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 Lent. New reflections will be added every Monday.

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

One of my theology professors in graduate school—Father James Keenan, a Jesuit priest—once told me something about sin that entirely changed my way of looking at it. In the New Testament, he said, Jesus rarely critiques people who are weak and trying. You know, people who are really struggling to be better. Instead, he critiques people who are strong but not bothering; people who could help, but just don’t. Think about the story of the rich man who simply steps over the poor man on his doorstep: He could help, but he doesn’t bother. So for Jesus, he told us, sin is a failure to bother to love. Maybe you could ask yourself that as you move through your examen: Where am I failing to bother to love?

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

I’m not sure if you’re Christian or not, but for most Christians this is the period of the year known as Lent. And if you know nothing else about Lent, you probably know that people give things up. And in general, that’s a noble practice. In ancient times, people would give things up not only to live healthier lives, and prepare themselves spiritually for Easter, but also for another reason: to give money to the poor. The idea was that if you spent less money on things like meat you could give what you saved to those who need it. That’s why fasting and almsgiving and prayer, the three pillars of Lent, are all connected. So as you pray the examen, and think about the ways that God is at work in your life, you might ask yourself another question: How is what I’m doing helping the poor?

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

I’m not sure if you’re Christian or not, but for most Christians this is the period of the year known as Lent. And if you know nothing else about Lent, you probably know that people give things up. And in general, that’s a noble practice. In ancient times, people would give things up not only to live healthier lives, and prepare themselves spiritually for Easter, but also for another reason: to give money to the poor. The idea was that if you spent less money on things like meat you could give what you saved to those who need it. That’s why fasting and almsgiving and prayer, the three pillars of Lent, are all connected. So as you pray the examen, and think about the ways that God is at work in your life, you might ask yourself another question: How is what I’m doing helping the poor?

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

I’m not sure if you’re Christian or not, but for most Christians this is the period of the year known as Lent. And if you know nothing else about Lent, you probably know that people give things up. And in general, that’s a noble practice. In ancient times, people would give things up not only to live healthier lives, and prepare themselves spiritually for Easter, but also for another reason: to give money to the poor. The idea was that if you spent less money on things like meat you could give what you saved to those who need it. That’s why fasting and almsgiving and prayer, the three pillars of Lent, are all connected. So as you pray the examen, and think about the ways that God is at work in your life, you might ask yourself another question: How is what I’m doing helping the poor?