(Stock Photo – Canva)
By Deacon Eric Gurash
It can be a challenge to be aware of God’s presence, activity, and nearness, even on our best days. For those grappling with a mental health challenge, whether it’s an acute, situational issue or a chronic, long-term condition, confidence in God’s nearness and care can be fleeting. Feelings of isolation and uncertainty that accompany mental health struggles are often exacerbated by the additional fear that God has abandoned us in our most pressing time of need.
At these times, the quest for God’s presence can often feel like searching for a flickering light in a dense fog. The weight of our anxieties, the dullness or despair of depression, or other mental health difficulties can obscure our spiritual vision, leaving us to wonder if God is truly near or if our prayers are heard. Yet, amid this uncertainty, a profound invitation exists—to explore the depths of faith and discover glimpses of divine closeness even in the darkest corners of our inner struggles.
“This Daily Examen is a reflective prayer that helps individuals become more aware of God’s presence and discern His will in their daily lives. While it is a powerful tool for spiritual growth, self-awareness, and discernment, it can also help to combat intrusive thoughts that creep in during a mental health crisis that tell us we are alone, that everyone we care about has abandoned us, and that even God has left our side.”
Like many other aspects of coping and building resiliency, building our capacity for an ongoing awareness of God’s presence takes time and practice. We may already be aware of how helpful it can be to prepare gratitude lists, jot down reminders of those things we know to be true, or make sure we stay connected with friends and family who serve as social supports in advance of a mental health crisis or entering into a context we know will be particularly challenging or triggering. In much the same way, it can be beneficial to intentionally nurture our awareness of God’s nearness and activity to provide the grounding and strength we need when our mental health takes a turn.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit religious order and creator of The Spiritual Exercises, had hoped that, through daily practice, he might be able to identify God at work in any particular moment and in any time of crisis or need. One way that he hoped to do this was through a daily prayer practice that has come to be called Awareness Examen or Daily Examen.
This Daily Examen is a reflective prayer that helps individuals become more aware of God’s presence and discern His will in their daily lives. While it is a powerful tool for spiritual growth, self-awareness, and discernment, it can also help to combat intrusive thoughts that creep in during a mental health crisis that tell us we are alone, that everyone we care about has abandoned us, and that even God has left our side.
The steps of this kind of prayer are simple and easy to fit into a 10 or 15-minute break in the day or at those times when the overwhelm becomes unmanageable, and we need to step back and recalibrate ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, for just a few moments.
- Ask for God’s help. When mental health struggles become particularly overwhelming, it can be a challenge to focus on anything at all. This first step helps to remind us that God doesn’t need us to do anything; merely be open to what He wants us to know. Here, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us be aware of where and how God has been accompanying us up to this point in our day. If you’ve been practicing this for a while and have prayed for a particular grace or way you need God’s help most, this is a good time to review how God has been answering that prayer.
- Allow a situation to come to mind freely. Perhaps a number of times and places have started to come to mind after you asked for God’s help. Allow these moments to freely move through your memory for a bit before beginning to pay attention to a single moment that stands out to you the most. This might be a feeling of comfort, a conversation with a friend, a compassionate word, or even a momentary thought, idea, or image.
- Remember as much about the experience as you can. Who was there? What were the sights and sounds? What was being said, and/or what was happening? Pay attention to how you felt then and how you feel now, looking back. You might even enter into an internal dialog with God about this memory, asking or just wondering what it is about this moment that God needed you to see, feel, or know. Why might God have brought this moment to mind? How do you find yourself responding to this gift? What might you continue doing, cease doing, or begin doing differently as a result? If you have the time, you might want to jot some of these down in a notebook or journal.
- Take a moment to thank God for the gift of this sacred memory. In your own words or with the brief doxology “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.”
- Look Ahead. Think about what you may need to help get through the rest of this moment, this day, or the day to come. Ask God for particular helps or graces that you feel you need the most. God’s answers to these requests for help might give you a place to start when you set aside time to pray like this again.
When we are experiencing a crisis in our mental health, or struggling long-term, God’s presence can seem distant and elusive. By taking a few moments each day to practice seeking God’s help in discerning His presence and activity, we can experience clarity and comfort even in our most difficult moments. This spiritual practice not only nurtures resilience and self-awareness but also reminds us that God is always with us, offering hope and strength as we journey through the complexities of our mental health challenges.
For more information on Emmaus Family Support Ministries, visit emmaussupport.ca/
