Daily Meditation for November 29, 2024

An Irish saying has it right: “May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you’re going and the insight to know when you have gone too far.” One of our monastic practices, the daily examen, calls for some of the same virtues: humility in pondering our day’s activities and relationships, prayer that God’s Spirit will lead us into a new day equipped to do better, praise and thanksgiving for God’s wisdom and presence in our day’s activities. In fact, a daily examen is somewhat like a GPS message: relax, breathe deeply, assess the situation, recalculate. God loves to accompany us, eager to give us hindsight, foresight and insight as we journey on to Him/Her. God does not critique our every move but rather truly wants to walk with us and commune with us. Listen to what God says to you, too: “Relax, breathe deeply, assess the situation, recalculate. I am here with you.”

By a Sister of Saint Benedict