Listening for God Daily Examen

On our Advent journey, the unforeseeable future comes to us as a chance for something new, for a birth, for the expectation, the hope, the possibility for transformation. Taking time to rest in the darkness helps us to see where God's light is leading us forward. How can you be a light to lead others out of darkness?

God speaks hope to the weary, the burnt out, and the hopeless. Heartbreaking poverty co-exists with inconceivable wealth; this is a sign of individualism and self-obsession. How can you expand your capacity to be a light bringing hope to someone in need today?

Hope shows us there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems. How can you let go of despair and embrace living in hope?

Mary's full surrender to God was made flesh. Through our surrender God continues to take flesh acting with us, in us, and through us. We are a work in progress. What challenges might God be calling you to do in the coming year to imitate God's loving concern for others?

Mary's full surrender to God was made flesh. Through our surrender God continues to take flesh acting with us, in us, and through us. We are a work in progress. What challenges might God be calling you to do in the coming year to imitate God's loving concern for others?

When the baby leapt in Elizabeth's womb, she cried out in a loud voice and became a prophet. Her joy was overflowing at the connection of her cousin carrying the Messiah. Reconnect to the hope of God-with-us. How can you put aside your interests to make more room for others, especially those in need at this time?

Hello and welcome to Listening for God. I'm glad you are here. Find a comfortable space where you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply, taking a moment to set aside any distractions. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you things from the past day the people you met, the work you did, and the conversations you had. Pay attention to any strong feelings or emotions, both positive and negative, as we reflect.

Before we leave the wilderness, let us make some resolutions about our spiritual lives. Living a life that is open, unrestrained, and free, ready to receive whatever comes. With God at your side, will you stay open to what you can neither control nor foresee; the possibility of something new?

In the wilderness we can see the beauty of creation. We have not lived as good stewards of our common home. God's redeeming presence is itching to break into our hearts to re-create the world as God intended. How can you work together for the common good of our common earth?

As Christmas approaches, some people dread the loneliness, or suffering the pain of broken relationships brings. The distance from loved ones is intensified by viewing the joyful companionship and family gatherings of those around them. How can you help meet this challenge of great hospitality with those around you?

God will surely come to you today, as God does every day, in the smile of a stranger, the giggle of a child, or the opening of a door. Recall a time in which God's mystery was revealed to you in a flash, a moment of insight, awareness, or illumination. How can you be a glimmer of joy to those around you?

As we continue to do the work needed in the wilderness, we become aware of our own clutter of self-concerns and materialism that can suffocate our practical love for our sisters and brothers. The person we want to become sometimes doesn't match who we are becoming. How can resting in joy help you to live a more purposeful life?

John the Baptist asks us to be sensitive to the wilderness of poverty around and among us. Responding by clothing the needy and sharing food with the hungry. We have become consumers of things, people, religion, and life. How can you restore your gratitude for the many gifts you have been given to make sure there is enough for everyone?

We who live in the mainstream are often blind to the sacred dignity of those on the margins. We carelessly apply labels, stereotypes, and expectations that diminish others. Emmanuel comes to us in the most unlikely circumstances and defies all of our tidy expectations. How can you lift up those feeling pain and loneliness and restore the joy of God-with-us?

John cried out “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Our conversion of heart looks to the future commitment and not merely to regret for the past. We focus on preparing a way for God to come into our hearts by intentionally seeking God's presence already at work in our thoughts, prayers, and actions. How can you be a gentle herald of this good news?

In the wilderness, fear, self-doubt, guilt, regrets, disappointment, or wounds can keep us from living who we truly are and who we want to be. Recall someone you have diminished through your critical thoughts, words, gossip, actions, or inactions. How can you make the way smoother for others who find it difficult to travel with God because of our intolerant or erratic behavior?

The wilderness asks us to embrace the journey with all its twists, turns, joys and sorrows. Surrender and resist the urge to try and control everything. We have been living in the darkness of the myth of self-sufficiency only to recognize in the light that we need one another. How can you actively be a moment of light and hope for someone else who is waiting today?

We repent not because we are bad, defective or deficient, but because we are loved by God. We continue to learn the truth about how we see ourselves, the truth about the direction our life is heading and who we are becoming.  Regardless of what we see within ourselves, it is just information, a diagnosis; not a final judgement or conclusion. How is God reshaping and redirecting your life?

As we continue move in the wilderness, depart from the easy path and stand against the tide as Jesus did in loving kindness and deep reverence for all people. Where do you need to release the destructive outburst of “road rage” toward your sisters and brother?

As we sit in the wilderness, we are left in the tension of knowing and not yet knowing. Cutting out the sharp bends and treacherous bumps on our path to give us a clearer and safer view of what is ahead or approaching. What obstacles are keeping you from being whom God has called you to be?

As we head into the wilderness we are called to repentance. A radical conversion of one's entire way of life. It demands a turning away from sin and all that leads to it, while turning toward God in heart and action. Remain here awhile and ponder where your heart needs inner change.

We begin to adjust to the darkness and awaken by letting go of surface so we can let in depth. Letting go of fear so we can let in love. Waiting in the darkness for the coming light. As you take time to hear the world around you, what messages are being whispered to you?

We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond. Advent waiting is not passive, we are called to be more, to be a part of the solution. How can you share the good news of positivity, affirmation, love and support into the darkness of our world? 

We search for signs around us, flashes of divine warmth, joy, mercy, kindness, and unrelenting love, yet we still struggle to find peace. How might you bring some relief or help for those who are suffering some hardship today?

We need to have hope to be able to stay awake and keep watch. The night will not always last and the dawn will soon come. Where have you fallen asleep or worse become indifferent? 

We are bombarded by voices and have become lost in trusting the voice of the world over the voice of God. It can be difficult to discern, but the voice of the world divides and destroys. The voice of God is love, calling us to care for one another and to build one another up. When you listen with your heart, whose voice is loudest? 

When we first enter into the darkness of Advent, we pause from our self-satisfying routines and look back over the last year. With this awareness let us look forward, releasing what binds us and embracing the darkness. What changes in your life do you most want to make this Advent?

Breathe with the pace of the season of Advent and be freed of the frantic seasonal consumerism around you. How can you fill your waiting with growth, relationships, and connection to be properly formed by this season?

The days are growing shorter and darker. Many of us are physically and mentally exhausted and have reached the end of our capacity. There is spiritual work to be done and we invite you to join us from wherever you are, to discover the deep restoration that God can provide by praying the Daily Examen each day. Taking this time allows us to deeply align our hearts and minds with God. We come today laying down the burdens of our busy lives, let us keep this time sacred to sit, be still, and listen. Music Recorded by Scott Lehrke

The pandemic has reminded us of what really matters. In what way are those many deaths inviting you to live more fully, to connect more deeply with others and to love more freely and completely?

We are asked to embrace our lack of control and our powerlessness over death. Are you willing to go with Jesus into the rest of his journey, or will you run away and hide?

Look into the pandemic and you will see triumphant palms waving in humble acts of love and kindness. You will see feet being washed even when shoes and socks are not removed. Will you surrender to the temporality of your life, meaning that this and every moment is priceless?

We join in the joyous crowd waving palms and shouting “Hosannas!” at the sight of Jesus. Are you drawn in by the allure of earthly treasures, victories and success?

In the shadow of the cross, do you notice more meaning and significance in your life? Do you notice a feeling of beauty and presence? Are you filled with gratitude and appreciation? Are you reflecting the new and true you?

The values we hold and claim to live show up in how we forgive others and in the places we invest our time, money and efforts. More importantly, our values dictate the way we care for and love one another. Is your life a visible sign of that love?

Part of growing older is learning how to accept the experiences of loss in our lives, and to have hope in the experiences of growth and new life to come. What have you learned from loss in your life?

We are challenged by how much we cling to the “things” of this life. If this is the “life” we place meaning on, then we will surely lose it. We must put aside the world's focus on material things and focus our attention on service to others. How will you show your responsibility for others around you?

Unless we are prepared to let go of our ego, our status, our “reputation,” for the sake of others and respond to them from the heart, then we can never experience the breadth and depth of what it means to belong to a community. What can you do to sow seeds of love that will help to change the world?

We live in the shadow of the cross. A time when the past and the future are made present; we live in the ‘already-but-not-yet” time of anticipation and fulfillment. What does this mean for you today for your priorities and relationships?

Using the image of the seed and its harvest, Jesus reminds his disciples that the glory promised can only be achieved through the hour of death and resurrection. He died and was buried in the earth and that death was fruitful for the whole of humankind. Where do you struggle to let go of things?

We have been made new people, free from restraints of the past so that we might live in truth and become the visible signs of God's mercy. What are some actions “of the light” that you can take on that would make a difference in other people's lives?

Even when we find ourselves lost in the darkness of our most destructive behavior, the saving love of Christ is always available to us, inviting us to come out of the darkness into his light. What are some of your actions that are “of the darkness?”

As we continue to look at what tempts us, what causes us to stumble or be distracted, we come closer to the light. Living in the light of Christ helps to dispel some shadowy dimension of our lives. Where are you still clinging to myths and untruths?

Jesus reminds us that “people preferred the darkness to light because their works were evil.” We try to hide in the dark, but like in the desert, there is no place to hide, God is everywhere. Where in your life do you choose to linger in the darkness over the light?

We have been living in the darkness of the myth of self-sufficiency only to recognize in the light that we need one another. It is time for honest reflection and owning our part in our present. God sent his Son into the world not to condemn it but to save it. Humbly set before God the challenges you face and ask for help.

Jesus knew his purpose, but sometimes we struggle to find ours. We face ourselves and learn the ways in which our lives have become disfigured, fragmented, and disconnected from the original beauty of our creation. Where does your life need to be brought back together again to be made whole?

Jesus reveals one of the most quoted phrases in the Bible “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son...” He had clarity in his purpose on earth and named it. His light cast out the darkness. Where do you find your life has purpose?

As we leave the temple we cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before. We must slow down, take stock, and design better ways to live together on this earth. What concrete changes can you make to how you consume on this earth?

Join Fr. Michael in the bonus episode each week to go deeper in the desert. This is the 3rd bonus episode.

If we are to come out of this temple less selfish than when we went in, we have to let ourselves be touched by other's pain. Heartbreaking poverty co-exists with inconceivable wealth.This is a sign of individualism and self-obsession. How can you open your eyes to the suffering around you and be moved to change?

As we look around this temple, we are relearning what to hold on to and what to let go of that help us make progress in our faith lives. We are seeking progress and not perfection. Where do you need to acknowledge that God's will is to be done?