An Examen for the Ages

I’ve always found it particularly difficult to complete an examination of conscience. There is great complexity to identifying and working with the balance of talents and shortcomings that I experience and work with each day, vague events, and grand happenings, and locating those moments and occurrences that are actually of value to praying a fruitful examen.

Nonetheless, countless saints and masters of the spiritual life have borne witness to the abundant fruit waiting to be harvested by those who faithfully and consistently examine their consciences. It is in spending a few moments each day reflecting on the movements of the heart, mind, and spirit, that discernment reaches its fullest capacity, and the many voices surrounding us, and welling-up inside of us, reveal themselves.  

I’ve always been drawn to all-encompassing, concise methods and definitions of things. With that in mind, I’ve been in search of an examination of conscience that would cut straight to the core of things. And I found it.

A brilliant and humble priest approached the ambo at a rather sleepy weekday mass and gave us his own personal examination of conscience (though it is far older than he is). He turned to St. Paul’s first epistle to the Church in Corinth (chapter 13, verse 4-7 to be exact) and read it aloud:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” ( 1 Cor 13:4-7).

Father then explained that each night, before praying Compline, he used this text as an examination of conscience. His method is quite simple. Wherever the Apostle has used the word “love”, Father inserts his own name, and then reflects on the validity of the statement.

Since love is the ultimate end of all Christian action and life, it is fitting that we should answer these questions each night and ponder our answers. It is worth noting as well how painful examens can be at first. Trusting in the Spirit, all things come into light when we honestly ask ourselves if we are loving as St. Paul describes in his epistle. From this, though, we should not despair, but be filled with hope. To know that we are sinful, and to see all of our brokenness in examining our consciences in the light of the Spirit is the first step in our transformation into what we are called to be.

So, friends, let us examen our consciences each night—asking ourselves plainly and honestly:

Am I patient? Am I kind? Am I jealous? Am I pompous and inflated? Am I rude and selfish? Am I quick-tempered? Do I brood over injury and  hold grudges? Am I happy at the mistakes of others? Do I seek the truth in all things? Do I bear all things with kindness and mercy as Jesus? Do I trust others? Do I hope in God and my neighbor? Do I endure all things as Christ and Our Lady, with love, even when I do not understand?

And God bless.