Just 10 minutes a night can spark a big change in your spiritual life! 🙌
In this episode of The Catholic Gentlemen, Devin Schadt and John Heinen discuss a Catholic habit with incredible benefits.
Here’s their simple approach to help you take control of your day with an evening examen:
1) Count Your Blessings!
Gratitude is a spiritual weapon that can change your entire outlook on life.
“When you start to count your blessings, you realize I have so much more good than bad,” Schadt says.
Our minds naturally focus on the negative, so intentionally recognizing God’s gifts each day will cultivate a spirit of joy and resilience. He says this simple shift in mindset shields you from creeping doubts and discouragements that weigh you down.
2) Keep Your Heart Focused on Christ!
Are your devotions just another item on a checklist or a true encounter with God?
Heinen explains that although “spiritual practices and devotions have merit and have worth, they can often get stale when I haven’t practiced them for an extended period of time.”
The examen helps you reflect on whether you truly prayed with heart and intention.
Be honest, not just on doing your devotions, but on their quality: “Did I do them well or did I just hurry through them?”
3) Grow Your Relationships!
“If you're holding on to the baggage of negativity and your sinfulness, that's going to come out in your relationships. You're going to be angry,” Schadt explains.
By regularly examining your conscience and laying your struggles before God, you'll grow as a person who can genuinely give to others—your loved ones, workplace, community, and everywhere in between.
The gentlemen say an examen is an amazing way to transform your heart and strengthen your faith!