Sherry Antonetti writes #35 on our list of 56 Ways to Be Merciful During the Jubilee Year of Mercy. She shares her thoughts on an Ignatian ‘Examen,’ comparing it to a dieter stepping on the scale every morning:
The same sort of scrutiny in the spiritual realm can curb faults and failures of will, as well as reveal the occasions when God’s grace triumphs, thus rescuing us from devil-induced discouragement. And of course, unlike the scale, which couldn’t care less about your efforts, the examination of conscience is a moment of dialogue with a doting Father, who will praise every attempt to step toward him, even as he consistently and endlessly calls us away from evil. So yeah, yeah, I knew I needed to do a nightly exam just as much as I knew I needed a morning weigh-in. More, of course. Because my growth in sanctity is infinitely more important than my waistline.
Just as stepping on a scale reminds us of where we stand on a diet, nightly examination of one’s soul can remind us where we stand spiritually. Christianity is full of disciplines and a nightly ‘Examen’ is no different, but it doesn’t take as long as a Rosary. To a lazy Catholic like your contributor, this is very appealing indeed. What do you think?
And today we celebrate...