Another Angle

Southern Cross 26 September 1984

At the end of each day comes my night prayer. Known as the Examen of Consciousness it is an exercise recommended by Ignatius of Loyola.

In it I begin by thanking God, for the events of the day.

Next I ask for light to see them from his angle. Then I let those come to the surface which he wants me to review.

Some of them I have written up in this column. Because many of them are good it may sound as if I were boasting. But the next step in this exercise is sorrow over any event that may call for it. And here is one of them.

I went to see a school play. My companion bought two programmes and, quietly reviewing the transaction, found that he had been short changed.

During interval we went out for a breath of fresh air.

At least I breathed in the fresh air while he had a smoke.

As we were about to return to our places, a couple of the

students at the box office recognised me and called out.

They asked me would I a programme. I replied that we already had two, thanks, and that, incidentally, they had short changed my companion.

Without questioning my integrity they gave, me a couple of coins.

1 returned to my place and triumphantly gave them to my partner.

He a little surprised and said that he had intended to leave them as a donation.

It was not very difficult, that night, to recall the incident.

I was still smarting under the embarrassment. I asked the Lord to forgive me for being so mean.

Dear Lord, thanks for the sunny days and also for the grey ones.

Amen..