Discernment of Spirits

For Saint Ignatius of Loyola the discernment of spirits is a way by which we come to understand God’s will for us.  The practice of the Examen, a technique developed by St. Ignatius, is meant to be a short, “quarter of an hour” prayerful reflection on the events of the day so that we may detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us.  The Examen has been my new way of prayer for the last several years.

Apparently, the oldest meaning of the word discernment, is to separate as in sifting, shaking out the chaff and retaining the flour.  To discern, therefore, is to sift out what is not useful in order to have what is useful in full view. That has relevance for our discernment when we pray the Examen: we are seeking to “sort out” our situation, to perceive it accurately in order to respond to the will of God for us. This is why prayer is so important in our lives. To make any decision, we must discern God’s will.   

For Ignatius, discernment involved prayer and the enlightenment of grace; for him the practice of ongoing discernment was “seeking God’s will for his life.” He knew, in the first place, that humans have freedom and their choices have consequences; second, some choices are better – and freer – than others; third, human choices are not only between good and evil, but are often between lesser goods and greater goods.

In the Examen, Ignatius proposes five steps for our discernment: request the Spirit, relish the good by being thankful, review the day, repent from wrongdoing, and resolve to live better tomorrow. 

Lately, getting more involved in the Ignatian prayer, I discovered the practice of the Examen, as a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God’s presence¹.

In the midst of my busy days, the Examen has been a helpful and easy practice. Sometimes, we forget to relate our life to God’s will and presence. God is present in every moment, and the Examen helps us to discover him and act with consequence. This experience of the Lord calling us to conversion, requires our response if we want to grow in holiness.

The Examen looks for signs of God’s presence in the events of the day: a lunch with a friend, a walk in the park, a kind word from a colleague, a challenge overcome, a duty accomplished. The Examen likes routine. God is present while you cook dinner, write a note, answer emails, and run errands. The Examen focuses on your conscious experience and in God as someone who is present in our human experience.

Making time every day to examine my soul is helping me to discern the right way to connect with others and to discover the place where I find Jesus alive. My relationship with God has become more intense, and I am able to better recognize my emotions and reactions. When praying the Examen, I can be honest with myself and review my reality under the light of the Holy Spirit.

Stopping at least once a day to review myself in every encounter, challenge, disappointment and, even in every joy, helps me to find God and makes me more aware  that God has given me everything. He fills me with his gifts: the gift of life, family, friends, or fruitful work.  Even the ability to give thanks and praise is one of God’s gifts.

The Examen is a unique tool in Ignatian spirituality. Although it is a practice of regular reflection and self-examination, it is a prayer that helps us to find God in all things – in what we think, do and feel – even in our occupations and in our rest.

¹ I recommend Jim Maney’s book A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Examen.