Examens
Daily Examen
The Examen is the foundational form of prayer for Ignatius of Loyola, as it is rooted in one’s experience, emotions, and recognition of the on-going gifts that are offered to each of us uniquely. Join Loyola University Chicago students, staff, and faculty members in a different Examen each day through different themes, perspectives, and presenters!
2025 Examens
Examen 01: General
Our first Examen of the month is general, inviting you to pay attention to what happened and how you were in this past day.
PRESENTER: Lauren Schwer, DMin, Director, Ignatian Spirituality; Adjunct Professor, Institute for Pastoral Studies
Examen 02: Joy and Awe
This Examen helps us think about the ways we welcome joy into daily life.
PRESENTER: Mara Brecht, PhD, Associate Professor, Chair, Department of Theology
Examen 03: Language
A meditation on the importance of language in connecting us to each other, in grounding us in the present, and in experiencing the presence of G-d.
PRESENTER: Michael Bloom, PhD, Founding Director, Center for Health Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Examen 04: Allyship
Contemplate allyship in your life.
PRESENTER: Lee Hubbell, Director, LU CHOICE
Examen 05: Human Dignity
Notice where goodness, presence, and dignity have appeared in your life.
PRESENTER: Hannah Schmidt and Lucy Cano, Student leaders, Labre Homeless Outreach
Examen 06: Community
Reflection on living and growing in community.
PRESENTER: Hannah Hinerman, Graduate Assistant, Institute of Pastoral Studies
Examen 07: Nature
This Examen is an opportunity to notice, appreciate, and give thanks for the gifts of our natural world.
PRESENTER: Chris Dickman, Senior Instructional Designer, Office of Online Learning
Examen 08: Social Justice
This Examen is an opportunity to notice, appreciate, and give thanks for the gifts of our natural world.
PRESENTER: Bizzy Stephenson, Community Outreach Program Manager, Community Service and Action
Examen 09: Vocation
This Examen is an opportunity to notice, appreciate, and give thanks for the gifts of our natural world.
PRESENTER: Patrick Green, Executive Director, Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS); Clinical Assistant Progessor, School of Education
Examen 10: Creativity
This guided reflection invites you to pause, breathe, and notice the gift of creativity in your daily life.
PRESENTER: Klamesha P. Richards, MA (she/her), Associate Director, Ignatian Spirituality
Examen 11: Traditional
This guided reflection invites you to pause, breathe, and notice the gift of creativity in your daily life.
PRESENTER: Kevin Flaherty, S.J., Chaplain, Ignatian Spirituality
Examen 12: Beauty
Contemplate the ways beauty shows up in your day.
PRESENTER: Marshawn Razor, Assistant Vice President, Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Examen 13: Gratitude
Using gratitude to frame our prayer.
PRESENTER: Steven Betancourt, Director, Campus Ministry
Examen 14: Peace and Reconciliation
This Examen helps us identify how God is inviting us to be ambassadors of peace and reconciliation in the world around us.
PRESENTER: Derrick Witherington, Assistant Director, Campus Ministry; Adjunct Faculty, Department of Theology
Examen 15: General
This is a general Examen to help you reflect on your day.
PRESENTER: Brother Bobby Nichols, S.J., Chaplain, Campus Ministry
Examen 16: Forgiveness
Contemplate forgiveness with this Examen.
PRESENTER: Omer Mozaffar, Chaplain, Campus Ministry
Examen 17: Love
This Examen helps us to recognize God's constant and immense love for us individually in our daily lives. How can we recognize how God fills up our cup with such a great love to the point of overflowing?
PRESENTER: Vivian Pearson, Student Worker, Campus Ministry
Examen 18: Thanksgiving
Reflect upon when you felt thankful today.
PRESENTER: Sarah Simmons, Chaplain, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Examen 19: Self-Awareness
In our daily lives, we too often rush around without taking the time to ask ourselves "why?" What are the consequences of this, and how might we change?
PRESENTER: Nicholas Skabich, Undergraduate Student
Examen 20: Hope
We experience so much within one semester. Sometimes we might be tested, but we have a dream and a plan and want to be successful at the end.
PRESENTER: Jose Rosales, Undergraduate Student
Examen 21: Compassion
Loving our neighbors is a noble sentiment, but what about those neighbors with whom we disagree or who have caused us harm?
PRESENTER: Tim Love, Executive Director and Title IX Coordinator, Office for Equity & Compliance (OEC)
Examen 22: Intentions for Tomorrow
This Examen will help you set intentions for tomorrow.
PRESENTER: Jeff Peak, Assistant Director, Campus Ministry
Examen 23: Self-Compassion
Looking back at your semester, reflect on the compassion you have offered others and that you have received from others so that you can better offer compassion to yourself.
PRESENTER: Emily Heitzman, Campus Minister for Faith and Justice, Campus Ministry
Examen 24: Journaling
Journaling can be a great way to get your thoughts out of your head and to remember what has been coming up. This Examen gives prompts to help you examine your past week.
PRESENTER: Claire Erlenborn, Campus Minister for Pastoral Care, Campus Ministry
2024 Examens
Examen 01: General
Our first Examen of the month is general, inviting you to pay attention to what happened and how you were in this past day.
PRESENTER: Lauren Schwer, DMin, Director, Ignatian Spirituality; Adjunct Professor, Institute for Pastoral Studies
Examen 02: Civic Life
No matter what place you call home, no matter your citizenship, no matter what issues seem to unite or divide you from your neighbor, God calls all of us to contribute to the common good in our community. Pray and reflect upon this profound responsibility.
PRESENTER: Megan Barry, MA, MSW, Director, Community Service & Action
Examen 03: Traditional
Join Fr. Jerry in this heartfelt Examen as we explore the daily life and spiritual journey of a campus chaplain together through this personal prayer.
PRESENTER: Fr. Jerry Overbeck, S.J., Resident Chaplain, Baumhart Hall
Examen 04: Language
Language awareness and understanding. This examen wants to deepen people’s awareness of the power of language in their life and interactions.
PRESENTER: Aleja Sastoque Luna, MA, MAPC, Assistant Director of Faith Communities, Campus Ministry
Examen 05: Allyship
We are all called to practice solidarity and right-relationship in our daily lives. This Examen invites us to reflect on that call, and to open ourselves to future actions with clarity and hope.
PRESENTER: Ann Hillman, MDiv, Director, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Examen 06: Nature
In this examen, we reflect on nature and how we might pay more attention to the everyday gifts of nature that God has given us.
PRESENTER: Meg Hogan, Operations Manager, Campus Ministry
Examen 07: General
In this examen, we walk through our experience of the day, re-membering its gifts and graces, and asking what deeper response God might be inviting from us.
PRESENTER: Claire Noonan, DMin, Vice President for Mission Integration
Examen 08: Community
Consider what role community plays in your life and how you feel about your community today. This examen will prompt reflection on relationships, togetherness, isolation, and connection.
PRESENTER: Bizzy Stephenson (she/her), Community Outreach Program Coordinator, Community Service & Action
Examen 09: Secular
Today’s Examen is a secular reflection on how your day has gone interiorly, with a focus on the emotions you encountered throughout the day’s circumstances and events.
PRESENTER: Lauren Schwer, DMin, Director, Ignatian Spirituality; Adjunct Professor, Institute for Pastoral Studies
Examen 10: Racial Justice
In this Examen you will hear a story and reflection directly from Rhonda V. Magee’s book titled The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness.
PRESENTER: Rev. Ramona Bamgbose (she/her/ella), Chaplain, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Examen 11: Peace and Reconciliation
This Examen asks you to reflect on wonder, order and disorder, and yearning.
PRESENTER: Omer Mozaffar, Muslim Chaplain, Campus Ministry
Examen 12: General
General Daily Examen centered on gratitude and hope.
PRESENTER: Steven Betancourt, MM (he/him), Director, Campus Ministry
Examen 13: Ecological
Spend time reflecting in (or about) nature and the wonder that we can find in the natural world. Today focus on the moments of awe you feel from being in creation.
PRESENTER: Claire Erlenborn, MA, LSW (she/her), Retreat Coordinator, Campus Ministry
Examen 14: Gratitude
In our busy lives, we often overlook the simple joys. Today, let's take a step back and cherish what we're thankful for.
PRESENTER: Klamesha P. Richards, MA (she/her), Associate Director, Ignatian Spirituality
Examen 15: Relationships
Where might you have experienced God in your relationships today? How might God’s be working through others to invite you to love more deeply?
PRESENTER: Jeff Peak, MA (he/him), Assistant Director of Retreats, Campus Ministry
Examen 16: Looking Back to Look Forward
As we look forward to the end of the semester and what we need to do to get there, it is important to take time to slow down and look back at how we got where we are now.
PRESENTER: Rev. Emily Heitzman, MDiv, MA (she/her), Campus Minister for Faith and Justice, Campus Ministry
Examen 17: Beauty
Daily life is filled with many beautiful moments, some of which we can easily miss and underappreciate. In this examen, we will focus on how we encounter beauty in many and sometimes surprising forms throughout our day and learn to see these experiences as invitations to open ourselves to God’s will for us.
PRESENTER: Derrick Witherington, PhD, STD (he/him), Assistant Director of Sacramental Life, Campus Ministry
Examen 18: Surprise and Awe
Awe transcends surprise and is a feeling of being in the presence of something beyond us, something only God could create. This Examen encourages us to open our eyes and hearts to moments that sparked awe in our daily lives.
PRESENTER: Justin Hoch, LSW, MA (he/him), Chaplain, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Examen 19: General
General daily examen focused on mindfulness and gratitude.
PRESENTER: Ana Koulouris (she/her/ella), Department Coordinator, Health Sciences Campus Ministry