Scripture
John 12: 44-50
Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
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
To Know Jesus is to Love Him
It is impossible to love someone if you do not know them. Jesus provides us with a way to know him and grow in our love for him. The book of John lays out who Jesus is directly. There are no parables to figure out. There is just Jesus who is the light that brings us out of darkness, who came to save us from an eternity without him, who does not condemn us for our sins and who speaks the words of the Father. Before I prayed the Spiritual Exercises, I thought I knew and loved Jesus. But the truth is, he was like a distant cousin. Someone I had heard about but had never met. Once I began placing myself in the scenes of his life as an active participant, I really came to know him as my brother, my friend, and my savior. When he was born, I was his midwife. When he was crucified, I knelt weeping at the foot of his cross. When he was buried, I stayed in the tomb with him and saw him open his eyes on the third day. It is impossible to love someone if you do not know them and to know Jesus is to love him.
—Terresa Michele Ford is an Ignatian spiritual director, palliative care chaplain and artist who has written for Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center, Catholic Women Preach, and the Black Catholic Messenger. She holds an M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and an MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art and serves as a Reflector for the Ignatian Volunteer Corp.
Ignatian Prayer
Apr 29, 2026
Prayer
“An Offering of Self”
O Jesus, my life and my glory,
I cheerfully restore the life
which I have received from thee,
and were it not thy gift,
would not be mine to return.
I have ever desired, O God of my soul,
to resign my life to thee and for thee.
I die for the love of thee.
—St. Edmund Arrowsmith, SJ
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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