Ignatian Examen and reflections

1. Become aware of God’s presence.2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions.4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.5. Look toward tomorrow. This comes from  http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/It seems the greatest challenge is examining relationships with parents and siblings.  There are many realities that expose themselves from childhood: naked, bruised and crouched in a corner • from adolescence where the outer shell has grown its exterior layer of inflexibility and rigidity. The practice of daily examen is time worthwhile spent.  It stops me from sinking into one of my stories that explains what the conflict with my sibling is all about.  The sentences and paragraphs of such explanations are like plants that have grown from another world, another planet, another galaxy.  The language no longer applies in the here and now.  Not when forgiveness has brought me to a different world.From the tiny dewdrops, from the fragments of a time past the daily examen teaches me that the only one that I really need to understand in the conflict is me.  Eventually the larger reflection, the one that draws the entire image will emerge from the pool of water on pavement.  And I come to see that there is a Creator in the life of the tree reflected on the pool of water.  I understand what I need to let go of, what I need to know and what I need to do.

Blessings on you and your family.