DAILY PRAYER OF DISCERNMENT:
THE EXAMEN PRAYER

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Episode 1 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer– Serves as an introduction to the coming series and the Examen Prayer. Can we live with our spiritual eyes open to catch the action of God? The Examen Prayer is the one prayer St. Ignatius could not imagine doing without. You can’t standstill in the spiritual life if you are praying the Examen Prayer.

Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”.

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Episode 2 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer. The First Step in the Examen Prayer: Gratitude. Taking time out of the day when our hearts are free to receive the Lord’s presence. Prayer always takes two persons in relationship…ourselves and God. Then together with the Lord, we see what the gifts of love God has poured out upon us. The key in this first step, is not to look for our missteps (that may come later), but to look for the gifts and give thanks.ob

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Episode 3 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer.
The conversation continues on the subject of the first step in the Examen – GRATITUDE. Why? Because first, above all things, God is love. So at the start of the prayer, we should recall the gift of love God has blessed us with that day and give Him thanks and praise. …and be concrete. Fr. Gallagher offers examples of what that could look like. Then the conversation begins on the next step – PETITION. Asking God to show you what see clearly the spiritual realities of that day.

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Episode 4 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer.
The third step – REVIEW – this is point where the “Discernment of Spirits – the 14 Rules” and the Examen intersect. With God, we review the day. We look for the stirrings in our hearts and the thoughts that God has given us this day. We also look for those that have not been of God. IWe review our choices in response to both, and throughout the day in general.

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Episode 5 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer.
Fr. Gallagher continues to discuss the third step – REVIEW – which is where the “The Discernment of Spirits” intersects with “The Examen”. Then we approach the fourth step – FORGIVENESS – which is what all the actions in the prayer are leading to.

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Episode 6 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer.
Fr. Gallagher continues to discuss the fourth step – FORGIVENESS. Then we approach the fifth step – RENEWAL – which is how we move forward after our encounter with God in our prayer.

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Episode 7 The Daily Prayer of Discernment: The Ignatian Wisdom of the Examen Prayer.
Fr. Gallagher continues to discuss the the fifth step – RENEWAL – which is how we move forward after our encounter with God in our prayer.

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Fr. Gallagher, in this concluding episode, reviews the different dimensions of the Examen prayer and applications for our lives.