The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

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

This is the holiest week of the Christian calendar. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, and continues all the way through what’s called the Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For me, one of the most moving parts of Holy Week is how Jesus could go from being celebrated on Palm Sunday to being crucified on Good Friday to being resurrected on Easter Sunday.

Now, I know you’re not Jesus, but I’m sure that your life has gone through some significant ups and downs. So it’s easy to lose hope. But the message of Easter is there’s always hope. Sometimes, though, you have to look hard to find it. Which is why reviewing your day, in the examen, is such a help to your spiritual life. The examen helps you hope.

A new reflection for Holy Week will be added on Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

A new reflection for Holy Week will be added on Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

 

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 5th Week of Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

A few weeks ago, I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of 100 pilgrims. I’ve been there several times now, which has been a real surprise, since I never thought I would ever go. While we were there, it was announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead, was going to be closed, for a number of political reasons. Needless to say, our pilgrims were crushed. So we had to talk about disappointment, an inevitable part of life. Lent is a good time to think about disappointment, since the season leads up to not only Easter Sunday, but Good Friday. On Good Friday, Jesus was, to say the least, disappointed. Disappointed in his disciples’ abandoning of him. Disappointed that his message wasn’t heard: remember, he weeps over Jerusalem. And perhaps disappointed that crucifixion was his Father’s will. In the end, the Church opened in time for us to visit, but the lesson was still a good one. Jesus understands you when you are disappointed. And I hope that this can help you feel close to him, and more able to share your own disappointments.