The Daily Examen is a short prayer, taught by St. Ignatius of Loyola, in which you look back over your day with God: giving thanks, noticing where he was present, recognizing your faults, asking pardon, and resolving to do better tomorrow. It takes about ten to fifteen minutes and is usually prayed at night. St. Ignatius considered it so important that he told his Jesuits never to omit it, even if they had to skip other prayers. Below are the five points in St. Ignatius’s own words, a simple guide for today, and a prayer to begin and end.
The five points in St. Ignatius’s words
From the Spiritual Exercises, “Method for Making the General Examen,” in the 1914 translation of Father Elder Mullan:
First Point. The first Point is to give thanks to God our Lord for the benefits received.
Second Point. The second, to ask grace to know our sins and cast them out.
Third Point. The third, to ask account of our soul from the hour that we rose up to the present Examen, hour by hour, or period by period: and first as to thoughts, and then as to words, and then as to acts, in the same order as was mentioned in the Particular Examen.
Fourth Point. The fourth, to ask pardon of God our Lord for the faults.
Fifth Point. The fifth, to purpose amendment with His grace.
Ignatius ends the examen with the Our Father.
A simple guide for today
- Gratitude. Thank God for the gifts of the day: people, moments of joy, help received, even small things.
- Ask for light. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see your day as God sees it, honestly and without fear.
- Review the day. Go through the day hour by hour: thoughts, words, actions. Where did you feel close to God? Where did you turn away? Notice your feelings too.
- Ask for forgiveness. Tell God you are sorry for your faults, and trust in his mercy.
- Look to tomorrow. Resolve with God’s grace to do one concrete thing better tomorrow, and end with an Our Father.
A prayer to begin the Examen
Written for this page:
Lord, I place myself in your presence.
Thank you for this day and for all its gifts.
Send your Holy Spirit to show me my day as you see it,
with your truth and your mercy. Amen.
A prayer to end the Examen
Written for this page:
Lord, thank you for being with me today.
Forgive me for the times I did not love you and others as I should.
Give me your grace tomorrow, especially (name the resolution).
Into your hands I commend my spirit. Amen.
The particular examen
St. Ignatius also taught a particular examen: choosing one specific fault or virtue and checking it twice a day, at midday and at night, to make steady progress. Many people combine it with the daily examen.
Examen and confession
The daily examen is not the sacrament of confession, but it prepares for it. Someone who examines his or her conscience every night will find confession clearer and more fruitful. See the examination of conscience and how to go to confession.
Frequently asked questions
When should I pray the Daily Examen?
Most people pray it at night before sleep; St. Ignatius recommended a brief examen at midday too.
How long does the Examen take?
About ten to fifteen minutes.
What is the difference between the Examen and an examination of conscience?
An examination of conscience usually reviews sins before confession; the Examen is a daily prayer that begins with gratitude and looks for God’s presence as well as our faults.
More ways to pray
- Suscipe prayer of St. Ignatius
- Catholic night prayers
- Compline (Night Prayer)
- St. Ignatius of Loyola prayer
- Lectio Divina
- Act of Contrition
- How to pray as a Catholic
Texts and sources
- St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises, translated by Elder Mullan, S.J. (1914), public domain (archive.org).
- The modern guide and prayers were written for this page.