The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday. 

On July 31 in 1556, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Founder of the Jesuit Order, died at the Jesuit residence in Rome, after decades of serving the Jesuits, the Catholic Church and the whole People of God. He was at various points in his life a soldier, a mystic, a beggar, a pilgrim, a student, a priest, a fundraiser, a spiritual director, and an administrator. As it was for nearly all of the saints, life was sometimes tough.  And confusing.  When he was a young man, he thought he was going to be a great soldier, but a cannonball shattered his leg and ended his military career. Later, he thought that he should live like an ascetic, but he found it harmed his health and he had to start eating better. He thought he would move to the Holy Land, but he was turned away. 

At each juncture, Ignatius had to discern what to do when it seemed like his path was blocked. As a result, he is sometimes called the “Patron Saint of Plan B.” Ignatius shows us that the path to holiness can sometimes be confusing and rather circuitous. So don’t worry too much about changing your mind or your course. Ignatius and many others did it before you did—and reached their destination all the same. 

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday. 

On July 31 in 1556, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Founder of the Jesuit Order, died at the Jesuit residence in Rome, after decades of serving the Jesuits, the Catholic Church and the whole People of God. He was at various points in his life a soldier, a mystic, a beggar, a pilgrim, a student, a priest, a fundraiser, a spiritual director, and an administrator. As it was for nearly all of the saints, life was sometimes tough.  And confusing.  When he was a young man, he thought he was going to be a great soldier, but a cannonball shattered his leg and ended his military career. Later, he thought that he should live like an ascetic, but he found it harmed his health and he had to start eating better. He thought he would move to the Holy Land, but he was turned away. 

At each juncture, Ignatius had to discern what to do when it seemed like his path was blocked. As a result, he is sometimes called the “Patron Saint of Plan B.” Ignatius shows us that the path to holiness can sometimes be confusing and rather circuitous. So don’t worry too much about changing your mind or your course. Ignatius and many others did it before you did—and reached their destination all the same.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday. 

On July 31 in 1556, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Founder of the Jesuit Order, died at the Jesuit residence in Rome, after decades of serving the Jesuits, the Catholic Church and the whole People of God. He was at various points in his life a soldier, a mystic, a beggar, a pilgrim, a student, a priest, a fundraiser, a spiritual director, and an administrator. As it was for nearly all of the saints, life was sometimes tough.  And confusing.  When he was a young man, he thought he was going to be a great soldier, but a cannonball shattered his leg and ended his military career. Later, he thought that he should live like an ascetic, but he found it harmed his health and he had to start eating better. He thought he would move to the Holy Land, but he was turned away. 

At each juncture, Ignatius had to discern what to do when it seemed like his path was blocked. As a result, he is sometimes called the “Patron Saint of Plan B.” Ignatius shows us that the path to holiness can sometimes be confusing and rather circuitous. So don’t worry too much about changing your mind or your course. Ignatius and many others did it before you did—and reached their destination all the same. 

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time. New reflections will be added every Monday.

What’s your favorite image of God in prayer? By that I mean: when you close your eyes to pray, who or what do you think of? For many people, God is a kind of presence, beside them, or around them, or above them. One terrific way to start your prayer comes from St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He says that before we begin to pray we should look at the place in which we’re going to be praying—a chair, a place on the floor, a bed, a church pew—and imagine God looking at us there. For a whole minute. After you do that, you’ll find that when you finally sit down, or lie down on kneel down, having imagined God looking at you, it really deepens your prayer. It reminds you who is with you. Some people like to think of Jesus with them while they pray, perhaps sitting next to them, or in a chair across the room. One young Jesuit, who was a pretty outdoorsy type, told me that he likes to think of Jesus and him sitting across a campfire from him, just talking. A few years ago, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I found a picnic bench I liked to pray at, right by the Sea of Galilee. So that’s where I return to pray sometimes, in my mind. Whatever image of God you have in prayer is fine. Because there’s no one better than the other. Just trust that whatever image you use—God will meet you there.