Examen of consciousness

4. Sorrow, Forgiveness and Gratitude

We seek forgiveness from the Lord for the moments we did not respond to His love because of our lack of honesty and courage. We should not be afraid to ask for the gift of and ever deepening sorrow for not cooperating with Him, who loves us. This contrition or sorrow is not a shame or depression of our weakness but a faith experience as we grow in our realization of our Father's awesome desire that we love him with every ounce of our being.

5. Hopeful attitude for the future

There is nothing that can be done without God's loving assistance and guidance. So, we ask for a great desire to face the future with renewed vision and sensitivity. We pray for the grace not only to recognize even more subtle ways in which the Lord will call us in the existential situation of our future, but also to respond to His calls with more faith, deeper humility and greater courage. At this moment, we may feel also the need to ask for some particular need for the coming day.

We conclude the exercise with the Lord's Prayer.