The first weeks of my year have been spent recharging my physical and spiritual batteries. It has been a time spent relaxing and in prayer committing to some new ways of proceeding in my life. These ways re-imagined by my coming to know my true feelings as to my life and allowing those feelings to draw me closer to the Father God who transforms me.

This time spent similarly to the time spent at the end of most days in which I have a conversation with God. Time spent praying the prayer developed by St Ignatius, the ‘Awareness Examen. Throughout the year I find this prayer the best way to review my day and to have the opportunity to give thanks to God for the graces and experiences which gave me life. It also gives me an opportunity to respond, out of sorrow for those times in which I was not life giving and then allow forgiveness to transform me.

This year, I decided to pray the Examen looking back over the past year. Many feelings arose, but most importantly, the feeling of forgiveness for the times I failed to love no matter the cost to me. Not surprisingly, out of that forgiveness grew the grace of healing. The unconditional type of healing in which God transforms me to be able to love most deeply.

I relished the opportunity the Examen gave me to reconcile my feelings and to resolve to strive for the magis, the more, the greater in the new year. I found the Examen opened my heart to my true feelings so I urge you to pray the Examen. I pray you graced by the particular graces that will draw you closer to the God who transforms you to love most deeply.

Chris Kennedy

(Image from Pixabey by Vikajob)