Scripture
Deuteronomy 4: 1, 5-9
Moses spoke to the people and said:
“So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
“See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?
“But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Ignatian Reflection
A Path Meant to Guide Us
Moses begins: “Hear… and observe.” Lent is precisely a season of renewed listening — slowing down enough to hear what God is actually asking of us. But what we hear is not a set of arbitrary restrictions; it is a way of life.
If we cling only to the letter of the law, we become rigid and unattractive. If we ignore the letter entirely, we lose the distinctiveness that makes faith visible. We are not free to reinvent God’s revelation, but neither are we called to freeze it into lifeless legalism. This is the tension we see in the Gospels, when even sincere religious leaders sometimes lose sight of the heart of the law. God’s law is not a fence meant to confine us, but a path meant to guide us.
The letter shows us where to step. The spirit tells us why we are walking.
—Jim Bozik is a permanent deacon and Associate for Pastoral Ministry at St. Peter Catholic Church, the Jesuit church in the Diocese of Charlotte, NC.
Ignatian Prayer
Mar 11, 2026
Prayer
LORD, teach me the way of your statutes;
I shall keep them with care.
Give me understanding to keep your law,
to observe it with all my heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for that is my delight.
Direct my heart toward your testimonies
and away from gain.
Avert my eyes from what is worthless;
by your way give me life.
—Psalm 119:33-37
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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