3rd Step - Mary Garden | Examination
Lord, show me what has been happening to
me and in me this day.
Today, in what ways have I experienced your love?
The Examen is a meditation for in finding God in your life as you are living it right now. You look at the present. You summon the memories of the hours you have just lived and try to experience those events as you lived them. You are aware that events and relationships in the past have shaped today’s circumstances but, at this moment in the Examen, you are looking at what is. We meditate this way to discern the deeper truth about ourselves. We meditate this way to discover: Who am I? And who am I called to become? In the review of the day, we are especially interested in our responses. Where was I authentically present? Where was I peaceful and content? Where did I feel numb or absent? This meditation is a way to keep track of the quality of our responses. Take a moment to review the last 24 hours to notice the details of your encounters.
The Walking Examen, a one-mile prayer journey around Fairfield University’s scenic campus, is based on a prayer method popularized by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, in the 16th century. The intention of the meditation is to invite participants to trust, allow and delight in God’s love through a five-step process of contemplation and presence.
The Examen walk, open to community members and visitors of all faiths, begins near the Egan Chapel plaza and continues toward Campus Ministry’s entrance on the lower level, and then winds its way through the fields and past the library toward the steps at the Mary Garden, Bellarmine Pond, and lastly the lawn of the Jesuit Community Center. Each step of the Examen is marked with a boulder and a plaque identifying the prayer prompt: Thanksgiving, Illumination, Examination, Contrition and Hope.
For more information visit The Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality