The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

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?

Lent is a popular time to make resolutions. And that’s all to the good.

A resolution may be a way to embrace what Jesus asks us to do in the Gospels, which is to live more loving lives. Actually, the word Jesus used, at least in the Greek New Testament, was metanoia. That means a change of mind or heart. Often in Lent our resolutions end up being giving up chocolate or going on a diet. But the real Lenten project is to enter into a deeper relationship with your fellow human beings, with all of creation, and especially with God.

For more information on the Examen and for written resources that accompany this podcast, visit https://americamag.org/examen

We've been hard at work preparing a new prayer podcast for this coming Lenten Season.

The examen is an ancient prayer practice that enables you to find God in your daily life. Our podcast is based on a technique that St. Ignatius Loyola outlined in the "Spiritual Exercises," his classic manual for prayer.

Each week Fr. Martin will provide you with a new reflection and guide you through the examen prayer.