The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

Because today is Monday, we have a new reflection for the week.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

Because today is Monday, we have a new reflection for the week.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

A new reflection for the 2nd week of Easter will be added on Monday.

Happy Easter! And, by the way, you can say that every day for the next few weeks, because Easter is a whole liturgical season. For the next 50 days, until Pentecost, technically it’s Easter. And it makes sense to give it a 50-day celebration. Because Easter is the main message of Christianity. What does that mean? Well, first it means that Christ has risen from the dead. That’s the central meaning and that alone would be enough to meditate on for 50 days. But also that hope always triumphs over despair, love always triumphs over hatred, life always triumphs over death and suffering is never the last word. So one question in this Easter season is where have you experienced your own Easters? Where have you seen your own resurrections? Maybe you can think about that during your examen this Easter.

A new reflection for the 2nd week of Easter will be added on Monday.

Happy Easter! And, by the way, you can say that every day for the next few weeks, because Easter is a whole liturgical season. For the next 50 days, until Pentecost, technically it’s Easter. And it makes sense to give it a 50-day celebration. Because Easter is the main message of Christianity. What does that mean? Well, first it means that Christ has risen from the dead. That’s the central meaning and that alone would be enough to meditate on for 50 days. But also that hope always triumphs over despair, love always triumphs over hatred, life always triumphs over death and suffering is never the last word. So one question in this Easter season is where have you experienced your own Easters? Where have you seen your own resurrections? Maybe you can think about that during your examen this Easter.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 1st Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

Happy Easter! And, by the way, you can say that every day for the next few weeks, because Easter is a whole liturgical season. For the next 50 days, until Pentecost, technically it’s Easter. And it makes sense to give it a 50-day celebration. Because Easter is the main message of Christianity. What does that mean? Well, first it means that Christ has risen from the dead. That’s the central meaning and that alone would be enough to meditate on for 50 days. But also that hope always triumphs over despair, love always triumphs over hatred, life always triumphs over death and suffering is never the last word. So one question in this Easter season is where have you experienced your own Easters? Where have you seen your own resurrections? Maybe you can think about that during your examen this Easter.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 1st Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

Happy Easter! And, by the way, you can say that every day for the next few weeks, because Easter is a whole liturgical season. For the next 50 days, until Pentecost, technically it’s Easter. And it makes sense to give it a 50-day celebration. Because Easter is the main message of Christianity. What does that mean? Well, first it means that Christ has risen from the dead. That’s the central meaning and that alone would be enough to meditate on for 50 days. But also that hope always triumphs over despair, love always triumphs over hatred, life always triumphs over death and suffering is never the last word. So one question in this Easter season is where have you experienced your own Easters? Where have you seen your own resurrections? Maybe you can think about that during your examen this Easter.