfully on the
events of the day and where God has been in
those events.
The “Prayer of Examen” is a traditional way
to encounter God in the everyday
circumstances of life.
There are five steps to the Examen as it
appears in the Spiritual Exercises(n.43) of
St Ignatius Loyola:
(Islam: always starts with adoration)
1 Give thanks
Spend a few moments in gratitutde for the
gifts and blessings of the day.
2 Ask for light
Ask God to enlighten you, showing where he
3 Examine the day
Review the moments of the day, noticing
what has led to consolation and what has
led to desolation and my reactions to these
events, people and places (see below
on consolation and desolation).
4 Seek forgiveness
Ask God's forgiveness for the times when
you have acted, spoken or thought contrary
to his grace and calling for you.
5 Resolve to change
Decide what in your behaviour or attitude
you will try to improve tomorrow.
This is the most serious and obvious
consequence. The whole purpose of your
existence is to worship Allah, yet you are
disobeying your Creator every day.
“(The people in Hell will be asked:)
What has caused you to enter Hell?
They will say: We were not of those
who used to pray…”Qur’an 74:42-43
CONTEMPLATION
IGNATIAN CONTEMPLATION
is a prayer with Scripture. It is meeting God
through story.
The prayer develops as you “live into” a
Scripture story with all your senses and
imagination.
In Islamic tradition, it is said that the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would go into
the desert, climb a mountain known
as Mount Hira, and seclude himself from
the world. While on the mountain, he would
contemplate life and its meaning.
You become a participant in the story, and
you continue in the story in your heart,
mind, imagination, spirit and body after the
reading ends.
In the Ignatian tradition, praying with the
imagination is called contemplation.
In the Exercises, contemplation is a very
active way of praying that engages the mind
and heart and stirs up thoughts and
emotions.
Note that in other spiritual
traditions, contemplation has quite a
different meaning: it refers to a way of
praying that frees the mind of all thoughts
and images.
You feel the heat of the day, smell the
livestock and clouds of dust on the road,
listen to Jesus’ words, watch his actions. It’s
a way to engage the gospel personally, with
all of our faculties.
Contemplating a Gospel scene is not simply
remembering it or going back in time.
AN ANCIENT PRACTICE
self-directed practice for relaxing the body
and calming the mind.
“A state to be aware of God’s presence, and
it makes you better able to hear God’s voice
correcting, guiding, and directing you.”
SILENCE
St Ignatius of Antioch once said, “It is better
to be silent and real than to talk and be
unreal.” Jesus seems to be in agreement:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of
their many words” (Matthew 6:7)
IGNACIO DE LOYOLA
In our past experience and as we journey in
our life, we encounter people whom we look
up and see as a model in life. Just like here
in Ateneo and the other Jesuit community,
we look up to someone who is regarded as
our model. We are talking about Saint
Ignatius. Today we will continue to learn
about his life and some of our Jesuit
Characteristics.
 Ignatius was born in 1491 in Spain.
 He was the youngest of 14 children.
 At the age of 16 he was sent to work
for the treasurer of the Kingdom of
Castile.
 He did not always lead a good life
and would drink and gamble too
much. He would also challenge
people to sword fights.
 Ignatius still required time to
recover and the accident had left him
with a limp.
 He was bored and asked for some
books to read to help pass the time.
 He was given a book about the life of
Christ and the lives of the Saints.
 This was the beginning of his
conversion. He left his bad ways
behind and decided to be more like
Jesus and the Saints that he had
read about.
 But what could he do?
 He decided to travel to Jerusalem.
This was a long way away and there
was no transportation. Before
leaving he visited a church where he
prayed all night at the altar of Our
Lady. There is left behind his sword.
He swapped his fine clothes for rags
and shoes for sandals and made way
to the first step on his journey,
Barcelona.
 From Barcelona he went on to Rome
where he met the Pope who gave him
permission to visit the Holy Land
including Jerusalem.
 When he arrived the situation there
for Catholics was very dangerous
and he was forced to return to
Barcelona.
 He decided to study Latin so that he
could become a priest.
 While studying he talked to people
and told them gospel stories about
Jesus Christ. People in authority
didn’t like this and he was thrown
into jail. When he was released he
 was told not to teach anyone else
about Jesus.
 Ignatius moved to France to study at
the University of Paris.
 At the age of 33 he was ordained a
priest in Rome and the Pope put him
to work teaching scripture.
 He and some of his friends who were
also priest decided to get together
and set up a kind of club known as
‘The Society of Jesus’. Today they are
known as ‘The Jesuits’.
 Ignatius wrote over 7000 letters to
others teaching about God’s love. He
and the other Jesuits visited the sick
in hospital, taught children and
helped the poor.
