Give thanks
Begin with one grace from the day. It may be small, ordinary, or easy to miss.
Examen journal
Catholic Examen journal prompts for the end of the day
The Examen is a prayerful way to look back over the day with God. In a Catholic journal, it can become a quiet evening rhythm: receive the day, notice where grace appeared, name what needs mercy, and keep one small response.
You do not need to write a long entry. One honest sentence under each movement can be enough.
A simple Examen journal rhythm
Ask for light
Invite honesty before God. You are not grading the day; you are asking to see it truthfully.
Review gently
Notice where you were present, where you were hurried, where love was easy, and where it was hard.
Examen journal prompts
- What grace from today do I want to remember?
- Where did I notice peace, help, beauty, or patience?
- Where was I most present to God, myself, or another person?
- Where did I feel hurried, guarded, resentful, or afraid?
- What moment needs mercy rather than self-punishment?
- What do I want to ask forgiveness for, simply and honestly?
- What is one small faithful step for tomorrow?
- What prayer do I want to end the day with?
When the day was hard
An Examen does not need to turn a hard day into a neat lesson. Some evenings, the honest prayer is grief, tiredness, anger, or the desire to begin again.
Write what is true. If one sentence is all you can offer, let that be the entry.
How to use the Examen with daily readings
You can begin the day with the daily readings and end it with the Examen. In the evening, return to the line or question you carried and ask where it met your actual day.
This connects the readings, prayer, and journal into one memory you can return to later.
Pray with the day
Keep a gentle daily rhythm.
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