In November the Church walks with the holy souls — bound by memory, love, and intercession. Carmel knows this road. Drawing on Dante’s climb up Mount Purgatory and St John of the Cross’s Ascent of Mount Carmel, this free examen invites you to remember your dead with few words and long silences.
Across five terraces it asks a single question: how have I loved, and how have I allowed myself to be loved? It rests on Spe Salvi 48: love crosses the threshold of death, and “it is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain.”
Allow 20 to 30 minutes. Pray it alone, after Vespers, or with family and friends. Wherever you see Pause, keep two or three minutes of real silence.
You can also read the full examen online:
Remembering the Dead: An Examen of Ascent
And continue the November conversation with:
Grieving in Hope: The Mercy That Carries Us to Birth