A friend asked about the examen and it grew into several Monday evenings at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, where I did my best to present the spirituality of Ignatius.
As for me, what I have emerged with is a deeper meaning of the Examen. The last two times we gathered, I presented some thoughts from the final chapter of Finding God in All Things by William A. Barry, SJ. In that chapter Barry speaks of "The Contemplation to Attain the Love of God" or "The Contemplation for Learning to Love Like God."
In one of two points Ignatius makes before the contemplation he speaks of mutual sharing. God provides creation for us to be aware of, and in return we examen our day and tell God what caught our eye and how it touched our heart or stomach.
I had set a Lenten goal to do an examen everyday. I have not done one (at least in my usual style) since the fire. If you have read this blog the past week, then you know I have felt waves of sadness. My stoicism is only so strong these days... one could say because of doing the examen off and on fro several years.
Finding God in all things... Saturday I went to the school because I wanted to check on the seedlings and pick up National Geographics for a friend, who needs some for her classroom. I came home with Easter flowers from a fire house just down the street from the school.
As I parked by my house, I saw a door wide open across the street but no cars. I walked over to see what was happening and stood in that doorway for about 10 minutes. I came home reeking of smoke and hoping that over time healing will happen to the man I spoke with and his family, and that they will hopefully live there again. I know healing can happen. I also know it can take a long time.
Tomorrow night we will spend our third Monday evening on that final chapter.
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I pray no one died or was seriously injured in the fire, Stratoz. What a dreadful loss. I join my hopes with yours.
ReplyDeleteFor me, Wayne, trying to find God "in" the fire would be like asking me to find God "in" Satan. The fire, to me, simply represents life. Life "happens". God is "in" the healing, in the restoration, in neighbors and friends like yourself. God takes life, breathes into it, and gives it "life", His Spirit opening our eyes, our senses, a Reality beyond this one giving us resourse beyond ourself.....
ReplyDeleteBeryl... no one died. one man jumped and is healing.
ReplyDeleteJim... finding God in the fire, means that I sit with how it felt to be aware of what happened that night and respond, hopefully in way that helps the healing. Ignatius would have us tell God what was beautiful and what was ugly, what brought us joy and what made us sad, what gave us hope and what makes us feel despair. and then respond.
Thanks for the explanation, Wayne. It does put a different perspective on things, the examen, no doubt, a good approach to such matters.....
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