Throughout Lent, we’ve been inviting you to pray the Examen. The devotional guide we’ve been following, From Ashes to Glory, says this: “Easter offers the best time to set the pattern. The reason is simple: joy. Easter joy says, ’Always be joyful in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful’ (Philippians 4:4). The Examen can help us sustain this joy in the Lord.” Here is the Examen for Easter.
Daily Examen for Easter
The Word – When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:1-7)
Reflect – The first sign of love is interest. Jesus’ friends wanted to know what happened to him. They wanted to know for themselves, at first—for we do not love others if we do not love ourselves, and we cannot love ourselves if we are not interested in ourselves. Finding Jesus serves our deepest self-interest, as it did for the first disciples. Finding him also brings to life, as nothing else can, our destiny to love one another as he loved us. And finally, truly finding Jesus brings us to spread this Good News by the way we live.
The Examen
- Give Thanks. I thank God for this day, for my life, for all I am and have, and for God’s Word.
- Pray for Light. I ask God to let me see my day as the Holy Spirit sees it, and to show me what I need to see.
- Find God. I look at my day in the light of the Spirit. I look at what I have done and not done. Where have I found God?
- Anything Wrong? Have I ignored God? Have I neglected God’s gifts? Where have I pleased myself instead of pleasing God? I express my contrition to God and repent of my sins.
- What Now? I look forward in hope. What am I to do now? What do I have to avoid?
Close – with the Lord’s Prayer, this prayer, or something of your own.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Victor over sin and death.
You live and reign in your kingdom,
surrounded by vast crowds of angels and archangels, martyrs and saints.
Lord, we are here, seeking you in both joy and struggle, as we rise and as we fall.
May your Spirit stay with us, glorious Lord, stay with us always.
Alleluia! Amen.
May the blessings of Easter be with you!
– Pastor Karen