Yuri Gangarin, the first Soviet cosmonaut, landed after orbiting the earth a few times. And he declared that he had disproved the existence of God. Gangarin had toured the outer reaches of planet Earth and said he had seen no sign of the Lord. Immediately, many Christians countered the cosmonaut’s account by pointing out that Gangarin had seen plenty of signs of God, if only the cosmonaut had known how to interpret them.

As the New Testament text quoted above reminds us, Christ is all around us. And just as importantly, He lives within us. One of the more useful tools I’ve found to look inward is a simple form of prayer born in the Jesuit tradition called The Examen. It is an exercise in which we try to find the movement of the Spirit in our daily lives. We do this by reflecting on our day - its ups and downs, its twists and turns.

There are five rather simple steps to The Examen. The first is recollection, which is remembering that Christ is with us. No matter what we have done or where we are, Jesus is present. Like the famous poem called ‘Footprints,’ we cannot take one step without Christ beside us. The second step is gratitude. This is when we look back at our day with an attitude of thanksgiving. We remember the traffic light we made, the warm dinner we had that was out of this world, and the smile we received from a stranger that made our day. The third step is praying for the Holy Spirit’s help. This is when we invite the Spirit to join us as we review the day. We ask for insight, pledge to be honest with ourselves and ask for the strength to do it all.

The fourth step is the heart of The Examen. This is when we review the previous day. This is the longest and most important step in which we walk, moment by moment, through the previous 24 hours. We remember what happened to us, how we felt about it, and how we handled it. Were we sincere? Cold? Open? Easily upset? Quick to forgive? The fifth step, then, is a chance to take it all to Jesus in prayer. This is when we engage in ‘holy conversation’ about what we thought and how we acted.

Through this method we can grow in a sense of self, become more sensitive of our own spirit and its longings, as well as develop an openness to receive the support God offers. There are copies of The Examen available here As we take time off for the upcoming holidays let’s challenge ourselves to set aside moments for inward reflection and self-discovery. And let us not be surprised when we see Christ inside!