{"id":5128,"date":"2013-08-05T23:00:04","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T05:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/?p=5128"},"modified":"2020-09-10T15:14:59","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T21:14:59","slug":"pray-examen-with-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/05\/pray-examen-with-children\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pray the Examen with Your Children"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI think the examen protects our children not only from drinking and premature sexuality, but also from getting caught up in the violence of our culture\u2026the examen has taught our children to face the violence of their own shadow sides and bring it into the light for healing.\u201d\u00a0Sleeping with Bread<\/em><\/p>\n

\"sleeping-with-bread\"<\/a>My oldest son just turned 12, and I\u2019ve seen a lot of changes come quick.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s starting to notice more of the world.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s becoming more influenced by his friends and what they do. Being popular and well liked has become an issue now.<\/p>\n

And, along with that, the latest shooter video games, pop music, and more adult movies occupy his mind.<\/p>\n

But as these new interests capture his attention and imagination, I\u2019ve also noticed them dulling his enthusiasm for God.<\/p>\n

Religion is not as exhilarating.\u00a0Video games are engrossing, the Mass is not. God is doing amazing things in his life, but they are harder for him to see.<\/p>\n

So, I\u2019ve been thinking lately about how to foster more of a relationship with Jesus in my son and help him recognize God in his life. To do that we started praying the examen prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola.
\n<\/p>\n

What is the examen?<\/h2>\n

The examen is an integral part of Ignatian spirituality. It\u2019s a way of understanding how God is present and active in your life.<\/p>\n

In the examen, you reflect on what happened during the day with an eye toward figuring out where God was influencing you. At every moment, God is actively working to guide you on a path toward himself.<\/p>\n

Like Israel in the desert, God is still leading his people to spiritual freedom. You just have to know how to listen.\u00a0God\u2019s influence is felt in what St. Ignatius calls consolation. It\u2019s a feeling of comfort, security, love, happiness, and peace.<\/p>\n

Recently I started using a small book on the examen called\u00a0Sleeping with Bread<\/a>. <\/em>While the authors can be a little wonky and I don’t agree with everything they believe (see my note below), they do explain the examen in simple terms\u00a0that a young teen can understand. They describe\u00a0consolation as the things that give you life.<\/p>\n

The title comes from a story about child refugees during World War II. Even after they were safe and had plenty to eat, the trauma of living with severe hunger haunted them so much they couldn\u2019t sleep. The only thing that gave these children peace was sleeping with a loaf of bread. It gave them security and comfort knowing they would have food when they woke up. The bread gave those children life.<\/p>\n

Similarly, we want to hold onto those things that give us life. That\u2019s God speaking to us and showing us the path to abundant life.<\/p>\n

How does it work?<\/h2>\n

Every night, I get together with my son and we answer two questions. What am I most grateful for today? What am I least grateful for today?<\/p>\n

Sleeping with Bread<\/em>\u00a0suggests other ways to can ask these questions:<\/p>\n