Catholic Prayer Club

… a Worldwide Apostolate

N E W S L E T T E R

May 2007 A.D.

CPC’s Mission Statement: CPC shall be a worldwide apostolate with a mission of propagating the Roman Catholic faith. To achieve its mission CPC shall advocate and support education in the Catholic faith in parish, school, college and university communities; advance the educational and catechetical mission of the Church; help individuals achieve a deeper more meaningful prayer life engendering a closer, more intimate relationship with God. Visit us on the Worldwide Web www.catholicprayerclub.org

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Our Feature article….

The E x a m e n

P r a y e r

A way of praying that opens our eyes to God’s daily self-revelation and increasingly clarifies for us our own responses to it…

What is the Examen? How do I pray it?

Will it be helpful to me?

The Consciousness Examen is sometimes called the Discernment Examen or an Awareness Review. By whatever name, the Examen is a simple prayer exercise that makes us more aware of our inner movements-feelings, motives, and inspirations-that deepen and order our lives to God. Looking at these movements makes us more attuned to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and more alert to the specter of evil.

The Examen is The prayer exercise in Ignatian spirituality-the grand daddy of prayers in the Spiritual Exercises developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola founder and the first Superior General of the Jesuits. For Ignatius finding God in all things was what life was all about.

The Consciousness Examen is not about good or bad actions, but about how God is moving me. Its focus is not on me, it is on God in me; it is not about how well or poorly I do, it is about how generously I respond to God’s loving me. The goal of the Examen is to develop a heart with a discerning vision, which will be active not only during examens, but continually in my life.

The Examen is quite simple and it can be done twice a day, once a day or however often one feels moved to do it with the greatest fruit. It can take anywhere between five and fifteen

minutes. It doesn’t matter how long you spend; the important thing is that you open yourself up to recognizing and responding to God’s movements in you.

Saint Ignatius suggests five steps to the Examen

Transition: I become aware of the love with which God looks upon me as I begin this examen.

Step 1: Gratitude I note the gifts that God’s love has given me this day and give thanks for them.

Step 2: Petition I ask God for insight and strength that will make this examine a work of grace, fruitful beyond my human capacity alone.

Step 3. Review With my God I review the day. I look for the stirrings in my heart and the thoughts that God has given me this day. I look also for those that have not been of God. I review my choices in response to both and throughout the day in general.

Step 4. Forgiveness I ask for the healing touch of the forgiving God, who with love and respect for me removes my heart’s burdens.

Step 5. Renewal I look to the following day and with God plan concretely how to live it in accordance with God’s loving desire for my life.

Transition: Aware of God’s presence with me, I prayerfully conclude the examen.

The Examen has by some been likened to a mini-retreat. It helps us to remember what is important and it helps us to get our priorities realigned. The daily prayer of Examen possesses great potential for spiritual growth. The Examen is of course a process; it develops over time. We begin by praying it a certain way and, if we persevere, it deepens and simplifies. Our growth will be gradual but eventually a time will come when we gain spiritual clarity and we begin to see the great patterns of God’s workings in our lives. It is then that we are blessed with an insight of deep gratitude and a heartfelt serenity which is unshakeable.

If you would like to learn more about the Examen Prayer we highly recommend these books: The Examen Prayer by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV ISBN-13: 978-0-8245-2367-1 and To Share in the Life of Christ by Fr. Laurence L. Gooley, S.J. ISBN 1-880810-27-1.

The CPC Prayer Intention for This Month

That, following the example of the Virgin Mary, all Christians should allow themselves to be guided by the word of God and always remain attentive to the signs of the Lord in their own lives.

Lord hear our prayer

You can help us spread the good word of our Lord…by becoming a CPC Prayer Ministry Leader in your home area.

As a CPC Prayer Minister (PM) you will form and lead a small Home Based Prayer Community (HBPC) in your hometown.

It’s easy to get started. All you need to do is invite several friends, co-workers or family members to join your HBPC. Local communities are generally comprised of from 3 to 15 members who gather in community every other week to pray, reflect and share our faith. The Catholic Prayer Club will provide you with all of the materials you need to form organize and lead your ministry and Home Based Prayer Community.

So if you feel called to a ministry in the service of the Lord, please contact Steve Macy or Aurora Ragaza Co-Stewards of The Catholic Prayer Club at

admin@catholicprayerclub.org

On the Worldwide Web www.catholicprayerclub.org

While our Ministry is free of charge it is not free of cost. Please consider supporting CPC with a tax - deductible donation by clicking the secure link below

Donate Here Through JustGive^®

http://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=14-1977600