“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything.” - Thomas Merton

The Awareness Examen can be practiced one habit at a time, since gratitude begins with remembering, deepens in receiving, and overflows into responding. Click on an audio recording below to pray. Afterward, journal using the prompts that follow each recording.

Remembering

Remembering opens the door to gratitude and awakens in us a sense of gift, grace, or blessing.

Spend 2-3’ writing down what remains with you, what surprised you, or what you discovered about God or about yourself.

Receiving

Recognizing, acknowledging, and accepting something as GIFT draws us to God, the GIVER of gifts.

Spend 2-3’ writing down what remains with you, what surprised you, or what you discovered about God or about yourself.

Responding

Grace is how we experience God’s self-giving. The more we can respond to grace, the more we can embrace and realize God’s dream for our lives.

Spend 2-3’ writing down what remains with you, what surprised you, or what you discovered about God or about yourself.

Living Gratefully

The Examen is an Ignatian habit of loving that involves our intellect (remembering), affect (receiving), and will (responding). It is a practice of grateful living, a whole-hearted response to God’s presence and action in our lives.

Spend 2-3’ writing down what remains with you, what surprised you, or what you discovered about God or about yourself.