Nightly Spiritual Exam

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jackpuffin

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I would just like some advice. I am trying to aquire some good prayer habits, beginning with those I KNOW to be beneficial. I.E: daily mass and daily rosary. However, I am wondering how to incorporate a nightly spiritual examination of conscience. I know that many, if not all, of the saints did this everyday. I have found in the past, however, that when I did it, one of two things would happen. Either I would obssess over my sin and feel like slime, losing hope to go on…or I would see myself getting better , and my pride would inflate like a balloon. That pride would set me up for a fall and the cycle would continue. I ended up ditching my spiritual exam somewhere along the line, and just try to do my best at every second of the day. I suppose I worked off the philosophy: “The past or the future don’t matter now; you’ve got to focus and do your best right now in the present.” But then, the spiritual examination must be a good thing since all the saints did it, right? I must be doing it wrong. Any suggestions?
 
got this from a good Jesuit during a retreat:
pray for enlightenment from the Holy Spirit
review the events of the day
acknowledge the feelings that arise from this consideration
pray from any of the feelings that arise from this consideration
forgive in your heart anyone who hurt you today
ask forgiveness of God for any hurtful or sinful word, action or omission you recall from the day, and for those you do not remember
make a good act of contrition (psalms listed above are great acts of contrition to use)
make a resolution for tomorrow, something specific
pray the Our Father.
go to sleep with a peaceful heart, having turned everything over to the Lord.
 
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